Edition 9: Wolverhampton showcase event | Transform-ER project updates | Witnessing MMC in action | Get to know Beck Hartley | Futurebuild 2025

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

A roundup of our three top stories and highlights, an opportunity to get to know our team in?‘two minutes with..’ and one thing we’re looking forward to.

Showcasing non-traditional archetype upgrades in Wolverhampton??

Before Christmas we held a showcase event in Wolverhampton with local landlords and other key stakeholders as part of the Heat Pump Ready archetypes project to share learnings, visit homes being upgraded and hear from residents.?

The project - led by RJ Barwick Ltd with partners Energiesprong UK, Wolverhampton Homes , United Living Group , Melius Homes and Studio Partington - is developing optimised standardised whole house retrofit solutions for four of the most challenging non-traditional archetypes to reach net-zero goals and improve tenants’ lives.??

As part of this, a pilot in Wolverhampton is upgrading ten three-storey Wimpey No Fines homes to test concept designs for delivery of heat pumps.??

At the event, partners shared their perspectives on what had contributed to the success of this pilot project, including:?

• An archetype-led approach.?

• Industrialisation and standardisation of fabric measures.??

• Trialling innovative M&E systems and infrared heating.??

• Engaging residents at an early stage.?

• Having an open and collaborative project team.?

The Wolverhampton pilot is almost complete and another pilot project in Kent is underway as part of the Heat Pump Ready project. Look out for more updates soon!?

> Click here to see pictures and find out more about the Wolverhampton event??

Transform-ER's retrofit revolution round-up – from product certification and culture change to our new Super resident engagement and liaison manager ?

13 partners. 18 months. 1 mission. The Innovate UK funded Transform-ER (Transform. Engage. Retrofit) project aims to revolutionise the sector to enable 1m home upgrades every year by 2030.??

We’ve reached the halfway point of this ambitious project and activity continues at pace. Here’s a quick overview of recent updates but be sure to read the latest Transform-ER retrofit revolution round-up and sign up for future updates.?

?? Check out… our latest blogs to discover insights into social landlords’ biggest retrofit challenges and a manufacturer’s perspective on scaling retrofit.??

?? Dive deep…into our new research. We’ve recently published two reports that are pivotal to the outcomes of the Transform-ER project:?

• The Retrofit product certification: state of the market report by the BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT LIMITED and Ultrapanel Building Technologies evaluates the current certification landscape for retrofit products and maps potential approval pathways - considering stakeholder input and funding needs, identifying the main market challenges and featuring industry case studies. > Download the report at the bottom of this page

• Our culture change research report analyses the findings from our questionnaire last year that gauged perceptions of collaboration and trust in the retrofit sector. Culture change lead Stéphanie Ah Tchou shares the five key findings, highlighting how relational factors such as empathy and integrity are deemed more important than technical competency in developing successful relationships. > Read the key findings here ?

?? Have a listen… to the latest BE-ST Accelerate to Zero podcast, where our Emily Braham and Lillian Lochner highlighted how the project’s addressing systemic barriers to achieving scale, with a focus on offsite construction and kits-of-parts. > Listen here?

?? Say hello… to our new Super resident engagement and liaison manager Olive Yiga who is joining the ESUK team to help create Transform-ER’s innovative resident engagement programme. > Find out more here

If you would like to sign-up to our monthly Transform-ER round-ups to keep up to date with the latest developments, please complete the form at the bottom of this page >?

> You can read the latest edition here?

?

Witnessing MMC in action?

A huge highlight for us recently was visiting the Ultrapanel factories in North West England to witness MMC in action!?

Established in 1983, Ultrapanel Building Technologies was the first offsite manufacturer of precision engineered roofing systems who began with conservatories and solid roof home extensions. More recently it has developed a panelised hybrid steel and timber roof and wall insulation system (HausWrap) for the retrofit market that has been piloted on homes in London. ?

Ultrapanel is one of four manufacturing partners in the Transform-ER consortium who are working together to define a methodology for standardising interfaces to enable product interoperability, as well as developing pathways to streamline accreditation. ?

It was fascinating to learn how they’ve maximised the efficiency of their manufacturing operations to create a zero waste to landfill process. This is achieved through 3D design, only making to order and randomising jobs. One of the many benefits of MMC! ?

At its largest site in Clitheroe, Ultrapanel employs more than 300 staff making it the largest employer in the area. And with 30% female staff it is a great example of how offsite construction can open the industry up to a more diverse workforce. ?

Take a look at this video and read our blog to learn more.?

?

?Two minutes with…our net zero data analyst Beck Hartley

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

My role involves analysing building stock to help our team identify projects suitable for high-performance net-zero retrofits. I develop tools and guidance to support social landlords, construction companies, and partners in planning and delivering retrofit projects.???

I also provide support with the technical elements of project delivery, including business case development, project planning, procurement, stakeholder & resident engagement, build programme delivery, monitoring and evaluation.?

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

I'm optimistic about the future of the retrofit sector and would love to see the industry have an even greater contribution to the country's decarbonisation efforts.?

How would you spend your ideal day off??

I'd love to go for a walk along the beach and cook a tasty meal to share with my friends!?

One thing we’re looking forward to….??

Futurebuild 2025, one of the biggest events in our calendar! Many of our team will be in London during the three-day event, as well as some of our partners from the Transform-ER project. Look out for:?

• Emily Braham, our Director of Strategy & Operations, participating in a panel debate on Retrofitting a Global City: London’s Net Zero Future, Tuesday 4 March, 12pm.??

• Our Net Zero Technical Analyst Zack Gill will be presenting on creating a performance specification for outcome-led retrofit as part of a session called Is Retrofit Investible? Discussing economic models and financing strategies for sustainable retrofit, Wednesday 5 March, 4.15pm.??

• Members of the Transform-ER consortium BRE and Planarific have stands at the event. You can visit BRE on stand L42 and Planarific on stand M76.??

> Find out more and register for a free ticket here?

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].?