Categories
Guidance Paper Report

Domestic Energy Solutions Primer – Energy storage

As part of our Build Net Zero Now campaign (Phase 2) Energy working group we are pleased to launch the 2nd part of a guide to domestic energy solutions. We would like to thank lead author Andrew Jeffryes, and Chris Brierley from Active Building Centre/Energy Systems Catapult for supporting this work.

The ‘primer’ covers energy storage solutions and follows a first guide published in 2023 on energy generation, transformation and distribution.

DOWNLOAD ENERGY STORAGE PRIMER

The guide builds upon our 3-part ‘Energy Solutions for Net Zero Housing Development’ series co-hosted with The Green Register in June-July 2023, which featured speakers from Herschel, Allume Energy, Joju Solar, SNRG and CEPRO.

As part of phase 3 of our BNZN campaign we will build upon the expert content presented in our guide and event series, and will continue to showcase, and interrogate the viability and performance of, emerging energy solutions through in-person site visits, demonstrations, dissemination of research findings, and case studies. If you are interested in supporting the campaign, please get in touch.

With thanks to our Energy working group participants for supporting this work:

Active Building Centre, Basingstoke Council, BCP Council, Bioregional, CEPRO, Greencore Construction, Oxford City Council, PureHaus, Sero, SNRG, South West Net Zero Hub, Southampton Council, Traxis, Vertigo (Mike Roberts, WG chair) and Verto Homes.

About Build Net Zero Now

The Good Homes Alliance Build Net Zero Now campaign aims to empower progressive Local Authorities, Housing Associations and housebuilders, and their supply chains, by providing them with the knowledge and tools to deliver net zero housing.

Following a year-long series of topical events and targeted outputs, including new and freely available net zero case studies and design briefs, phase one of the campaign concluded at the GHA Build Net Zero Now Conference in October 2021. 

A series of working groups and targeted outputs concluded phase two of the campaign in Autumn 2023, with phase three of the campaign continuing into 2024-25.

The campaign outputs have proved vital for the 30+ members of our fast-growing LA Vanguard and HA Pathfinder networks from across the UK, who collectively represent 350,000 existing homes and 120,000 new build homes to be developed in the next 10 years.

Phase 2 lead campaign sponsors:

Phase 2 Energy WG theme sponsor:


The contents of this guide are for information purposes and provide general guidance only. The subject matter covered in this guidance is not exhaustive. Relevant standards and approved documents should be fully consulted.

© Good Homes Alliance (GHA) 2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the GHA.

Categories
Guidance

Shading for housing

Download the guide 

The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) and the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) have launched a new design guide on shading for housing, seeking to embed a new culture – among building makers of all stripes – in which shading is central to a building’s design and built-in from the start.

The work has been led by an experienced team at award-winning architect Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE), including sustainability lead Tom Dollard, author of ‘Designed to Perform’, Passivhaus designer Joseba Perez, and sustainable design specialist Raffaella Corrieri.

The guide was launched at a popular in-person event on 9th November at PTE’s offices at Diespeker Wharf in London, with talks from the wider project team which includes renowned engineering firm Max FordhamRajat Gupta, Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change at Oxford Brookes University, and construction consultants, Martin Arnold.

Why is the guide needed? Future proofing and climate resilience

As global temperatures continue to rise, so does the risk of buildings overheating. A recent study1 shows that by the middle of the 2030s, 90% of the UK housing stock will suffer from overheating. Simply put, our built environment – designed for dampness, breeze, rain and mild heat – is in no fit state to shelter us from this changing climate.

Currently in the UK, buildings are not required to pass the overheating criteria using future weather files to comply with the Building Regulations. Modelling using predicted future weather data has shown that buildings designed with shading products built-in from the start are less likely to overheat in the future than those that aren’t.

This guide calls for a new design culture in the UK. A design culture in which the everyday specification of shading products on domestic buildings – or the designing for shading from the start – is second nature among developers, housebuilders, architects and consultants.

The public too, buyers and tenants alike, should be well-versed in the benefits that shading products bring, in terms of reduced running costs, improved comfort and general wellbeing. The guide provides a shading ‘cheat sheet’ focused on the practicalities of adapting to holistic shading design.

What is in the guide?

A product section provides detailed information to help users to select the right product for a building’s shading needs. Each product page features a brief description, a table detailing its functionality, an in-situ product photograph, a ‘performance web’ visualising a product’s strengths and weaknesses and, where relevant, an architect’s comment on a product’s added value.

