Deep energy renovations in Irish domestic dwellings; unlocking health benefits

The aims of this study were to measure changes in the health of social housing tenants and to estimate indicative health effects associated with changes in exposure to indoor air pollutants (IAPs) following a deep energy retrofit (DER). To this end, a pre–post retrofit design was employed to explore the direct and indirect effects of DER over time, including a health questionnaire completed by residents and indoor air quality measurements in homes. Burden of disease estimates (rate per 100,000) for DER homes were estimated by extrapolating IAP measurements collected pre- and post-retrofit in 14 homes. No changes in health outcomes (i.e. respiratory health and health-related quality of life) or healthcare costs as measured by the questionnaire were observed six months post-retrofit. An increase in median IAP concentrations post-retrofit resulted in an overall net negative effect on health outcomes. Our results demonstrate the importance of occupant behaviours such as tobacco smoking and/or under ventilation (due to blocked wall vents) on exposure to PM 2.5 and the resulting health outcomes. The mixed method approach employed to evaluate the impact of DER facilitates a more nuanced understanding of DER's effects.