Retrofit Review

Welcome to the new issue

Hi everyone 👋🏽

Hope you were able to have a nice 'Spring Break' as they say in the USA. There's some news from 'over the pond' actually - scroll on down to check out an interesting LinkedIn post from People Powered Retrofit.

Plus, in this issue, we bring you updates on >> landlord engagement with energy efficiency - Cornish retrofit partnership - retrofit planning help for councils - Midlands energy upgrades (+ upcoming Retrofit Action Week) - heat pumps explained (again) - private rented sector energy grants - research shows case for retrofit grows ever stronger - plus a couple of great job roles to check out.

Just click article links to delve deeper. No 'click bait' here, thank you very much.

Read on, retrofitters...

📰 News & Opinion

The case for retrofitting buildings is growing stronger | Pinsent Masons

There are environmental, legal, financial, and social reasons why investors, owners, occupiers, and funders of commercial real estate should step up their interest in retrofitting buildings.

We must incentivise landlords and tenants to access energy improvement grants | Politics Home

Private renters have been more exposed than other tenures to increased energy costs in the two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One in four private renters is in fuel poverty, and 55 per cent of private rented homes have an energy efficiency rating of band D or below, compared to 30 per cent of social housing.

Retrofit Action Week 2024

Speeding up retrofit delivery for the West Midlands - everyone's invited

Retrofit Action Week is a week-long campaign of events and activity designed to provide the widest range of knowledge-sharing opportunities for anyone interested in scaling up retrofit - whatever your role, project or experience.

Everyone's invited + check out the new activity listings on the RAW event hub including Retrofit Action Day Balsall Heath, Birmingham Green Doors and a CPD focus session examining insulated flooring solutions from Leca.

✍🏽 Government & Policy

Heat pumps explained: experts answer your questions - GOV.UK

A lot of homeowners have questions about heat pumps and the technology involved. Industry experts answer some of the most common questions here.

🤩 Local/Regional Action

Midlands residents needed for free energy upgrades - EnvironmentJournal

E.ON is looking for 1,000 residential mortgage holders in the East and West Midlands for a new research project aimed at driving greater energy efficiency. 1,000 participants in the region are needed, and applications are open now. Each homeowner will be given tado° temperature sensors, and voucher incentives. One of more energy-saving solutions will also be given out, including smart thermostats, heat meters, air quality sensors, carbon monoxide alarms, loft insulation and draught proofing.

See what's going on with housing retrofit and energy efficiency in the Midlands >> Register for a Retrofit Action Week West Midlands activity 🆓 next month (11-19 May).

Help available for councils developing retrofit plan - elemental

The MCS Foundation is seeking expressions of interest from local authorities and combined authorities looking to develop a Local Area Retrofit plan. The MCS Foundation will provide funding for facilitators to work with the local authority, local partners and installers, to develop and write a retrofit plan tailored specifically to an individual region and circumstances.

Get involved in West Midlands retrofit action over Retrofit Action Week (11-19 May) - free online and in-person activities all designed to speed up the delivery of retrofit for West Midlands homes.

Lendology - Working in partnership with Cornwall Council

Lendology collaborates closely with Cornwall Council to support the funding of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency measures for homeowners across the county. Together, Cornwall Council and Lendology CIC are partnering to oversee this initiative, geared towards empowering Cornish homeowners to finance retrofit measures, prioritise energy efficiency enhancements, and adopt sustainable technologies like solar panels, solar battery storage, and energy-efficient heating solutions such as heat pumps.

🌍 International

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Historic $20 Billion in Awards to Expand Access to Clean Energy and Climate Solutions and Lower Energy Costs | LinkedIn

USA - (via a LinkedIn post from Jonathan Atkinson) >> "Well, this is very exciting, financing the low carbon transition at speed and scale! $20bn awarded by the White House this week to community lenders and credit unions as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Not grants, but capital sitting on the balance sheet of lenders to allow them to lend (and re-lend) to people and organisations for low carbon projects, with a focus on energy justice and low income communities. The projects funded will range from heat pumps and retrofits to community scale renewables..."

💬 Reports, Research, Guides

Landlords Show Growing Interest in Energy Efficiency, Despite Government Delays | Landlord Knowledge

Recent research conducted by The Mortgage Lender (TML) has unveiled that energy efficiency is increasingly becoming a key factor for landlords when considering new investments in the property market. This shift in priorities comes amidst other significant considerations such as mortgage rates, yields, and property location.

Over half of British households only meet insulation standards from 1976 - or earlier | Express.co.uk

Millions of households are wasting around £500 a year on energy bills – because of inadequate, poor, or aged insulation, research has found. Experts analysing 25 million homes found that over half (55 percent) only meet standards from 1976, or earlier – and lose more heat through poor wall cavity, loft, and floor insulation, and double-glazing, than modern regulations insist on today.

🆕 Jobs

Retrofit Assessor, Warrington | Pure Leapfrog | LinkedIn

As a Retrofit Assessor working across our innovation projects, you will deliver retrofit assessments primarily for our grant-funded domestic retrofit innovation projects. You will work on Retrofit for Lets Warrington: A local energy advice demonstrator working with landlords of homes in the Warrington borough, funded by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

Senior Policy and Partnership Officer | GMCA

The GMCA’s low carbon team plays a key role in setting the region's overall direction through the formulation of Greater Manchester’s strategies and by bringing ideas to life. We are supporting the regions residents, businesses, and public bodies to decarbonise, through new technologies, new investment models, and new ways of working. We are outward facing with networks across business, universities, international city governments and arts and cultural organisations. We think big and turn ideas and innovations into reality – if that sounds like fun, this might be your dream job.

Heat & Retrofit Coordinator | Community Energy England

Community Energy England (CEE) is the representative body, connecting and advocating on behalf of hundreds of community energy organisations, leading the energy transformation locally, including in the incredibly challenging areas of heat, retrofit and energy efficiency. This role will be assisting the roll out of innovative models nationally, developing joined-up, whole-system working in this area, supporting knowledge share and community engagement. It will be varied and will suit someone with a passion for securing progress towards a people-centred, zero carbon energy system and a talent for communicating, convening and creating collaborations and synergies.

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