The guide also provides a short history of shading design, explores UK-specific design challenges and wraps up with best practice advice.

The guidance is applicable to both new build and retrofit projects, and aimed at a range of stakeholders including architects, local authorities, planners, housing associations, developers, and policy makers.

Who has supported the guide?

Development of the guide has been supported by:

Ballymore – See case studies

Caribbean Blinds – See image gallery

Guthrie Douglas – See project gallery

Louvolite – See style blog

A steering group* of industry experts and stakeholders from across the sector has supported the development of the guide, with representatives from Architype, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service, CIBSE, ECD Architects, NDM Heath, OX Place, Sovereign, TOWN and Urban Light Surveyors.

Downloads

Download the guide 

  • File type: .pdf
  • File size: 5mb
  • Published: November 2023

Additional report – ‘Embodied carbon of shading products

Quotes

“Since 2014, when Good Homes Alliance published ‘Preventing Overheating’ an evidence-based report on overheating and mitigation, we have worked on guidance and tools to mitigate overheating in homes.  In 2019, we launched our tool and guidance to identify and mitigate overheating risks for new homes, followed by a version for retrofit and existing homes in 2022. This latest guidance expands on applicable strategies, seeking to influence decision making at an early stage, and provide the industry with the tools and knowledge to identify and integrate shading solutions as part of a holistic approach to resilience and aesthetics appropriate for our climate challenge.”

Lynne Sullivan OBE, Chair, Good Homes Alliance

“A guide like this, researched and prepared by a multi-disciplinary team from the built environment and the solar shading industry, is long overdue. The BBSA is proud to have been involved in developing such a practical and useful guide to help make our homes more energy efficient and comfortable, now and in the future.”

Andrew Chalk, Director of Operations, BBSA

“Our homes are overheating, and we simply can’t afford to address this with increasing mechanical ventilation or air conditioning. It is clear that shading must become a central component of design approaches to prevent increased overheating and unnecessary carbon emissions. I hope this guide goes some way to enable this necessary change in design culture, by increasing our knowledge and awareness of the range of shading types available, to help us design beautiful shading solutions that deliver improved outcomes for people and planet.”

Tom Dollard, Partner – Sustainability and Innovation, Pollard Thomas Edwards

“It is essential that the design of buildings prioritises future-proofing and protecting users from the effects of the climate emergency. As the earth’s climate warms and the thermal performance of buildings improves, overheating mitigation becomes more about keeping heat out of buildings, rather than in. Solar shading has a critical role to play in this. We hope this shading design guide will illustrate the opportunities for incorporating shading in buildings and help building owners, designers, and developers to choose the best option for their project.”

Kai Salman-Lord, Senior Building Performance Modeller, Max Fordham LLP

“Research studies have often raised the need for integrating shading in our homes for building long-term resilience against heat. For the first time, this report provides compressive evidence-based guidance on the performance of different shading products, to enable building design team and housing providers incorporate shading solutions for future-proofing new builds and retrofits.”

Professor Rajat Gupta, Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change, Oxford Brookes University

“The threat to life due to homes overheating in summer is rapidly overtaking the danger posed by lack of heating in winter. Solar shading can be the silver-bullet, regulating temperature whilst saving energy, and insulating properties in the winter too; but only if it is well-designed and not an afterthought. This guide is a great starting point for any specifier asking themselves how to achieve that.”

Andrew Kitching, Managing Director, Guthrie Douglas

“Climate change is no secret, and the issue of overheating will only become more apparent as time goes on. Whilst the solution to combat this problem already exists to an extent, solar shading products have an important part to play in helping our climate journey and need to be designed and incorporated from the outset.

Every measure needs to be taken to address the installation of solar shading during the design stage of any building in order to ensure its energy efficiency is at its highest, preventing the increasing number of homes from turning into unhabitable ‘greenhouses’ and ultimately cooling our planet.

This guide will go a long way in clearly setting out the ways in which the housebuilding industry can work together to minimise and mitigate overheating risk in new and existing homes. We’re proud to be helping raise awareness of this ever-growing and very real issue.”

