Elmhurst Energy has welcomed the government’s Whole House Retrofit (WHR) competition, which has been launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The competition has been designed to stimulate ideas as well as pilot whole house retrofit. The long term aim will be to;
- halve the cost of retrofitting existing buildings to the same standard as new builds by 2030
- bring as many fuel poor homes as reasonably practicable to EPC band C by 2030
- bring as many other homes “as cost effective, practical and affordable” to reach EPC Band C by 2035.
The competition will make available £9.4 million to a number of projects, which demonstrate a cost reduction trajectory for whole house retrofit. The project must consider both process related innovations and material aspects of retrofit, focusing on mass production and large-scale delivery.
Key outputs from a winning project will include:
- demonstration of cost reduction through process innovation
- evidence of sources of cost reduction
- a minimum of 200 homes overall improved by at least 25 SAP points reaching at least EPC band B, and with minimum fabric efficiency levels
- development of retrofit plans, installation of whole house retrofits, commissioning with residents, and post installation monitoring.
Managing Director, Martyn Reed, explained: “Whole house retrofit is the way forward and a process that puts the needs of the home and the occupant ahead of everything else is to be welcomed. We have been heavily involved in the PAS 2035, the specification for whole house retrofit, and are excited by this competition believing that it will unleash innovative thinking and demonstrate the benefits of whole house retrofit.”
For more information, visit www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk.
