Retrofit Review

Welcome to the new issue

Greater Manchester's week of retrofit action is in full swing!

Hi everyone. We're well-and-truly deep into our week of action for Greater Manchester. We've already had a huge bunch of people turn up for the first sessions of the online Summit looking at how to grow GM's retrofit market, unlocking finance and how devolution can speed up retrofit delivery. The it's off up the M6 for our team to get The Home Upgrade Show underway (10-11 Oct) - with the Expo, Collaboration Theatre, Supply Chain Meet-Up and Warm Homes sessions (with RISE) all at the wonderful Victoria Baths, Manchester.

The hosted activities have already kicked off too - still time to go along to an activity - check out the listings below - there is some really excellent content to discover and delve into - all hosted free by GM's retrofit practitioners and deliverers!

Plus some news of course! Read on, retrofitters...

💚 The Home Upgrade Show

WATCH VIDEO: Diversitech Products Make Heat Pump Installations Simpler | Installer

DiversiTech - in collaboration with Custom Heat - reveal some of their best suggested practices for ASHP installation. Tom (from Custom Heat) talks about what products they use from DiversiTech and why.

Meet their team at The Home Upgrade Show in Manchester this week

"We're the only electric radiator with this mix of a direct and stored heat" - elemental

We manufacture the NEOS, the only British-made electric radiator that focuses on energy efficiency, sustainability, and cost savings. Our business initially targeted consumers, but in the past two years, we have pivoted to also serve student accommodations, housing providers, offices, and care homes. Our technology is designed to meet various challenges, whether it is a university seeking a heating app for student control or a housing association requiring a straightforward solution for elderly residents.

Meet their team at The Home Upgrade Show this week in Manchester

📰 News & Opinion

Impactful Offsetting: Using carbon credits to fund social housing retrofit | UKGBC

Whilst social housing retrofit is not a form of removal, retrofit avoidance/reduction schemes support social value and a just transition. Homes become more energy efficient and comfortable, reducing their operational carbon and household bills while also tackling health issues and inequality. As such, social housing retrofit schemes are popular within the built environment sector due to the credits having a positive environmental and social impact directly within the built environment. In fact, retrofitting schemes are suggested by Arup and BusinessLDN as one of three portfolios that make up their proposed UK Collective Offsetting Fund.

HES to establish new national centre for retrofit of traditional buildings | Scottish Housing News

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced plans for a new dedicated national centre to champion the retrofit of traditional buildings to improve energy efficiency and play a key role in achieving national net zero targets.

Glasgow's Retrofit Summit part of the city region's Retrofit Action Week (8-16 Feb 2025) is now open for registration!

Retrofit Action Week (RAW) 2024

Still time to register for an event - but hurry, registration closing 🔜 for some events

Retrofit Action Week (RAW) Greater Manchester is well underway and retrofit folks from around GM and beyond are signing up and coming along to get all the info, updates and networking. Offering the widest range of knowledge-sharing opportunities - this week of events and activities is for everyone interested in scaling up retrofit for Greater Manchester's homes. All events are 🆓 to attend - so what are you waiting for?

Register today for The Home Upgrade Show + hosted activities - but HURRY ⏳ registration closes soon for some events.

Sign up for one of the great retrofit activities coming up

Sign up free for one of these great sessions coming up, hosted for you in and around Greater Manchester >>

-Warm Homes: support for the supply chain - a day of sessions with RISE at - The Home Upgrade Show (10 Oct; registration essential)

-Explore the barriers preventing home energy efficiency, with Energy Saving Trust (10 Oct)

-Political & policy landscape of UK energy efficiency, with Healthy Homes Hub (14 Oct)

-Get ready for SHDF - delve into the world of data, with Groundwork (11 Nov)

-Switchee Summit (North), highlighting incredible initiatives in social housing (6 Nov)

-Fuel poverty awareness training, with Groundwork (20 Nov)

Click link in this post for info and registration links.

👷🏽‍♀️👷🏽‍♂️ Skills and Training

Could gas training requirements eventually hinder the UK’s heat decarbonisation goals? - Renewable Energy Installer & Specifier

According to some, the need for installers to be Gas Safe registered for decommissioning boilers could act as a barrier to large-scale heat pump roll-out. W ...

Re:Builders: Routes to Regenerative Construction in the West Midlands

A new tool that blends your everyday work apps into one. It's the all-in-one workspace for you and your team

🏠 Residents & Engagement

New website provides guidance on heat pumps for homeowners - elemental

Created by Nesta and The MCS Foundation, the newly launched GetAHeatPump.org.uk provides consumer-friendly guidance on heat pumps. It has been designed to addresses the gap in impartial and reliable advice for those looking to get a heat pump, by providing an end-to-end guide on how to transition to clean heat.

🤩 Local/Regional Action

Retrofitting a new build – when three solar panels just aren’t enough - Renewable Energy Installer & Specifier

Richard and Jane were delighted with the space, layout and design of their new-build home in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire. The local community was also perfect and had all the amenities they were looking for.

🌍 International

How Germany outfitted half a million balconies with solar panels | Grist

Matthias Weyland loves having people ask about his balcony. A pair of solar panels hang from the railing, casting a sheen of dark blue against the red brick of his apartment building. They’re connected to a microinverter plugged into a wall outlet and feed electricity directly into his home. On a sunny day, he’ll produce enough power to supply up to half of his family’s daily needs.

💬 Reports, Research, Guides

Rightmove warns almost £25bn needed to insulate 2.9m UK homes by 2030 - CityAM

There are 2.9 million houses that will require £23.4bn in improvements to meet the government’s energy performance certificate (EPC) standards by 2030, according to Rightmove. New analysis from the property portal found that an average of £8,074 will have to be spent on rental homes to upgrade them to a C rating by EPC standards. Energy secretary Ed Miliband said he would be consulting on raising the minimum standard for private and social rented homes by 2030, which would require landlords to hold a minimum EPC rating of C versus the E currently required.

The growing importance of energy efficiency in home buying decisions | Oxford Economics

Our analysis of house prices by EPC rating shows that willingness to pay increases with a higher EPC rating of a home. We find that consumers are willing to pay 3.4% more for a high energy-efficient home (A or B rated) compared with Band D, as shown in the Chart, highlighting that energy efficiency is now an important factor in home-buying decisions.

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