The PAS 2038 Process – Ensuring a successful commercial building retrofit
The PAS 2038 standard is published by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM). It provides guidance on how to successfully manage a building retrofit project from start to finish, including:
- Appointing a project team
- Assessing the building
- Identifying and evaluating improvement options
- Preparing an improvement plan
- Carrying out the retrofit work
- Testing and commissioning the retrofitted building
- Handover of the retrofitted building
- Fine tuning the performance of the retrofitted building
The standard includes detailed instructions on each of these topics so that organisations can ensure that their projects are managed effectively and that they achieve their desired outcomes.
PAS 2038 covers the management of retrofit process from inception to completion, similar to PAS 2035 but without risk pathways in methodology.
For any building over 1,000m2, the whole greenhouse gas emissions life cycle must be calculated. This means taking into account not just the carbon dioxide emissions from construction and running the building, but also the embodied emissions in the materials used.
Non-domestic buildings smaller than 500m2 can follow the PAS 2035 route for domestic properties. This is only permitted If: it has a domestic style service; is no more than three storeys and if the retrofit coordinator is a qualified NDEA (non-domestic energy assessor).
Roles in PAS 2038
One key difference between PAS 2038 and PAS 2035 is the lack of a Retrofit Coordinator role. This role has been replaced by the ‘Retrofit Lead Professional’, who is responsible for overseeing the project from start to finish. The selection of Retrofit Lead Professional will be based on the complexity and nature of the project.
A qualified Non-Domestic Energy Assessor, or team of assessors will also be required to carry out the retrofit assessment.
The retrofit assessment
A Retrofit/Energy Assessor is someone who carries out an assessment of a building in order to identify opportunities for improvement in terms of energy efficiency. The assessment will involve four main areas: the context of the building, the condition of the building, the occupancy assessment and the energy performance of the building. Additionally, although not directly required by PAS 2038, carrying out an air pressure test, thermal imaging survey and ventilation testing should provide much more information about potential improvements that could be made.
Retrofit roles at VOR
The VOR team is made up of experienced PAS 2038 accredited Retrofit Lead Professional, Retrofit Assessors and Retrofit Designers. We advise on, strategy, feasibility and funding of domestic and commercial Retrofit programmes.
We understand, manage and deliver retrofit projects for clients. Get in touch to see how we could add value to your project.
You might also be interested in:
What is PAS 2038?
PAS 2038 is a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) that outlines the requirements for retrofitting energy efficiency measures in non-domestic buildings.
PAS 2035 for domestic buildings
PAS 2035 is a framework for the design and delivery of energy retrofit measures to existing buildings in the UK.
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