Demystifying Decarbonisation in Built Heritage event

15th May 2024

The Heritage and Conservation Networking Group was formed in 2018 in response to a need for individuals and organisations with a responsibility for the conservation and preservation of built heritage to network, expand their knowledge and share best practice. The group is hosted by Quadriga with guest presenters from various organisations, covering different facets of heritage restoration and energy efficiency solutions.

Following the success of a heritage morning in Birmingham in 2019 and Leeds in 2023, we chose to organise a similar event in Liverpool, centred around the decarbonisation of built heritage, an area at the top of clients’ agendas.  This topic can be complex and intimidating with a plethora of information available but little clarity on what this means for the heritage sector in particular.  Therefore, this event offered a novel opportunity to learn from industry experts, all focused on demystifying this complex topic to reassure and empower attendees.

The morning was held at the stunning Grade I listed Liverpool Cathedral, in a key Northern Powerhouse city which is currently developing five times faster than London.  When we consider Liverpool’s ambitious Net Zero Carbon target of 2030, it’s clear that decarbonisation, restoration and improved thermal performance of the city’s traditional buildings needs to be top priority.

We were delighted to be joined by experts in the field of energy efficiency, decarbonisation and retrofit:

Quadriga Contracts Ltd (Lindsay Law: Managing Director) – Lindsay introduced the morning, discussing the urgency of the climate emergency and the pivotal role the decarbonisation of built heritage can play in meeting net zero targets.  The presentation covered embodied energy, the behaviour of traditional buildings and how a fusion between traditional craftsmanship and modern technology can provide solutions to the decarbonisation of built heritage.  She also set out the skills shortage currently facing the sector and how Quadriga are helping to tackle this through various initiatives.

AtkinsRéalis (Mark Postill: Decarbonomics™ Delivery Lead) – Mark introduced the innovative Decarbonomics platform and consultancy which provides solutions to building owners and portfolio managers looking to decarbonise their building stock. Mark focussed on the effective and sympathetic decarbonisation of built heritage and demonstrated how Carbon Data Insights can forecast future carbon and energy improvements by using existing data.  This innovative software will change the way carbon and energy considerations are considered in everyday strategic business cases and decision making

Selectaglaze Secondary Glazing (Darren Berryman: Sales Manager) – This presentation advised on all elements of secondary glazing in heritage buildings, including the creation of good specifications on projects requiring improved thermal performance.  Darren outlined the performance levels which can be achieved through the use of secondary glazing, its benefits, potential limitations and more technical aspects such as fixings and design considerations.

Lime Green (Dominic Putnam: Head of Marketing and Business Development) – This presentation covered Lime Green’s Warmshell internal wall insulation system which is designed to improve the thermal efficiency of traditional and solid masonry wall construction using natural wood fibre material.  Dominic provided a comprehensive overview of low carbon retrofit projects within the heritage sector and how Warmshell insulation can significantly improve the thermal performance of heritage buildings.

We hope that everyone left the event feeling empowered to tackle projects requiring the decarbonisation of built heritage and made some valuable contacts and connections in the process.  The feedback received was very positive and we’re looking forward to running more events like this in the future, as net zero targets loom.

If you would like to be kept updated on events and don’t already receive emails from us, please get in touch with Laura Brown on laurab@quadrigaltd.com to ensure you don’t miss out on future events.  You can also join the Heritage and Conservation Networking LinkedIn Group using the link below.

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8682099/