GreenSpec launches the definitive guide to energy efficient housing refurbishment

Burdens are delighted to announce their support of GreenSpec’s newly released guide to energy efficient housing refurbishment.

Around two-thirds of houses standing in 2050 will have been built prior to 1996. If the planned reduction of 80% of carbon emissions is to be realised, it is action in this sector that will be critical to the success of the Government’s ambition. Much of this stock was built before the introduction of modern standards and many homes are still fall well below commonly accepted standards of thermal comfort – and even less in terms of energy efficiency.

Help with energy efficient housing refurbishment

But whilst the much bigger project to upgrade existing homes has been identified, most of the legislative effort and resources to date have been invested in new-build,  leaving the energy efficient housing refurbishment project bereft of critical input in areas such as design guidance.

As a contribution to filling the information gap, GreenSpec have launched a guide for designers and specifiers that is hoped will provide a basic grounding in the key concepts and techniques of energy efficient refurbishment. The guide is distinguished by its understanding of the challenges most designers face and responds with clear, well-informed and well-illustrated advice covering the key subject areas such as insulation and space heating. The guide will prove indispensable both to designers who are new to refurbishment but also to the more experienced who are finding their way forward to more energy efficient design. 

Will Kirkman, Burdens Environmental Business Development Director,  said “This is by far the most comprehensive 'how to do it' guide I have seen anywhere for refurbishment, not created by a manufacturer or industry representative body. It is no nonsense builder focussed and easy to understand. Based on the central principle of reducing energy use, the section has excellent background on the why's and wherefore's along with useful and relevant reference to current regulations”.