Developing guidance tools for whole energy system retrofitting to inspire progress towards Net Zero
Working with partners to increase knowledge and confidence in energy systems retrofitting across the housing sector.
There is an urgent need to significantly reduce carbon emissions from residential properties to help meet net zero goals and achieve the Welsh Government’s target of a 95% reduction in overall carbon emissions.
Over the past 12 years, the Welsh School of Architecture has been building a body of evidence to improve the design and delivery of energy system retrofit projects. Their ‘whole house’ methodology, combining energy demand, storage and supply technologies has been tested in more than 30 homes and demonstrated an up to 80% reduction in carbon emissions, as well as reducing energy bills by up to 75%.
Despite these clear benefits, homeowners and landlords still need encouragement to install these technologies. This project sought to address this by bringing together the existing evidence base in an accessible and engaging way and developing a reference point for those involved in retrofits so that future projects can be delivered more efficiently and accurately.
Researchers worked with public and third sector partners including Wales and West Housing, Swansea Council, Neath Port Talbot Council and the Chartered Institute of Housing to undertake an online survey of the wider housing sector to gain feedback and lessons learned from previous initiatives. As a result, a suite of guidance tools were developed to increase the knowledge and confidence of those involved in the delivery of low carbon retrofits.
The tools have been shared with a number of large UK retrofit schemes such as the £220 million Optimised Retrofit Scheme in Wales, and the £3.8 billion UK Government scheme decarbonising social housing, as well as with UK100, the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institute of Housing.
The resulting increased knowledge among partners brings confidence in the sector to invest – helping the drive towards net zero and providing better quality and more comfortable housing stock and reducing energy bills for tenants.
