Edition 5: MustBe0 | International Retrofit Conference | Showcasing the first ESUK project | Get to know Zachary Gill | Unlock Net Zero Live

Welcome to Energiesprong UK’s Retrofit 3-2-1 newsletter.?

A monthly roundup of our?three?top stories and highlights, an opportunity to find out more about our team in?‘two?minutes with..’ and the?one?thing we’re looking forward to.?

For more in-depth news and information about our projects, sign up to our bi-monthly newsletter?here.??

MUSTBE0: CREATING A MARKET FOR NET ZERO MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS?

Back in 2019 we kicked off the MustBe0 project, an Interreg North-West Europe funded programme that aimed to create a market for multi-storey net zero buildings across four countries; the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.??

The project has been one of the most ambitious in Interreg’s portfolio, with 11 demonstrator projects aiming to retrofit a range of two-to-five-storey residential apartment blocks as well as the first ever school to undergo an Energiesprong retrofit.??

As the project draws to a close, we have been reflecting on everything it’s achieved, as well as the challenges the projects have faced, and the vital lessons learned along the way.?

Has it been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Absolutely. ?

It’s estimated that the total annual CO2 savings from the project will be 1,320 tonnes. And it’s created warm, affordable, and desirable homes (and a school) while leaving a legacy for future deep retrofit projects. ?

> Read the full story here??

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BE-ST INTERNATIONAL RETROFIT CONFERENCE?

At the beginning of November, our Collaboration Manager Ele George and Uwe Bigalke from the Energiesprong team in Germany delivered a keynote at the inaugural BE-ST International Retrofit Conference in Scotland.?

Ele and Uwe presented on the topic of industrialised retrofit, showcasing examples from the UK and across Europe to more than 300 delegates.??

Ele said: “I really enjoyed being at BE-ST Summit again this year, with the addition of the International Retrofit Conference which was a huge success. I am always happiest when talking about industrialised approaches as I really believe in innovating our construction methods to better outcomes, so it was a joy to deliver my first ever keynote on this subject.?

“My favourite part was the excitement in the room when Uwe shared the timelapse video of a 'serial retrofit' project in Herford where the 'energy positive' apartments were refurbished in four months using pre-manufactured solar integrated roof and wall panels. It felt like a moment when the penny dropped for lots of people about what is possible via industrialisation.?

“We aren't short of technical solutions but the policy, political will, and of course the finances, still need to be aligned. As one the speakers put it at the Summit, the jigsaw pieces are all facing up, but we need to put them together.” ?

The night before the conference, we were very pleased to be recognised in the BE-ST Accelerate to Zero Awards, being Highly Commended in the Retrofit Category. Congratulations to the winners John Gilbert Architects and all the finalists.??

Thank you to the team at BE-ST for organising such engaging and thought-provoking events, we’re already looking forward to next year!?

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SHOWCASING THE FIRST ENERGIESPRONG PROJECT IN THE UK?

We recently organised and co-hosted a trip to Nottingham for Keele University students to learn about industrialised retrofit as part of the Sustainable housing action partnership (SHAP) ‘Place-based decarbonisation skills bootcamp’.???

The students visited the first ever Energiesprong project in the UK – NCH 2050 - to learn about the benefits of a whole house retrofit approach in creating warm, desirable and affordable zero carbon homes. The students then visited the Melius Homes advanced timber frame factory who provided the offsite manufactured insulation panels for the NCH 2050 project and heard about their innovative and scalable solution to retrofitting homes.?

> Find out more?

TWO MINUTES WITH…ZACHARY GILL?

Get to know our Net Zero Technical Analyst...?

In a nutshell, what does your role at ESUK involve??

If it’s technical, I’m involved…My forte is Building Performance Evaluation (BPE), so I enjoy getting out and conducting tests (U-values, air tightness, HTC measurement, thermal imaging etc.) or analysing the performance data from our completed projects and understanding what really works in reality.?

I also lead on (and champion) occupant satisfaction surveying so that we are gaining insight from the most important part of a building; the residents. More importantly though, this helps us to work with our supply chain by using that feedback loop of data to optimise solutions during the design and construction phases of projects. That way we can collaboratively ensure that Energiesprong projects consistently meet or exceed their design expectations and we have an ever-growing collection of satisfied residents and landlords.??

Five years from now, what would you hope the UK retrofit sector looks like??

It would be great if it wasn’t considered a “sector” in five years, and it was just standard practice. We all deserve comfortable, healthy, affordable, and desirable homes to live in not just those lucky enough to have a high-quality retrofit completed. I would like “retrofit” measures to be considered in any building upgrade or refurbishment works. Every time a roof is fixed or renewed; PV should be considered. Every time a kitchen is upgraded, future works (like insulating under the floors or providing electrical supplies for induction hobs) should be integrated. Every time a wall is rendered, insulation should be installed where viable.??

We spend billions on maintaining and upgrading our homes, and energy efficiency should become commonplace within those transactions. Hopefully in five years we are also properly valuing the comfort, health, and wellbeing of residents which can unlock huge social value and make “retrofit” a no-brainer.?

How would you spend your ideal day off??

I often find myself doing home upgrades when I get a day off (as they don’t happen often and I’ve endless projects to do)! But my ideal day would really start with an almond croissant to fuel me for a countryside cycle adventure to a mystery bouldering wall, and it would all be rounded off with an (annoyingly expensive but totally worth it) craft beer on some hilltop idyll.??

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ONE THING WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO….??

Unlock Net Zero Live is taking place 22-23 November and Zachary Gill will be joining a talk on the second day to discuss how we can improve the energy efficiency of homes while reducing damp and mould. We hope to see some of you there!??

> Find out more?

Thank you for reading Energiesprong UK’s Retrofit 3-2-1 newsletter. Please share with others and remember to subscribe to ensure you’re notified when the next edition is published. We’d love to hear your feedback too! Please comment below or email us if you’d like to share your thoughts on the newsletter so we can keep improving our content:? [email protected].?

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