Several major organisations have already demonstrated the potential of ambitious retrofitting. Siemens upgraded its German headquarters in Munich, successfully preserving the building’s historic character while cutting energy consumption by 40%.
Similarly, Microsoft undertook an extensive retrofit of its Puget Sound campus, reducing energy use by 30% across 125 separate buildings.
National governments are also promoting large-scale programmes. The Netherlands has initiated a comprehensive scheme aiming to retrofit one million homes by 2030, offering subsidies for insulation and heat pump installations.
In Sweden, the ‘Million Programme’ is focused on upgrading housing estates built in the 1960s and 1970s. This has resulted in energy reductions of up to 50% and has improved living conditions for residents.
These examples show that the transition to a low-carbon economy is heavily reliant on addressing the buildings we already have.