'Effective Deep Retrofit: Risk & Rewards' - Talk by Chris Herring, Green Building Store 

Chris Herring, Director of the Green Building Store, gave his talk on 'Effective Deep Retrofit: Risk & Rewards. Three Yorkshire Case Studies' during 'The Future of Buildings - A Retrofit Showcase' event hosted by the Carbon Neutral University Network on November 9th at the University of Sheffield.
Content:
Talk outlining the importance of deep retrofit and why it is urgently needed. It highlights the key issues that need to be considered when undertaking deep retrofit, including:
- Understanding and mitigating risk in retrofits (such as dealing with moisture, ensuring adequate ventilation and effectiveness)
- The importance of a whole house retrofit or plan, such as the newly-introduced EnerPHit Retrofit Plan (ERP) scheme, which offers a long-term strategy for deep retrofit
- Using effective methodologies, such a Passivhaus (and modelling projects in PHPP)
This is followed by a discussion of the ‘whole house’ strategies at three Yorkshire deep retrofit projects that Green Building Store has undertaken and how the risks were managed:
- Cumberworth radical retrofit
- Stirley Farm EnerPHit
- Lower Royd radical retrofit
Effective IWI (internal wall insulation) strategies for different wall types are also explored, to help minimise moisture risk within deep retrofit projects. To conclude, a retrofit checklist is offered of issues that need to be taken into account of when planning a deep retrofit.
Speaker:
Chris Herring, Director of Green Building Store;
Chris Herring is Director of Green Building Store and has been advocating and pioneering sustainable approaches for most of his construction career. Chris was Technical Leader on the Denby Dale Passivhaus project. He worked closely with Bill Butcher to ensure the meshing of theory and practice of Passivhaus standards and technology with UK materials and building techniques. Over the last 7 years Chris has been one of the leading proponents of the Passivhaus approach to low energy construction and of the adoption of Passivhaus standards and methodology in the UK. Chris is the current Chair of the Passivhaus Trust and until recently was the Chair of the AECB, the sustainable building association.