English Heritage supports the Government’s aims to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings through Part L of the Building Regulations. Many improvements can be carried out, often at a relatively low cost, significantly enhancing the comfort of the building for its users, as well as providing savings on fuel bills. Such improvements can also help in meeting the Government’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
However, reducing carbon emissions from buildings is not just about heating and insulating the building fabric. Much can be achieved by changing behaviour, avoiding waste, using energy efficient controls and equipment, managing the building to its optimum performance, all of which is as relevant to older buildings as new ones.
For historic buildings and those of traditional construction an appropriate balance needs to be achieved between building conservation and measures to improve energy efficiency if lasting damage is to be avoided both to the building’s character and significance and its fabric. For example, it would be neither sustainable nor cost effective to replace a 200-year–old window that is capable of repair and upgrading with a new double glazed alternative, and even less so if the new window were to have an anticipated life of only 20-30 years, as some do. Depending on the circumstances a good case might be made for well designed and carefully installed draught-proofing or secondary glazing.