Building performance evaluation for the retrofit of council housing in the UK: a case study of a tower block in London

The energy consumed in the domestic sector in the UK accounts for more than one fourth of the total CO2 emissions in the country. Retrofit programmes aiming to improve energy efficiency of buildings have been initiated in the UK for more than two decades to achieve 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Building retrofit is a cost-effective way to reduce energy demand of existing buildings and improve thermal comfort. This research evaluates the building performance of a council tower block in London. Initial field surveys highlighted the serious damp and mould issues in several flats. This leads to health concerns caused by a combination of inefficient building envelope and partial unawareness of the occupants concerning efficient use of their homes. The research focuses on the interactions between the building performance, the occupants' energy consumption behaviour and thermal comfort in winter. In phase one of the project, building monitoring and simulation analysis were undertaken to assess the building performance and indoor thermal conditions. The second phase of the project focuses on the building performance optimisation and methods for energy efficient retrofit. This includes simulation analysis and a questionnaire-based survey to define the occupants' energy consumption behaviour and thermal comfort.