Retrofitting HVAC: A gateway to meet our carbon emissions goals

In April 2021, the UK government set out its aggressive goals to reduce carbon emissions 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. COP26 was considered the most significant climate talks since the 2015 Paris agreement and the focus is now firmly on governments and businesses reaching these targets to help fight climate change. Michael Anderton of Johnson Controls looks at retrofit as part of the process.

The role of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) is often overlooked and it’s easy to disregard its importance to meeting carbon efficiency goals. This is especially true when 40% of total UK carbon emissions come from the heating and cooling of buildings. The UK has a heavy reliance on Fossil fuel gas boilers for heating. However, things are starting to change.

By 2050, it’s expected 80% of our buildings will still be standing. The UK will need to make a rapid transition from gas to low carbon heating solutions to meet emissions targets. These challenges are quickly solved in new buildings, under newly introduced regulations will need to produce nearly a third less carbon than previously required.

The challenge isn’t getting new buildings to be more energy efficient; it’s about ensuring our current building systems are updated to work in the same way. But for most companies, each HVAC component is likely to remain in place for years – if not decades – before being replaced. HVAC systems have a long life expectancy of around 20 years and while newer technologies can help us move to a more energy efficient world, if somethings not broken, why would you fix it?

Building owners and facility managers (FMs) are conflicted between sustainability goals and operating expenses. As the energy crisis and rise of the cost of living continues to take precedence, short-term cuts on spending are likely to have a negative impact on any energy efficiency progress. Business leaders, owners, and FMs must come together to make the right choices that benefit the company, the planet, and the occupants of a building to ensure everyone is safe, happy, and healthy.