TECHNICAL FOCUS
USING DATA TO DRIVE THE DECARBONISATION OF SOCIAL HOUSING It is no secret that there is significant work to be done to address decarbonisation in the UK housing sector. Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys, explains how thermal imaging, paired with energy-saving calculator technology, can help property owners, landlords, developers and other stakeholders make smarter retrofit decisions to smooth the journey to net zero.
some progress is being made W hile in the social housing sector, 15 million owner-occupied and 4.44 million privately-rented homes will require decarbonisation over the next 28 years if the UK is to meet its 2050 net-zero target. Making these homes energy efficient is not only a monumental task from a practical perspective, but, at a price tag of £104bn by 2050, it is also financially significant. If property owners, landlords, developers and other stakeholders want to ensure these improvements are achieved quickly and cost-efficiently, they will need to make smart retrofit decisions.
Data-driven decision making To facilitate smart retrofit decision making, industry professionals need to gather data to help identify the energyefficiency and emissions issues present in the existing housing stock. Using Building Information Modelling (BIM) for building envelope thermal performance analysis and energyefficiency evaluation allows them to identify properties’ emissions and energy-efficiency issues, predict the costs of addressing these issues, and calculate their return on investment. When combined with thermal imaging, sensor data and other associated data, BIM can have an even greater impact as the resulting data offers far more useful and accurate visual insights into the conditions of homes.
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