ABSTRACT

A retro-fit offers many benefits: cutting electricity and heating bills, increasing the resale value of homes, slashing carbon emissions and creating a healthier place to live. This book is the guide to making it happen. It looks at: 

  • draught-proofing, insulation and damp
  • ventilation, heating and cooling
  • electrical efficiency and renewable energy
  • water use and re-use
  • materials' life cycles and incorporating nature
  • protection from climate change impacts - modelling energy flows and embodied energy
  • how we can meet the need to cut carbon emissions from dwellings by eighty percent by 2050.

Projects can apply to apartment blocks, recent builds and older, solid-walled properties. Enlivened with helpful diagrams and photographs, plus plenty of pointers for further information, it provides a comprehensive resource handbook for any building professional and contractor, students – or any homeowner serious about efficiency (cash and carbon) savings.

chapter |9 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|10 pages

Airtightness:

Reducing Energy Demand for Heating and Cooling

chapter 2|20 pages

Insulation Materials

chapter 3|40 pages

Insulation Strategies

chapter 4|13 pages

Going All the Way:

Towards Passivhaus

chapter 5|7 pages

Windows and Doors

chapter 6|22 pages

Ventilation, Cooling and Heating

chapter 7|16 pages

Water Management

chapter 8|14 pages

Electricity Efficiency and Supply

chapter 9|10 pages

Contextual Issues