Advise on energy efficiency measures in older and traditional buildings
Overview
This standard is about selecting energy efficiency measures based on your understanding of older and traditional buildings.
It sets out the skills, knowledge and understanding for you to provide advice on the introduction of the measures and make recommendations based on a whole building approach.
This standard is suitable for those working in the retrofit sector with responsibility for advising on energy efficiency measures in older and traditional buildings
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1. make recommendations and provide advice on introducing energy efficiency measures in older and traditional buildings
P2. review a range of information sources and refine the proposed energy efficiency measures for the client or other interested parties
P3. prepare reports and plans, including recommendations on the introduction of energy efficiency measures in older and traditional buildings
P4. provide advice on the introduction of energy efficiency measures for the client or other interested parties
P5. explain the implications of the relevant legal and regulatory requirements for introduction of the energy efficiency measures to the client or other interested parties
P6. provide a rationale for the recommended energy efficiency measures in older and traditional buildings
P7. explain the requirements for the delivery of energy efficiency measures in a retrofit project to the client or other interested parties
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
P1. MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GIVE ADVICE
K1. the principles to follow in the whole building approach including:
- understanding the whole building approach
- understanding the building and its context
- understanding the safety of the occupant of the building
- engaging building users, owners and managers
- reducing demand on energy using systems
- avoiding waste
- increasing efficiency
- improving controls
- using lower carbon energy supplies
- avoiding complication
- managing the risks of unintended consequences
- reviewing outcomes
K2. when and how performance gaps occur when reductions in fuel use, fuel cost and carbon dioxide emissions are not as large as intended or predicted including:
- incorrect assumptions about the thermal performance of existing buildings
- inaccuracies in the data and models used to predict energy performance
- inadequate design and specification of improvements
- poor installation, integration and commissioning of improvements
- ineffective or confusing control systems and poor management
- ineffective handover
- changes in building occupancy or patterns of use following installation of energy efficiency measures
- occupant behaviour, comfort taking and the rebound effect
- poor maintenance of a building and building services
K3. the reasons for improving the energy efficiency of a traditional building including:
- reductions in energy use
- reductions in energy costs and alleviation of fuel poverty
- reductions in emissions associated with energy use
- improvement in internal comfort
- improvements in indoor air quality
- elimination of condensation, damp and mould
- reducing the risk of overheating
- improvement in energy rating
- meeting a performance standard
- improving the usefulness or sustainability of the building, protecting its embodied carbon
- protecting the building against decay or deterioration
- improving the management of moisture within the building
- improving resilience against flood risk and other current or future climate risks
- protection or enhancement of architectural heritage
- integration of energy efficiency measures with other improvements, such as building fit-out for new tenants
K4. how and why it is necessary to establish the intended outcomes
P2. REVIEW AND REFINE PROPOSED ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES
K5. sources of information relating to specific buildings including:
- energy performance certificates
- condition surveys
- reports and surveys on energy performance and moisture risk
- measured surveys
- site visit
- communication with owner and occupants
- heat loss survey
- information on significance and heritage value
- planning history
K6. what factors to consider when reviewing the recommendations for energy efficiency measures including:
- an understanding of the building and its context
- the range of options available and suitable for the building
- the effectiveness and value for money of measures to improve energy performance
- the repairs and enabling works needed prior to installation of the measures
- occupant behaviour
- maintenance requirements post-installation
K7. how to use a range of information sources to undertake a risk assessment for the proposed energy efficiency measures
K8. how to undertake an assessment of significance and heritage impact, and prepare a heritage impact statement for traditional and protected buildings
K9. when and why further information sources, testing and investigations should be used
P3. PREPARE REPORTS AND PLANS
K10. why and how to prioritise energy efficiency measures in a staged approach
K11. factors to consider in relation to sequencing when installing energy efficiency measures in a staged approach including:
- quick wins focusing on low cost, low risk measures and changes to occupant behaviour and building management
- recommended energy efficiency measures
- advice on the order of their implementation
- advice on critical interactions between measures
- need for preparatory work, including building repairs and moving services
- measures which are best installed together
- how the installation of some measures may preclude the later installation of other measures or make subsequent installation more difficult
- any risks introduced pending the installation of measures to be included at a later stage and their potential mitigation
K12. how the present and future impacts of climate change, and the need for climate change adaptation and resilience can affect the options for the introduction of energy performance measures
K13. common repairs and enabling works required before installing energy efficiency measures
K14. common occasional, regular or cyclical maintenance tasks which help to maximise the thermal performance of the building
K15. the role and benefits of maintenance checklists and plans
P4. LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
K16. how and when it is necessary to obtain legal and regulatory permissions relating to planning and heritage protection, and the national building regulations
P5. RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
K17. how and why it is necessary to be able to provide a rationale for the recommended selection of energy efficiency measures
K18. factors to explain when providing a rationale for the recommended energy efficiency measures including:
- when and why proposed energy efficiency measures have been selected that do not meet or exceed targets set by regulations and standards, including national building regulations
- when and why certain energy efficiency measures have or have not been selected
- when and why specific design, installation or operational features are used to minimise the impact of the chosen energy efficiency measures on the building
sources of further guidance for the consumer
P6. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DELIVERY OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES
K19. how and why it is important to explain what is required to deliver the installation of the energy efficiency measures including:the packaging and sequencing of measures
- any repairs, enabling works or adaptations needed
- any legal or regulatory permissions needed
- protection works required to the building and its features
- site issues, access and temporary works
- fire safety and health and safety issues, including risk assessments
- ensuring work is undertaken in accordance with the design and specification
- level of disruption to the occupant
- timelines
- time of year
- occupant communications strategy
K20. how and why it is important to explain the roles and responsibilities in a retrofit project including:
- range of roles, including retrofit assessor, retrofit coordinator, retrofit designer, retrofit evaluator, main contractor, retrofit installer
- qualifications, knowledge and skills of the professional team
- vocational competence of installers and requisite certification schemes
K21. how and why it is important to explain the following common stages in a retrofit project to the building owner or occupier:
- preliminary considerations
- project inception
- building assessment
- significance assessment
- improvement option evaluation
- agreement of intended outcomes
- medium-term improvement plan
- design and specification
- statutory approvals
- pre-installation building inspection
- repairs, enabling works, installation and quality control
- test, commission and handover
- evaluation, ongoing monitoring and fine-tuning
- future maintenance of the building and energy efficiency measures
K22. how and why it is important to explain the soft landings strategy to ensure problems from the transition from construction to occupation are minimised and that operational performance is optimised