We’re proud to say we’ve been taking part in a pioneering project to help warm up Local Authority and council-owned homes through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
SHDF is about more than insulation – it involves putting together a whole range of energy efficiency improvements throughout the home. This government-led strategy is set to upgrade some of the most ‘leaky’ and inefficient homes in the UK.
The SHDF will focus on helping people who can’t afford to heat their homes properly. It will help them to save energy and lower their bills, while supporting the UK’s commitment to cut carbon emissions.
Installing insulation alone isn’t enough to improve Britain’s coldest homes. To increase energy efficiency performance, we need to look at ways to save energy in all areas of a property. Find out more about EPCs.
That’s why the SHDF supports a ‘whole home’ solution, from roofs, doors and windows to walls, floors and heating systems.
Installing a range of energy saving improvements that work together in a house is known as a ‘deep retrofit’. It takes a lot of co-ordination and co-operation within a large team, each bringing their skills and experience to the project to ensure the best results.
InstaGroup is working with Clarion Housing Group and InstaGroup Network member Saving Energy Ltd to trial the SHDF for Fenland Council in Cambridge. The project is being carried out on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Our work at Fenland includes co-ordinating and retrofitting Solid Wall insulation, Loft insulation, Re-roofing, Solar PV installation, Mechanical ventilation and upgrading Heating systems.
Saving Energy Ltd performs the full retrofit assessment and technical assessments at Fenland, and InstaGroup delivers the retrofit design and retrofit co-ordination. InstaGroup are on-site throughout the project, providing technical support and overall project management.
The project requires a lot of planning and expertise in the sequencing of each install. We have to check for interactions and air-tightness, and we must make sure we deliver on our responsibility to increase the energy efficiency of each home.
Effective teamwork with Danielle Belton of Saving Energy Ltd, the Council, the main contractor, manufacturers, installer teams and designers ensure all the different install stages progress smoothly.
The demands of a ‘whole home’ deep retrofit are complex, and the project is ongoing. We’ve completed 47 out of the 60 properties in the original project scope so far, with the remaining upgrades in progress.
The SHDF has now launched a new wave of upgrades, and a further 250 homes have just got underway.
Through our collective team knowledge and capability we’re meeting all the required targets on time and in budget.
The Fenland Council SHDF trial, project managed by InstaGroup, is currently one of the most successful carried out for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator.
Want to know more about the work we do to warm up homes? Get in touch or call us on 0800 526 023.
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