Staffordshire University and The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Chad in Lichfield, KTP 24_25 R1

Lichfield Cathedral is getting a digital twin to help it — and other historic buildings — cut carbon emissions without damaging their fabric. The project addresses a specific gap: heritage buildings are notoriously difficult to decarbonise. Standard energy-efficiency measures, such as adding insulation or replacing windows, can harm historic structures or alter their character. Building owners and managers currently lack a reliable way to weigh technical options against financial costs while preserving heritage value. This research will create a comprehensive toolkit that combines digital twinning — a virtual replica of the building that simulates its behaviour — with building simulation techniques. The goal is to determine the "best available technologies" for decarbonising complex, sensitive historic buildings. If successful, the toolkit could transform decision-making across the heritage building sector. Instead of relying on guesswork or one-size-fits-all solutions, cathedral chapters, museum trusts, and owners of listed buildings could run simulations to see exactly how a heat pump, solar array, or improved glazing would perform on their specific structure — and what it would cost. The impact would ripple through the UK’s historic building stock, which includes hundreds of cathedrals, thousands of churches, and countless listed buildings that currently lack a clear path to net zero.