Stuart Dantzic, Managing Director, Caribbean Blinds


* Full steering group list: Andrew Chalk, British Blind and Shutter Association; Dave Bush, British Blind and Shutter Association; Zoe de Grussa, British Blind and Shutter Association; Richard Broad, Good Homes Alliance; Julian Brooks, Good Homes Alliance; Rajat Gupta, Oxford Brookes University; Chris Martin, Martin Arnold; Anastasia Mylona, The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE); Belen Alemany, Energy Conscious Design Architects (ECD); Debbie Haynes, OX Place; Emma Davies, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service; Nicholas Heath, NDM Heath; Gregory Francis, Urban Light Surveyors; Adrian Coe, Urban Light Surveyors; Richard Young, Sovereign; Steve Birtles, Louvolite; Stuart Dantzic, Caribbean Blinds; Andy Kitching, Guthrie Douglas; Aaron Caffrey, Ballymore; Bryn Marler, Ballymore; Neil Murphy, TOWN; Seb Laan Lomas, Architype.

1 ARUP, Addressing overheating risk in existing UK homes (2022) An Arup report commissioned by the Climate Change Committee; retrieved online September 2023.


Further information

Good Homes Alliance – A sustainability organisation with a focus on net zero, new build homes and building performance. Membership network of 120+ members from across industry including architects and consultants, plus 30+ local authorities, housing associations and private sector developers, who are set to build 120,000 new homes over the next 10 years.

The shading guide follows on from popular industry guidance developed by GHA on minimising and mitigating overheating risk in new and existing homes.

British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) – A national trade association with 500+ members that manufacture, supply and install interior and exterior blinds, awnings, security grilles and shutters and associated motor and control systems.

For more information about the project, please contact Richard Broad, Projects Manager, Good Homes Alliance – richard@goodhomes.org.uk.


The contents of this guide and appendices are for information purposes and provide general guidance only. The subject matter covered in this guidance is not exhaustive. Relevant standards and approved documents should be fully consulted.

© Good Homes Alliance (GHA) and British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA), 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written permission of the GHA and BBSA.

Categories
Guidance

Data Ethics Canvas

It encourages you to ask important questions about projects that use data, and reflect on the responses. These might be:

  • What is your primary purpose for using data in this project?
  • Who could be negatively affected by this project?

The Data Ethics Canvas provides a framework to develop ethical guidance that suits any context, whatever the project’s size or scope.

Data Ethics Canvas

Download PDF

Why has this document been added to the GHA Knowledge Base?

The Data Ethics Canvas framework was featured by William Box, Founder, Carnego Systems at a BPN/GHA webinar on 11th July 2023 – ‘People and their data – ethics and engagement of building performance evaluation‘.

Further information

https://www.theodi.org/article/the-data-ethics-canvas-2021/

Categories
Presentation Video

Homes that are low energy and perform as designed

How to Design Good Homes Event #2 – Tuesday 4th July, 12:00-13:30, Online

Webinar recording

Programme and presentations

12:00 Welcome from event chair and ‘Designed to Perform’ case studies

Tom Dollard, Board Member, Good Homes Alliance and Partner ‑ Sustainability and Innovation, Pollard Thomas Edwards

Download presentation

12:10 Passivhaus and AECB standard affordable housing case studies

Jeremy Tyrrell, Director, T2 Architects

Download presentation

12:25 Residential building performance evaluation (BPE)

Brogan Watkins, Sustainability Consultant, Hoare Lea

Download presentation

12:40 Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) findings from Chobham Manor

Mark Dowson, Associate Director, Buro Happold

Download presentation

12:55 Lessons learned from the Nottingham City Homes 2050 Energiesprong project

Richard Partington, Director and Suzanne Davenport, Associate, Studio Partington

Download presentation

13:10 Q&A

13:30 Close

Categories
Presentation Video

Homes and communities that improve health and wellbeing

How to Design Good Homes Event #1 – Tuesday 13th June, 12:00-13:30, Online

Webinar recording

Programme and presentations

12:00 Welcome from event chair

Julian Brooks, Programmes Director, Good Homes Alliance

12:05 Healthy placemaking

Andrew Dobson, Associate, JTP

Download presentation

 

12:20 UK’s first accredited Active House homes – Newhaven Green, East Sussex

Jonathan Evans, Senior Architect, Stickland Wright

Download presentation

 

12:35 New Garden Quarter, Chobham Farm

Justin Laskin, Partner, Pollard Thomas Edwards

Download presentation

 

12:50 Sunnyside Wellness Village

Tope Balogun, Director, Austin Smith Lord

Download presentation

 

13:05 Q&A

13:25 Closing remarks

13:30 Close

Categories
Video

GHA at Futurebuild 2023

Tuesday 7th  March, 10:30-11:15, Energy Stage – Net Zero Energy and New Housing Development

From 2025, gas heating will be banned in newly built homes. This much needed move away from fossil fuels will see demand on the electricity grid increase dramatically in the coming years, as we transition to heat pumps, solar PV, batteries and electric vehicle charging. Join us to hear from forward-thinking developers and local authorities who are proactively tackling the issues. Plus hear from solution providers who are providing smart technologies and ‘microgrids’ to help balance energy demand and loads across new housing development.

