Retrofitting energy efficient technology in buildings is greatly influenced by the payback period and, where relevant, the willingness of the occupiers or tenants to contribute to the investment
Speaking at RAC’s first Building Energy Question Time event earlier this month, Neil Pennell, sustainability director, Land Securities, whose building portfolio is in excess of £11bn, said: “From a commercial perspective, when you are thinking about retrofitting a solution to improve performance, there is a disconnect - because it is the occupier or the tenant that will benefit, so the payback goes to the tenant.
“In such cases you need to go to the tenant and ask them to contribute to the investment in the improved building - and that can be a challenge.”
Mr Pennell also said that existing buildings have been largely ignored in terms energy efficiency regulation so far, however that maybe set to change. “Existing buildings haven’t seen the same amount of attention from the government, but I think that is changing now with the realisation that if we are to hit the carbon reduction target of a very ambitious 80 per cent by 2050, around two thirds of our buildings will still be with us and we therefore need to improve their performance.”
To read the full Building Energy Question Time feature see the January 2014 edition of RAC magazine
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