CARRIG AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Drawing on our long experience of working with historic buildings and our deep understanding of traditional construction techniques and building materials Carrig adopt a whole building approach to the adaptation and retrofit of existing buildings using compatible materials and techniques, and balancing energy efficiency, comfort, health and heritage.
DEEP ENERGY RENOVATION OF OUR BUILT HERITAGE FOR IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCy
With Carrig’s long experience in Building Fabric Conservation, it was a natural step to expand our services to include the provision of guidance on safe and appropriate measures to improve the thermal and energy efficiency of traditional and existing buildings. Carrig has been involved for some years with International Partners in the research of Energy Efficiency in Traditional, Protected and Early 20th Century Buildings. We now offer a specific deep energy renovation service to clients, professionals and specialist construction companies that prioritises natural and low carbon renovation materials and methods for existing buildings.
The expert service we offer is as a “Technical Facilitator” between the Building Owner, Design Team, Contractor and End User. Carrig will ensure first and foremost that the buildings being considered for deep energy renovation are assessed correctly, that the building typology, moisture behaviour and heritage value is fully understood and that the most sympathetic, beneficial and low carbon methods and materials are used to improve the performance of older buildings.
In order to ensure solutions can be fully incorporated before designs are formed and specified, it is essential that Carrig be consulted or engaged at the earliest stage of any renovation project. Energy efficiency measures should inform the design interventions and not the other way around.
Carrig’s first consultation is free from which we then produce a detailed proposal for our involvement in a project.
Services:
The expert service we offer is as a “Technical Facilitator” between the Building Owner, Design Team, Contractor and End User. Carrig will ensure first and foremost that the buildings being considered for deep energy renovation are assessed correctly, that the building typology, moisture behaviour and heritage value is fully understood and that the most sympathetic, beneficial and low carbon methods and materials are used to improve the performance of older buildings.
In order to ensure solutions can be fully incorporated before designs are formed and specified, it is essential that Carrig be consulted or engaged at the earliest stage of any renovation project. Energy efficiency measures should inform the design interventions and not the other way around.
Carrig’s first consultation is free from which we then produce a detailed proposal for our involvement in a project.
Services:
- Assessment of the building construction, existing condition and moisture behaviour (in-situ moisture absorption tests)
- Assessment of the significance of the building
- Review of the existing thermal performance of the building envelope (calculated or in-situ U-value measurements)
- Advise on hygrothermal risk assessment modelling (thermal bridge analysis and condensation risk assessments)
- Work with the Client and Architect on retrofit strategies appropriate to the heritage status of the building
- Design and specification of the most appropriate low carbon energy retrofit materials and measures
- Advice on procurement
- Oversee retrofit works on-site
- Recommend post-retrofit monitoring and assessment (i.e. U-value, indoor air quality, interstitial or surface moisture monitoring, etc.)
- Life Cycle Assessment of retrofit and new-build designs
DEEP ENERGY RENOVATION OF TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS
Carrig Conservation have worked with the Heritage Council, ICOMOS Ireland and partners to produce a report on Deep Energy Renovation of Traditional Buildings with support from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The report deals with how to reduce energy use in older buildings that are constructed differently to modern buildings and so need a different approach. This much-needed body of research includes and highlights potential renovation risks such as damp. It is designed to inform building professionals and specifiers but would be of interest to anyone looking to make an older building warmer and more comfortable. The report is available to download for free and includes hundreds of links to further sources of information.
| deep_energy_renovation_of_traditional_buildings_report_final.pdf |
ICOMOS AND NSCES+CC
Carrig are also engaged in research and policy development and are actively working to promote good practice nationally and internationally. Peter Cox, Managing Director of Carrig, is President of the ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments & Sites) International Scientific Committee on Energy, Sustainability & Climate Change. Peter represents ICOMOS on the European Committee for Standardisation Technical Committee Working Group on ‘Energy efficiency of historic buildings’ which published the European Standard in May 2017 on Conservation of cultural heritage – Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings EN 16883:2017.
Peter also represents ICOMOS on the Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance, STBA, which works closely with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, SPAB, to produce cutting edge research and advice on sustainability in traditional buildings. In addition Peter is involved in ongoing research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics ‘Centre for the Energy-Saving Renovation of Old Buildings and the Preservation of Monuments’ at Benediktbeuern in southern Germany.
If you would like further information or have a project that you would like to discuss, please contact the office to speak to one of our conservation consultants.