What is PAS2035:2019
PAS 2035:2019 (the UK standard for energy efficiency work carried out on property) delivers a whole-house approach to the retrofit process, considering the home, environment, occupancy and the householders’ objectives and behaviours when determining the most suitable measures to install.
Understanding PAS2035:2019
PAS 2035 is a new British standard that creates a recognisable quality standard for the retrofit and energy efficiency sector for housing.
All projects funded by the Warm Home: Social Housing Fund, Energy Company Obligation or Local Authority Delivery Scheme will be required to comply with the standard.
Why it matters
The new standard aims to ensure that retrofit projects deliver their intended outcomes for the right cost.
PAS 2035 helps ensure the right design for a project, so that the right measures are installed in the right circumstances. It also reduces the “performance gap” of energy savings not being delivered in practice, limiting the chance of defects and unintended consequences such as damp and mould.
This in turn gives residents a more realistic picture of cost savings on their fuel bills and a more comfortable and healthy living environment as a result of retrofit.
This means that your housing association can be assured that retrofit projects are being delivered as expected, within a trusted framework and with an eye to developing a longer term programme of works.
The Retrofit team
The Retrofit project has a number of stages and each stage has it’s own qualified professional. These are:
- Retrofit coordinator
- Retrofit assessor
- Retrofit designer (often an external design consultant)
- Retrofit installer (usually an external contractor)
- Retrofit evaluator
- Focus on the retrofit coordinator. The role of retrofit coordinator is needed for all retrofit projects under the funding streams listed above.
Main principles
Fabric First: The principles followed by PAS 2035 are “fabric first” which is using energy efficiency measures such as the addition of insulation and better windows to reduce the heating demand first, followed by low carbon heating and renewable technology. This will ensure that low carbon heating systems can be appropriately sized and work in their optimum efficiency.
Build tight, ventilate right: In line with the “fabric first” principle, retrofit projects should aim to increase air tightness along with the right ventilation, which will reduce heating demand, improve thermal comfort and reduce health risks to occupants.
Consider the whole house: Retrofit measures shouldn’t be seen as single measures, but part of a whole property system. Every retrofit measure carried out needs to be considered as part of the whole house system to avoid unintended consequences, e.g. insulation shouldn’t be installed without making sure there is adequate ventilation to the property.
The Process
PAS2035 means the project will pass through different stages to ensure the property is first fully understood in terms of risks and energy efficient opportunities and secondly the correct energy efficiency measures are selected to suit the property and the occupants. The stages can loosely be summarised as the following
Step 1: Intended Outcomes: This means understanding the outcomes of the project or the goals. For example reduce carbon emissions, more energy efficient, improve internal comfort.
The Retrofit Co-ordinator will assess and discuss this.
Step 2: Risk Assessment: The project risks depend on the expected works that will take place. Different levels of risk will be managed differently and have different requirements under PAS 2035.
The Retrofit Co-ordinator will assess and discuss this.
Step 3: Whole house assessment: This is the whole house assessment of each property. The assessment provides a baseline or starting point from which improvements can be modelled. The information is accurate and helps the Retrofit Co-ordinator to make the right decisions.
The Retrofit Assessor will carry out the assessment
Step 4: Design and Co-ordination: The data is collected and a retrofit plan is drawn up.
The Retrofit Co-ordinator and Retrofit Assessor will create the strategy from which a Retrofit designer will put the design together
Step 5: The Installation: A Retrofit Installer will carry out the plan of works and install the energy efficient measures.
The approved Trustmark installer will carry out the works.
Step 6: Monitoring and Evaluation: The retrofit project should be monitored and evaluated in order to measure its success and provide key learning opportunities.
The Retrofit Evaluator
