Retrofit Review

Welcome to the new issue

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Maybe you're just back after a nice relaxed mid-term break/holiday and playing catch-up 😖 We can help with that! Our fortnightly newsletters are packed with the latest low carbon housing news and views, action and events. Scroll on down - skim through or delve deeper into the news.

Catch up quick then crack on with helping the planet.

Read on, retrofitters...

News & Opinion

‘Hydrogen ready’ marketing for boilers could be greenwashing, watchdog warns | The Independent

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that it was concerned by some large companies marketing boilers as able to use hydrogen – a gas which does not produce any carbon dioxide when it is burnt.

Why the UK Needs a Tesla Retrofit in Its Houses More Than on Its Roads | International Banker

The average family in England currently produces more CO2 every year just by living in their homes than by driving. So, why have we not produced a Tesla to make housing more eco-friendly?

How Labour's £28bn green pledge could deliver beyond climate - New Statesman

As shadow ministers question the opposition’s green spending plans, experts have plenty of ideas on where to invest... One of the few parts of the £28bn already allocated to a specific sector is the £6bn per year on improving energy efficiency.

EPCs: Leading mortgage lender to help landlords upgrade properties – LandlordZONE

A new Home Energy Efficiency Tool promises to help landlords and homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and reduce bills.

Vaillant crowns winners of Heat Pump Challenge competition - HVP Mag

With dozens of entries submitted, the five-strong judging team was set the task of choosing three finalists based on factors such as system design, installation, and commitment to helping the property transition to a low carbon future. Led by architecture pundit, Kevin McCloud, the judges singled out the winning designs – and the installers behind them – as shining examples that highlight the potential of heat pump technology across different building types.

Building Better Business: Interview with Greg Jackson | Guild

Octopus is one of Europe’s largest investors in renewable energy. Greg Jackson's approach to team building is just as innovative - he believes "building a great team should be like building a dry-stone wall: rather than forcing people into 'cuboids' and sticking them together in neat little rows, we take authentic humans, and find ways for them to fit together naturally to form a truly solid team".

Chat retrofit year-round with nearly 500 members of Retrofit Rendezvous online community on the super-safe Guild platform. Free to join.

National home decarbonisation group formed to drive quality retrofit at scale | BDC Magazine

Backed by the country’s leading contractors and residential retrofit specialists and with widescale delivery in mind, the National Home Decarbonisation Group (NHDG) will support retrofit installations for all housing tenure types, including social, owner-occupied and private rental homes. It will operate on a membership basis and represent Tier 1 contractors and energy suppliers that specialise in retrofit residential decarbonisation at scale.

Heat pumps: more than 80% of households in Great Britain ‘satisfied with system’ | The Guardian

More than 80% of households that have replaced their gas boilers with an electric heat pump are satisfied with their new heating system, according to the first major survey of heat pump users.

Events

Discover how Surrey is tackling retrofit skills and supply chain challenges

Installation of retrofit measures – including low energy heating systems, solar and insulation – is key in reducing emissions from Surrey’s buildings, which currently make up around half of all Surrey’s carbon emissions.

Learn more about the plans to meet the skills, supply chain and financial challenges, and the innovative solutions being developed in the market to meet those challenges – and how local businesses and residents can navigate and benefit from the low carbon transition of our homes.

SHAP Annual Conference next week, Birmingham

The Sustainable Housing Action Partnership (SHAP) & EEM are delighted to announce the return of SHAP’s Annual Conference. This year’s theme is ‘From Plan to Performance: Scaling up Retrofit’ and will take place at Birmingham City Council’s Banqueting Suite on Thursday 15th June, from 9.30am – 4pm.

Local/Regional Action

The future's bright...green! - Retrofitworks

Here at RetrofitWorks we often talk about the Government, supply chain and the view from manufacturers, think tanks, etc. But what’s really happening on the ground? We talked to Alex Hunt from Bright Green Homes to get his view on the retail retrofit market….

Leeds consortium secures Green Homes Finance Accelerator for retrofit | PBC Today

Leeds City Council, Lloyds Banking Group, and Arup have been successful in their bid for the Green Homes Finance Accelerator

Reports, Research, Guides

Element Energy – Low Carbon Heat Study - Kensa Heat Pumps

Element Energy’s Low Carbon Heat Study is an in-depth study into the costs, performance, and benefits of a networked approach to ground source heat pumps

Jobs

Senior Consultant- Housing Retrofit Programme Design | Parity Projects | LinkedIn

A unique, multi-skilled role - engagement, facilitation, report-writing, analysis, project management. Home-based. Full time.

Project Officer Low Carbon | Greater Manchester CA | greater jobs

As a Project Officer, you will be responsible for the development and implementation of key projects across the scope of the GMCA’s ambitious carbon neutral targets.

Senior Project Manager | Manchester City Council | LinkedIn

This is an exciting opportunity to join Manchester City Council as a Senior Project Manager on a 2-year fixed term (potential secondment) basis within the relatively newly established Zero Carbon Housing Team.

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