"Transform-ER" (Transform. Engage. Retrofit) brings together an experienced and diverse consortium to tackle multiple barriers to retrofitting homes.
The vast majority of the UK's existing housing stock will still be present by 2050 and therefore must comply with Net Zero 2050 legislative objectives. The current retrofit market in the UK has insufficient depth of capacity and breadth of capability to satisfy the need of retrofitting over 1 million homes per year, to achieve this. Hence a transformational approach is required, which will leverage the best aggregated learning from multiple, key stakeholder representatives (the consortia), a plethora of prior projects, and an enhanced level of coordination and structure.
In tandem, Transform-ER will embrace the migration towards offsite construction, the adoption of Modern Methods and take the best learning from other manufacturing-led sectors to apply to the retrofit market.
The project will realise systemic change to enable rapid deployment of high quality retrofit solutions, targeting delivery of 1m homes per year by 2030\.
Transform-ER adopts the Product Platform Rulebook's 'Demand, Develop, Deploy' structure to envisage our future retrofit system.
Efforts across each of these work packages will come together, creating the following benefits:
* Better data on portfolios and projects, reducing risk and enabling visibility of pipelines
* Clear interoperability rules for new products, enabling kits of parts to be brought together
* Routes to market for existing and new verified solutions, with a streamlined and simplified accreditation route
* A product database and procurement platform, which uses data to create a competitive market place for offsite products alongside traditional
* A new approach to contracting for delivery, based on the Heathrow Terminal 5 model, which incentivises collaboration to achieve completion on time and to budget, through innovative profit structure.
* A culture change programme which enables organisations to adopt a more collaborative approach.
* A finance and insurance supported vehicle for delivery of retrofit.
All of the new approaches will be underpinned by an end-to-end data platform, enabled by a set of guidelines to enhance the structure, control and consistency of retrofit delivery, in association with a fair and equitable market vehicle - a Community Interest Company.
A Retrofit Rulebook will be developed which will write up the activities in the project as case studies, and set out clear guidance for other industry actors, and those wishing to join the retrofit revolution.
BowTieSprong is a revolutionary approach to wholesale retrofit of apartment buildings. It involves encapsulating the building with a new insulated airtight wall and a new warm roof with a maximally sized solar array. The new roof space forms a service loft providing access to the solar array, batteries, air source heat pumps and MVHR air handling units.
Energiesprong itself is a unique retrofit concept. It guarantees occupants a constant temperature in their living area of 21 degrees, '45 minutes' of hot water a day, a typical electrical plug load, all within a 'comfort plan' or service charge. Residents receive 24/7 filtered warm air delivered by mechanical heat recovery ventilation. These systems do not re-cycle air and are therefore safe to operate in a post-covid19 environment. Furthermore they prevent build-up of carbon dioxide and the depletion of oxygen indoors. The constant inflow of warm air without the need for active heating eliminates fuel poverty. This also eradicates damp and mould as all surfaces \\\> 19° and rooms are kept within the lowest Covid19 transmission humidity range of 40%-60%.
Hot water is heated by Air source heat-pump which eliminates the gas connection and standing charge eliminated. Boilers, wet radiators and associated plumbing are removed. Conversely, indoor temperature will never be above 26°, guaranteed by the Passivhaus design process.
This work occurs with residents remaining in-situ, a totally new possibility for a retrofit of this scale during which residents would normally be temporarily decanted at a high cost to the council and the additional risk of Covid19 transmission. This reduces stress on residents as they do not have to leave their homes and belongings or worry about the security of their homes while they are away. In addition there is very little internal access required to the properties, minimising the risk of Covid19 transmission between workers and residents
As a signatory to 2015's COP 21 Paris agreement, the UK is bound by law to reduce the carbon emissions of its buildings to Net Zero Carbon by 2050\. No government roadmap exists describing the steps to achieve this. EnergieSprong as a concept and BowTieSprong as a product solution shine a light on how to deliver this upgrade affordably and at scale.