Overview
In the face of climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use in buildings has never been of more importance – particularly in the case of dwellings, where rising energy prices can leave residents vulnerable to fuel poverty.
But while emissions and energy use can be reduced by replacing old draughty buildings with new energy-efficient ones, the embodied carbon emissions arising from new-build construction can often take decades to pay back.
A more sustainable practice is to retrofit existing buildings, taking a ‘fabric first’ approach to improve energy efficiency. For many buildings a ventilated rainscreen system is an ideal measure, and when the right materials are chosen, such systems can confer additional fire, acoustic and aesthetic benefits.
