Net Zero by 2050: What It Means for Existing Buildings

by | Jun 28, 2019 | Maintenance and PPM, Regulation and Compliance

For owners and managers of buildings, a change in the law in June 2019 was set to shape maintenance plans for decades. On 27 June 2019 the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019 came into force. It raised the target in the Climate Change Act 2008 from an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050 to net zero.

Why existing buildings matter

New buildings can be designed to be efficient from the start. The bigger challenge is the buildings we already have, many of which will still be in use in 2050. Homes, offices, shops and blocks of flats are heated mostly by gas, and many have little insulation. Bringing them towards net zero will be a gradual process, carried out over many repair and renewal cycles.

At the time there was no new duty on individual owners. But the direction was clear, and it made sense to plan early rather than react later.

Fitting improvements into normal cycles

The cheapest time to improve a building is when work is happening anyway.

  • Roof renewal is the moment to add insulation.
  • Window replacement or overhaul can improve airtightness and reduce heat loss.
  • Boiler replacement is the time to ask whether a different heating system would suit the building.
  • External redecoration and render repair may allow wall insulation where the building can take it.

Fabric first, and carefully

Reducing heat loss through the fabric usually comes before changing the heating. But insulation must suit the building. In older solid walled and historic buildings, the wrong materials can trap moisture and cause damp and decay. Each building needs to be understood before it is changed.

What owners can do now

  1. Know where you stand: gather EPCs, energy bills and information about the fabric and services.
  2. Build energy improvements into your long term maintenance plan.
  3. Consider larger questions, such as the future of a communal heating system, well before the plant reaches the end of its life.

Our Building Surveys and Planned Preventative Maintenance services help owners plan improvements alongside repairs. See our communal heating feasibility study for a mansion block.