Changes You Can Make to an Existing Building

The table below shows ten things that can be done to improve the sustainability of a building. Installation costs vary, but all can make a considerable contribution to the energy efficiency and therefore sustainability of a building.

Product	Sustainability benefits
Energy efficient light bulbs	Replacing standard light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs saves money and energy. They use up to 80% less electricity than a standard light bulb, but produce the same amount of light. Advances in technology also now mean they are available in a wide variety of fittings, shapes and sizes.
Rooflights / sun tunnels	Using natural light reduces the amount of energy required to provide lighting in a building. There are a number of options available for different circumstances, including rooflights, roof domes and sun tunnels.
Glazing	Double or triple glazing dramatically reduces the heat lost through windows by up to 50% compared to single glazing units. Options are also available with other enhanced properties that reduce the requirement for cleaning and improve thermal efficiency.
Water conservation	Installing dual-flush or low flush toilets and water saving taps and showers can dramatically reduce the volume of water used in the home.
Wall insulation	A vast proportion of the UK's current housing stock was built at a time when building regulations relating to thermal efficiency were much less stringent. Adding or updating the wall insulation, either in buildings with solid walls or unfilled cavity walls, can have a dramatic impact on the energy needed to heat the building and therefore the amount of CO2 needed togenerate this heat.
Loft insulation	25% of heat loss in an un-insulated building is through the loft. Installing loft insulation in line with or exceeding the latest building regulations is a cost effective and simple way to reduce energy consumption.
Draught proofing	The benefit of proper insulation is reduced if no attention is paid to air leakage. Again, draughts are easy to solve: look at gaps around doors, windows, floorboards and skirting boards as the main problem areas.
Improving the boiler	All modern boilers by law have to be high-efficiency condensing boilers. Updating older models to a new A-rated boiler reduces the energy used to heat a building. Switching to new technologies such as air source heat pumps or solar thermal collectors saves even more energy.
Heating controls	Heating controls can be updated to include an electronic programmer and thermostats in each room. This ensures that the heat required throughout a building is controlled at a comfortable level as efficiently as possible.
Renewable energy generation	Installing renewable energy technology such as wind turbines or photovoltaic solar panels can replace some or all of the energy used in a building. Other systems such as solar thermal panels and heat pumps can supply heating for a building in an energy efficient way.

- Price Blitz