Towards carbon neutrality: mapping mass retrofit opportunities in Cambridge, UK

This study proposes a methodology and a proof of concept to target and prioritise mass retrofitting of residential buildings in the UK using open building datasets that combines fabric energy efficiency and fuel poverty to meet the Net-Zero targets. The methodological framework uses a series of multivariate statistical and geo-spatial methods that consider both socio-economic and physical attributes. In addition, thermal imaging is implemented to provide insights at the building scale. We define a Hard to Decarbonise (HtD) metric to enable the clustering of different residential types to establish retrofitting priorities. Using Cambridge, UK, as a case study, five neighbourhoods were identified and characterised to help determine decarbonisation intervention priorities. We found that two of five clusters of neighbourhoods are HtD and require more policy support from government for the implementation of retrofit strategies. The achieved framework has the potential to inform policy and decision-making. Of relevance, it is applicable to different urban contexts.

Methods
Open dataset was used for the analysis. Thermal images of buildings were collected through reconnaisance survey. It was processed using statistical methods.