What is PAS?

Retrofit is the installation of additional measures to a building that weren’t included in its initial design. Much of the UK’s housing stock does not adequately offer the levels of energy efficiency and sustainability that is required if the UK is to meet its target of Net Zero emissions by 2050. Because of this, a funded programme of domestic retrofit is a major priority of the UK government.

The PAS2030:2019 and PAS2035:2019 process became mandatory for installers of energy efficiency measures in June 2021, and offers a framework for the application of retrofit measures to existing buildings in the UK and provides best practices for their implementation. Now, all funded programmes must use installers that are accredited to the new standards and demonstrate high levels of compliance.

What is the process?

The first step is the retrofit assessment survey. This is an in-depth survey that takes a ‘whole-house’ approach and looks at the property as a whole.

The initial retrofit assessment survey can produce the following:

• An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Check yours here: https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate
• Full site notes indicating the type of property, occupancy, age of build, existing insulation and renewables, square meterage, as well as condition of walls, windows, doors and floors.
• Levels of ventilation present in the property

All of the documentation from a retrofit assessment survey will be passed onto a retrofit co-ordinator whose role is to maintain oversight of the retrofit project, develop risk assessments and create an improvement plan of recommendations for energy efficiency measures. These include all types of recommended insulation and renewables.

Sufficient ventilation within a property is a PAS requirement. Building regs state that there needs to be 8000ea of airflow in each habitable room. Therefore, a retrofit co-ordinator will often recommend mechanical ventilation (extractor fans) and window ventilation be installed alongside any retrofitted measures.

A retrofit designer may also be introduced to the process, whose role includes providing scale drawings where required. For example, developing a measured plan for the number of solar panels on a roof.

Installers often use their own retrofit team to inform their quotations. The nature of the PAS process incurs additional costs to installers in the form of full retrofit surveys, technical surveys, retrofit co-ordination, lodgement with compliance bodies and ventilation costs. Therefore quotations for works are likely to be more expensive than they were prior to the introduction of these standards.

Why not check with Action Surrey if you’re eligible for a grant to assist with the cost of retrofitting energy efficiency measures in your home? Click here to apply.