CarbonLite Retrofit Course (C3)
The course concentrates on developing a good understanding of issues related to heat and moisture in buildings to help retrofitters avoid and/or manage any unintended consequences arising from the repair, insulation, draught proofing and ventilation of existing UK buildings.
Who is this course for?
This course is aimed principally at UK construction professionals and those whose role involves decision making around retrofit. It brings together a wealth of knowledge on low energy building retrofit experience and methodology.
To get the most out of taking the full course you will already have good professional knowledge within the construction sector.
You will have a serious interest in how to do advanced energy efficient retrofit and be wanting to deepen your understanding of building physics and the risks associated with measures, to enable you to make informed decisions.
After completing the CLR course we expect graduates to understand:
What ‘deep’ retrofit can achieve for occupiers, building owners and the planet
The current political and technical context for retrofit
The easy energy efficiency wins
Thee key retrofit risks and benefits related to upgrading building fabric, heating and ventilation systems
The principles of moisture movement in buildings
The nature and order of magnitude of potential retrofit-related risks to occupants, the building structure and its fabric
The principles required to develop a broad and comprehensive working knowledge of avoiding, reducing and managing performance and moisture related risks after retrofit
critical assessment of findings provided by CLR analysis of environmental condition monitoring data based on real life retrofit case studies
Key economic factors and financial performance of retrofits over time
If you are successful in doing this you will be able to apply simple principles and expand your knowledge to understand complex situations beyond the scope of this course.
Course Approach
- Read and follow modules at your leisure, to fit around work and other commitments
- At the end of each module take an online test to check your learning.
- Communicate with fellow students and the module tutor to address any queries via an on-line forum ( under ‘CarbonLite Retrofit Training Course Discussion’)
- For each of the core modules, use your learning to complete a homework task based on an individual project (now marked by automated quizzes in 2018 onwards).
Course Contributors
Andy Simmonds. Andy has been working on this material for the last three years and brings together his experience as a low energy building designer with research into moisture and energy issues. Andy’s own house was the first certified (and monitored) domestic EnerPHit refrofit in the UK.
Eric Parks. Eric is an experienced Passivhaus architect and building physics trainer on the CarbonLite Certified Passivhaus Designer course, he has co-written a number of the sections of this material.
Bill Butcher. Bill is an experienced Passivhaus builder, with years of low energy building retrofit experience. Bill is a trainer on the Construction Module of the Carbonlite Certified Passivhaus Designer course and a Certified Passivhaus Consultant and Tradesperson.
Dr Tina Holt. Tina trained as an earth scientist with particular focus on the causes and impacts of climate change. She has worked in education, IT and editing technical information for a broader audience. In 2011-12 she retrofitted her own home close to the EnerPHit standard and consults on domestic energy efficiency. Tina has now moved on from the AECB to other related work. We are very grateful for her fantastic input to managing and contributing to the course.
Other course tutors
Course requirements
- The training period is flexible to allow for prior commitments for holidays and work.
- All material is presented on-line so a reasonable internet connection is required.
- Links to additional reading
- It may be useful to purchase a small hand held infrared digital thermometer (minimum cost about £10)
- The ability to upload pictures and email them
- Ability to access a web forum with speaker and microphone connections e.g. via Skype or similar.
CarbonLite Retrofit is part of an evolving programme, and we hope that through AECB retrofitters’ and their clients’ active engagement and sharing that the AECB will refine and add to the course over time – and also help further practical and theoretical knowledge of ‘deep’ retrofit through ongoing project monitoring and data analysis.
Modules
1 Introduction to CarbonLite Retrofit
Lessons
2 Buildings in the UK Climate
Lessons
3 UK Construction
Lessons
- 3.1 Introduction to UK housing stock Free Preview
- 3.2 Traditional Construction Free Preview
- 3.3 Non-Traditional Construction Free Preview
- 3.4 Retrofitted examples of traditional and non-traditional buildings Free Preview
- 3.5 Walls – regional and local variation
- 3.6 Floors – regional and local variation
- 3.7 Devising Retrofit Strategy with Existing Defects in Mind
- 3.8 Module 3 homework Free Preview
4 Energy in Buildings
Lessons
- 4.1 Retrofit Performance Gaps Free Preview
- 4.2 Power and Energy in buildings
- 4.3 Heat Load and Annual Degree Hours
- 4.4 Useful Energy, Delivered Energy and Primary Energy
- 4.5 Energy Performance – applying the physics
- 4.6 The Five Factors of Thermal Performance – New Build
- 4.7 The Five Factors of Thermal Performance – in retrofit
- 4.8 Introduction to 3 CLR Modelled House Types Free Preview
- 4.9 The CLR Model – UK house types Free Preview
- 4.10 Form Factors, Heat Loss and Thermal Bridges
- 4.11 Embodied Energy in Retrofit Free Preview
- 4.11.1 The Wood from the Trees Free Preview
- 4.12 Module 4 homework
5 Moisture in Buildings
Moisture in Buildings
Lessons
- 5.1 Moisture in Buildings – Biological Decay Free Preview
- 5.2 Moisture in Buildings – The Moisture Performance Gap
- 5.3 Moisture Physics – Relative and Absolute Humidity
- 5.4 Moisture physics – Diffusion and Bulk Air Movement
- 5.5 Evaporation and condensation in building materials
- 5.6 Liquid water and building materials
- 5.7 Moisture in Materials – Wood Moisture Equivalent
- 5.8 Moisture Movement – Magnitude and Direction
- 5.9 Moisture in Buildings – Problems and Solutions
- 5.10 Heat sources and microclimates
- 5.11 Moisture Reservoirs, Bulk Air Flow and Diffusion Flow
- 5.12 Moisture movement – Liquid Water Flows
- 5.13 Rising Damp and Hygroscopic Moisture
- 5.14 Suspended floors
- 5.15 Hygrothermal modelling, surveying, monitoring and analysis Free Preview
- 5.16 Introduction to the CLR Case Studies Free Preview
- 5.17 Moisture in Buildings – How to look at your retrofit.
- 5.18 Module 5 homework
6 Case Studies
Lessons
7 Building Services for Retrofit
Lessons
- 7.1 Heating – gas, LPG and oil
- 7.2 Heating – Electricity and Biomass
- 7.3 Heating – controls
- 7.4 Hot water
- 7.5 Airtightness and Ventilation – extract fans and passive stack
- 7.6 Airtightness and Ventilation – MEV and MVHR
- 7.7 Electricity – lighting and appliances
- 7.8 Renewables – solar thermal and PV
- 7.9 Module 7 Homework Task
8 Retrofit Investment Appraisals and CLR Cost Modelling
Lessons
- 8.1 The Costs of Retrofit Free Preview
- 8.2 Different Financial Viewpoints and the Decision-Making Process Free Preview
- 8.3 The Financial Impact of Climate Change Free Preview
- 8.4 Overview of the UK housing stock Free Preview
- 8.5 Financial Concepts and Methods of Appraisal (a) Free Preview
- 8.6 Financial Concepts and Methods of Appraisal (b)
- 8.7 The CarbonLite Retrofit Model – assumptions Free Preview
- 8.8 The CarbonLite Retrofit Model – further information
- 8.9 Investment Appraisal in Practice
- 8.10 Conclusions Free Preview