What is PAS 2038 - Retrofitting non-domestic buildings for improved energy efficiency about?
The UK needs to significantly improve the energy efficiency of its building stock if it’s to meet the national greenhouse gas emissions targets set out in the Climate Change Act. Towards that end, and sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), PAS 2038:2021 sets out requirements for retrofitting non-domestic buildings for improved energy efficiency.
Who is PAS 2038 - Retrofitting non-domestic buildings for improved energy efficiency for?
This PAS is for anyone involved in the funding, assessment, specification, design, and installation of building improvement measures, including building and construction professionals such as:
- Architects
- Facilities managers
- Engineers
- Surveyors
- Site managers
- Architectural technologists
- Suppliers of building materials and products.
The PAS will also be of interest to owners, developers, insurers, investors, tenants and landlord bodies, local authorities, building control bodies, energy assessors, and auditors.
Why should you use PAS 2038 - Retrofitting non-domestic buildings for improved energy efficiency?
This PAS supports work to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use in buildings to the lowest possible level. It does so by promoting and defining robust “whole-building” retrofit processes.
PAS 2038:2021 covers all buildings except those used as private dwellings (i.e. houses, bungalows, flats or apartments), including multi-residential buildings in which occupants share some communal facilities, e.g. hotels, guest houses, hostels, and students’ and nurses’ accommodation.
Its requirements cover the:
- Management of the retrofit process, from inception to completion
- Assessment of buildings for retrofit of energy efficiency and related measures
- Identification and evaluation of improvement options (energy efficiency measures)
- Preparation of medium-term improvement plans
- design and specification of energy efficiency measures (whether individual Measures or packages of multiple measures)
- Installation of measures
- Testing, commissioning, and handover of installed measures
- Fine tuning of the performance of retrofitted buildings
- Evaluation of retrofit projects
Use of the PAS will support:
- Improved functionality, usability, and durability of buildings
- Improved comfort, well-being, health and safety (including fire safety) and Productivity of building occupants and visitors
- Enabling buildings to use low- or zero-carbon energy supplies
- Improved energy efficiency, leading to reduced fuel use, fuel costs, and pollution (especially greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use)
- Reduced environmental impacts of buildings
- Protection and enhancement of the architectural and cultural heritage as represented by the building stock
- Avoidance of unintended consequences related to any of the above
- Minimization of the “performance gap” that occurs when reductions in fuel use, fuel cost, and carbon dioxide emissions are not as large as intended or predicted
PAS 2038:2021 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable; and Goal 13 on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.