Sustainable Retrofit and Facilities Management

Book excerpt: Governments across the globe are setting targets for reducing their carbon emissions. For example, the UK Government has committed to an eighty per cent reduction by 2050, when twenty-eight million buildings that currently exist will still be standing; this represents a challenge to improve the energy efficiency of more than one building per minute between now and 2050! This is a problem that needs tackling worldwide and is a challenge to both the refurbishment sector of the global construction industry and to those who own and operate existing buildings. Sustainable Retrofit and Facilities Management provides comprehensive guidance to those involved in the refurbishment and management of existing buildings on minimizing carbon emissions, water consumption and waste to landfill, along with enhancing the long term sustainability of a building. Practical guidance is provided on measures that can be used to improve the efficiency and sustainability of existing buildings, through both good management and refurbishment. Also explored is the relationship between the refurbishment of existing buildings, facility management and the wider community infrastructure. The book looks at management tools such as post occupancy evaluation, building health checks, energy management software, green building management toolkits and green leases. Illustrated throughout with case studies and examples of best practice, this is a must-have handbook for engineers, architects, developers, contractors and facility managers.