Speakers:

  • Chair – Mike Roberts, Vice-Chair, Good Homes Alliance 
  • Ian Pritchett, Co-Founder, Growth & Innovation Director, Greencore Construction 
  • Neal Coady, Head of Product, SNRG
  • Debbie Haynes, Carbon Reduction & Sustainability Manager, OX Place
  • Speaker TBC, Glen Dimplex

Wednesday 8th March, 13:30-14:15, Buildings Stage – Minimising and mitigating overheating risk in homes

UK homes are increasingly at risk of overheating, which can lead to uncomfortable indoor environments for homeowners and residents. Overheating can be caused by poor housing design, uncontrolled solar gain, inadequate shading, and insufficient summer ventilation. Contextual factors such as external noise and security concerns can also restrict opportunities for natural ventilation. Hear from industry experts on the assessment tools, best practice design approaches and solutions available to minimise and mitigate overheating risk in homes.

Speakers:

  • Chair – Lynne Sullivan OBE, Chair, Good Homes Alliance
  • Julie Godefroy, Sustainability Consultant, Julie Godefroy Sustainability
  • Susie Diamond, Partner, Inkling
  • Tom Dollard, Partner – Sustainability and Innovation, Pollard Thomas Edwards
  • Rajat Gupta, Director, Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD) and Low Carbon Building Research Group, Oxford Brookes University

Wednesday 8th March, 15:30-16:15, Buildings Stage – Using monitoring to understand net zero homes

By the middle of this century the world has to reduce emissions to as close to zero as possible. This pursuit to Net Zero requires the UK to virtually eliminate emissions from the built environment and with ~28m homes currently contributing 18% of all carbon emissions, the UK has a big challenge ahead.

With challenge comes opportunity. This seminar session, delivered by the Building Performance Network, will demonstrate how taking a systems, not piecemeal, approach to building performance evaluation will help to really understand net zero homes. Using data will truly enable you to set meaningful targets and implement robust strategies for energy efficiency in homes, both old and new.

  • Intro from chair – Kerry Mashford OBE, Interfacing Ltd
  • Data Driven Decarbonisation: get the fundamentals right – Ahsan Khan, Trustmark
  • Using data to understand systems – Hermione Crease,  Purrmetrix
  • Q&A
Categories
Case Study

Penderi Retrofit Project

A flagship shared energy retrofit scheme in a Swansea development is enabling homes to generate, store, share, and manage energy generated from solar panels across the site, following the installation of ground-breaking new energy management technology.

The Penderi Energy Project is a flagship scheme being delivered in collaboration between energy tech company and GHA/BPN member Sero, affordable homes developer Pobl Living and contractor Everwarm. The project will see 650 social rented homes in a Swansea community generating as much as 60% of their total electricity requirements, lowering energy bills for residents by up to 30% and reducing carbon emissions by as much as 350 tones per year.

All homes across the development are being fitted with batteries and solar panels (where their roof is appropriate) that on their own provide almost 20% improvement on energy efficiency than standard building regulations.

In addition to green technologies, the homes are also being fitted with an intelligent heating management system, run by a hub called the Building Energy Engine (BEE). This allows the monitoring, measurement, and control of energy usage as well as the measurement of the internal environment of the home. Used in conjunction with the Sero Life App, residents are able to measure and manage their own energy usage, as well as forecast future energy requirements of the property based on past usage.

These state-of-the-art measurement technologies are essential components in the energy sharing scheme and will play a crucial role in future energy and cost savings.

Project manager at Sero, Anne-Marie Ratcliffe said:

“What is most innovative and unique about this project is the management of the energy being generated and the sharing scheme. The technology we have created enables everyone in the development to benefit, whether they have panels on their roofs or not. Every resident will see a reduction in their energy bills and usage.This is incredibly important given both the current climate crisis and the cost-of-living crisis.”

Pobl director of regeneration, Solitaire Pritchard added:

“The technology being used for this project allows us to not only be a responsible business when it comes to addressing climate change but also help to protect our customers from the volatile peaks and troughs that we are currently experiencing in the market.”

