ABSTRACT
Commercial buildings account for 13% of UK carbon emissions,1 with over 50% of these built before 1940. Unlike residential properties where unregulated energy loads are relatively consistent across property types, there are significant differences across the commercial and industrial sectors. As with residential buildings the commercial sector has been subject to UK government policies encouraging measurement of building performance and improved energy efficiency. As with residential buildings, the commercial sector has important barriers to retrofit which must be addressed if improvements are to be achieved. Unlike the residential sector, properties in the commercial sector are almost always ‘managed’, and investment decisions are typically planned around whether to refurbish, demolish or extend. As a large academic building with high occupancy levels and associated internal heat gains, this building type can be prone to overheating. The main intervention was the replacement of the existing building envelope with new stone cladding and mineral wool insulation.
