Retrofitting of buildings

What is a building retrofit?

What exactly is a retrofit, and how does it differ from a renovation or a tune-up? There are a variety of terms used in the building sector and many of them overlap. Below are some of the most common terms and their definitions.

Retrofit

The process of strengthening older buildings in order to make them earthquake resistant or to give more strength.or

Retrofitting is the process of modifying something after it has been manufactured.

For buildings, this means making changes to the systems inside the building or even the structure itself at some point after its initial construction and occupation.

Typically this is done with the expectation of improving amenities for the building’s occupants and/or improving the performance of the building. The development of new technologies mean that building retrofits can allow for significant reductions in energy and water usage.

Refurbishment

During a refurbishment a building is improved above and beyond its initial condition.

Refurbishments are often focussed on aesthetics and tenant amenities, but they can also include upgrades to the building’s mechanical systems and can potentially have an effect on energy and water efficiency.

Retro-commission

Commissioning is the process whereby a building’s systems are tested and adjusted to ensure they are all functioning as they were designed to.

Retro-commissioning, therefore, is performing the same process on a building that has been operational and occupied for a period of time to ensure it keeps meeting the design intent and needs of the occupants. Retro-commissioning or re-commissioning a building once every three to five years is recommended by some experts.

If a building wasn’t properly commissioned in the first place, if changes to its systems and operating conditions have been made since commissioning, or if its performance has degraded over time it’s possible that retro-commissioning can reduce a building’s energy consumption by making its existing systems work more efficiently.

As with initial commissioning, retro-commissioning can be carried out by the contractors who installed the building’s mechanical systems or by a third party who specialises in commissioning.

Tune-up

‘Building tune-up’ is a generic term that may encompass maintenance on the building’s existing systems, or aspects of retrofitting and retro-commissioning as defined above.

Many cities around Australia have implemented building tune up programs with the goal of improving energy and water use efficiency.

Renovation

Renovations are very similar to refurbishments and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The major difference is the term renovation applies specifically to buildings, while refurbishment does not.

As with refurbishments, renovations are often focussed on aesthetics and tenant amenities, but they may also include upgrades to the building’s mechanical systems and potentially have an effect on energy and water efficiency.