The energy generated from the solar panels is evenly distributed across all homes in the development and allows them to participate in a unique shared billing scheme. It also means that residents can use the energy stored at the most appropriate and most expensive times, rather than drawing energy from the grid. This energy efficiency usage allows residents to experience significant reductions on their energy bills. With one resident reporting halving the amount of money she puts in her meter each week.

The system is currently installed in 400 of the 650 homes across the community, and these are already reducing the amount of energy being drawn from the national grid. Any excess power produced by the solar panels and not stored in batteries, will be fed back into the network grid, benefitting from export tariffs when doing so.

The retrofit project, which is planned to be completed by July 2023, is helping to reduce the amount of carbon being produced by the community as a whole and by individuals within their homes, while also providing up to 60% of the community’s energy needs at any one time.

The blueprint for this retrofit project is already being used across a series of projects totaling 5000 homes in Wales and across several Registered Social landlords. This project is still in its infancy but following its success is likely to be duplicated and rolled out in more communities and developments in both Wales and the UK.

Lessons learned from the project will inform the wider spread of renewable energy technology in thousands of homes throughout the Swansea Bay City Region, as part of the £1.3bn City Deal, in the Homes as Power Stations project – subject to the approval of the UK and Welsh Governments. This would see energy efficiency technology retrofitted to 7000 homes with a further 3300 new build homes also benefitting as part of the project, which is led by Neath Port Talbot council.

Read the full case study on the Sero website

Categories
Report

BNES Local Plan Partial Update

Council adopts ground-breaking planning framework

Good Homes Alliance welcomes the announcement that Bath and North East Somerset has become the first council in England to successfully adopt an energy-based net zero housing policy as part of its commitment to tackling the climate emergency.

The new housing development policy will ensure the energy use of any proposed development is measured and meets a specified target — setting a limit on the total energy use and demand for space heating. It will also require sufficient on-site renewable energy generation to match the total energy consumption of the buildings — ensuring the development is 100% self-sufficient.

New policies will also address building emissions such as a policy to limit carbon emissions resulting from the materials used in the construction of large-scale developments. These ‘upfront’ embodied carbon emissions will be limited to 900kgCO2e/m2.

The council will also impose net zero operational carbon standards for new major non-residential development.

The ground-breaking move follows the approval at a special meeting of Council yesterday (January 19) where The Local Plan Partial Update (LPPU), which updates parts of the current Local Plan to better address council priorities including the climate and ecological emergencies, was adopted.

The Local Plan sets out the basis for decision making on development and the use of land that requires planning permission across B&NES. The adopted LPPU includes some changes, known as main modifications, that were suggested by an independent planning inspector to ensure the Local Plan Partial Update (LPPU) would be sound and legally compliant. They were consulted on last year.

The LPPU includes specific policies that will secure net zero development, help facilitate the delivery of renewable energy installations of an appropriate scale in the most suitable locations and further encourage the shift towards more sustainable forms of transport.

It will also help to replenish housing supply, enabling the council to meet its housing requirement in a planned way and have greater control over speculative planning applications. In addition, the LPPU will help the council to better manage off-campus, purpose-built student accommodation schemes where they meet a demonstrable need.

Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Planning and Licensing, said: “Adoption of the Local Plan Partial Update (LPPU) ensures our policies are aligned with the latest national policy and put us at the forefront nationally with policies related to the climate and ecological emergencies. Bath & North East Somerset Council is the first Local Planning Authority (LPA) in England to have an adopted Local Plan policy requiring a net zero energy balance for new housing and we are the first in the West of England to adopt a biodiversity net gain (BNG) policy.”

The new Biodiversity Net Gain policy requires major developments to demonstrate a Biodiversity Net Gain of a minimum of 10% which is secured in perpetuity, for at least 30 years. Minor developments will only be permitted where no net loss and appropriate net gain of biodiversity is secured.

The council liaised with Cornwall Council and used their evidence base to support the new net zero construction policy. Their similar policy has been found sound by an inspector and will be considered for adoption in February. Similar policies are being progressed by Central Lincolnshire and GHA Leader member Greater Cambridge Shared Planning.

The recent adoption of the Sustainable Construction Checklist SPD provides the reporting framework to demonstrate compliance with the new sustainable construction policies and the council’s partnership with the University of Bath will help to evaluate implementation and industry response.

The policy is the first new housing policy to be net-zero aligned based on 2030 trajectories of industry-leading organisations such as the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

More information on the LPPU can be found on the council website.

Click here to download key documents

To find out more about the Good Homes Alliance’s local authority Vanguard Network, click here.

Categories
Report

Cornwall Council – Climate Emergency Development Plan Document (DPD)

Cornwall Council submitted the Climate Emergency DPD for independent examination in November 2021. This was required under (Town and Country Planning) (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2012).

Planning Inspector: P Griffiths BSc (Hons) BArch IHBC acted on behalf of the Secretary of State. He has now completed his examination and has made his report. His report confirms that the plan is sound subject to his recommended modifications. You can view or download a copy of the CEDPD Inspectors Report. and the Schedule of Main Modifications.

The plan can now proceed to adoption. A report will be made to Cabinet on 8 February and Cornwall Council for adoption on 21 February 2023. When adopted the new policies will support planning decisions.

You can view or download a copy of the Climate Emergency DPD showing the required modifications. This includes minor editorial changes to support the modifications. 

The following document will be updated to reflect the Inspectors findings before adoption: 

Following examination the Council has issued a Schedule of Modifications.

If you would like to discuss this document you can contact the team by emailing: climateemergencydpd@cornwall.gov.uk

by writing to: 
Climate Emergency DPD Team
Cornwall Council
New County Hall
Treyew Road,
Truro 
TR1 3AY

About the Climate Emergency DPD

Cornwall declared a climate emergency in 2019. Recognising that all services across the Council would have a part to play. New planning policies are a step towards improving Cornwall’s housing and infrastructure. Helping to plan for a Cornwall that our children and grandchildren can live, work and thrive in.

These Planning Policies impact the way that places grow and change. They will help to protect and shape the future of Cornwall. They add detail to the Cornwall Local Plan (2016). They aim to help address climate change, by expanding on and replacing some Local Plan policies. The aim is to address the impacts of climate change, sitting alongside Government legislation.

These policies make development more sustainable and are flexible to keep up with changes in technology.

Download documents

Categories
Guidance Tool

Overheating in Retrofit and Existing Homes – Tool and Guidance

About the tool

The new tool responds to demand from designers, housing associations, environmental health officers, and other parties concerned with overheating risks in the existing housing stock, which are likely to increase further due to climate change and higher temperatures.

This tool is intended for use at the early stages of residential retrofit projects, or on existing homes, in order to identify key factors contributing to overheating risk and possible mitigation measures. It is applicable to existing homes, retrofits, and conversions of non-domestic buildings to residential accommodation.

The tool and guidance are meant to be easy to use by non-specialists to inform early-stage big impact decisions. They promote holistic consideration of overheating risk together with the site context and linked design issues such as ventilation and noise. The potential impacts of energy efficiency measures through retrofit are included, but the tool also highlights the important opportunities for retrofit to contribute not only to overheating risk mitigation, but also improvements in air quality and energy efficiency.

The tool builds upon the beta version which launched in March 2022, with new case studies and improved functionality. We would like to thank everyone who contributed with their comments and case studies.

Downloads

DOWNLOAD GUIDANCE

DOWNLOAD TOOL

Authors and supporters

The main author of this guidance is Julie Godefroy of Julie Godefroy Sustainability, with support from Susie Diamond of Inkling LLP.

The project has been co-funded by the National Energy Foundation, and the BEIS funded REFINE project on radical decarbonisation of social housing through whole house energy retrofits.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the development of this tool and guidance, including Clare Murray (Levitt Bernstein), John Palmer (LETI), Jack Harvie-Clarke (Apex Acoustics), Anthony Chilton (Max Fordham), Harry Paticas (RAFT), Amad Kayani (Historic England), Lucy and Tom Pemble, and all those who provided comments in the feedback workshop or by email.

The REFINE project is one of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrators led by Warwick District Council and Oxford Brookes University with Enhabit/QODA Consulting and Sarah Wigglesworth Architects.

We would like to thank the following steering group members for their input during the project:

  • Hayley Chivers, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
  • Paul Ciniglio, National Energy Foundation
  • Prof. Rajat Gupta, Oxford Brookes University
  • Dr Sarah Price, QODA Consulting
  • Katharine Ray, Warwick District Council
  • Sarah Wigglesworth, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
  • Tim Wilcockson, QODA Consulting

More information

For more information about the Overheating in Retrofit and Existing Homes tool, please contact Julie Godefroy – julie@juliegodefroysustainability.co.uk or Susie Diamond – susie@inklingllp.com.

For more information about the Good Homes Alliance, please contact Julian Brooks, Programmes Director – julian@goodhomes.org.uk, 0330 355 6274.