Local Authority Building & Maintenance January/February 2023

HOUSING & REGENERATION

HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY

VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT

SPECIAL REPORT

Dave Garner, Senior Associate Sustainability Consultant at Stantec, looks at the potential avenues for traditionally wasted public sector land

HOUSING THAT’S FIT FOR THE FUTURE

New regular column: Nigel Sedman, ForHousing’s Executive Director of Homes, discusses why new technology needs to be at the heart of redefining standards for new-build homes

CONTENTS

regularS

5 Comment Shared Prosperity

6 news

£60m for councils to revive brownfield sites new masterplan for Stafford Station Gateway £2bn OSHA MMC framework Futurebuild

8 achieving net Zero Homes

Steph Willis, a Data Scientist at Sero, presents an alternative approach to fabric first

10 industry Comment

Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), discusses the action being taken on damp and mould

SPeCial rePortS

11 Driving opportunities for local authorities

Dave Garner, Senior Associate Sustainability Consultant at Stantec looks at the potential avenues for traditionally wasted public sector land

15 Houses Fit for the Future

New regular column from Nigel Sedman, Executive Director of Homes at ForHousing, which this issue looks at redefining standards for new homes

18 added Value

Clare Chamberlain, Head of Construction Category at Crown Commercial Service, discusses the importance of social value in construction projects

Stantec offers advice on how local authorities can maximise wasted public sector land and turn them into true assets

HouSing & regeneration

19 Building for the Future with Passivhaus Principles

Cruden Group discusses a project with Hanover Scotland to construct 15 new properties to Passivhaus standard

22 Make a Connection

How connected technology can support the health, safety and wellbeing of social housing residents

24 Housing targets

The consequences of an absence of housing targets on levelling up

26 round-up

Heating & reneWaBle energy

29 real time Demonstration: Storing energy resilience

How battery storage can help councils build energy resilience while maximising budgets and meeting eco targets

30 the road to net Zero

Vital Energi’s partnership with Westminster City Council to decarbonise the council’s public estate

32 Putting energy into green improvements

How the installation of solar and battery storage solutions can help save tenants’ money on energy bills

34 Supporting role

Q&A with Simon Tarr, National Projects Director at Worcester Bosch

36 round-up

Ventilation & air ManageMent

38 Changes to Part F

Advice on complying with the revised Part F of the Building Regulations

40 Prevention is Better than Cure

The role of mechanical ventilation systems in reducing damp, mould and condensation

42 round-up

Worcester Bosch on the future of heating

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In January, as part of Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund, more than 100 projects were awarded a share of £2 1bn, however, concerns have been raised over how the funding has been distributed, with some local authorities only receiving shortterm amounts of money for local projects

On the 25th January, Mayors, civic and business leaders from across the North of England convened at the Convention of the North, in Manchester, calling for the Government and Opposition party to commit to ‘hard-wiring’ levelling up into UK law’

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, says: “The Government handed twice as much funding to London and the South East than to Yorkshire, laying bare the fundamental flaws in its levelling up agenda We need a real plan for levelling up, enshrined in law that requires decent living standards for everybody across the UK This would mean trusting local leaders with long-term funding pots to make decisions on what is best for the communities they know and serve ”

welcome step in the right direction as it seeks to support regeneration projects, boost local economies through job creation and deliver 5,800 new homes by March 2027

Mark Powell, Managing Director of EDAROTH, welcomes the Government’s recognition of the role brownfield sites have to play in helping to tackle the housing crisis, but says the funding: “is barely a drop in the ocean, especially compared to the £1 6bn spent on temporary accommodation from 2021 to 2022, according to government’s own figures”

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Speaking via video broadcast at the event, Carsten Schneider, the Minister for East Germany and Equivalent Living Conditions in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ Government, spoke of his country’s model of levelling up and the importance of regional equality: “Regional structural policy has long been a cornerstone of German politics The goal of creating equal living conditions everywhere in Germany can even be found in our constitution There are good reasons for it If regions are drifting apart, it is bad for everyone, including for the growing regions If a variety of regions flourish, the whole country will prosper ”

If the Government wants it’s levelling up agenda to bring about genuine transformational change for communities across the country and succeed in driving economic growth, then it needs to close the gap, empower local leaders, address regional inequalities, and ensure no areas get left behind

As a means of tackling the housing crisis, modern methods of construction such as offsite are growing in popularity as homes can be built quicker and to a specified quality standard with greater cost certainty Mark Powell believes “MMC represents a real opportunity to accelerate the delivery of new homes across the UK”

Many in the industry recognise this and an increasing number of MMC frameworks are being introduced In January, the Off-Site Homes Alliance announced the volumetric and panelised home manufacturers who’d successfully won a place on its new £2bn MMC framework

At the time of writing (30th January), the DLUHC shared news that developers have been issued with a six-week deadline to sign legally binding contracts obligating them to repair unsafe buildings I’m sure the sector will be paying close attention to how this news unfolds

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As well as the Levelling Up funding, government has also made available £60m from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 to unlock disused brownfield sites and bring them back into use The additional funding for councils is a

The sector faces ongoing challenges, such as the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on residents, rising costs of construction materials and development, building safety, talent retention and labour shortages I’m keen to hear how local authorities and housing associations are tackling these challenges and levelling up within their communities, please do get in touch

Switch2 Energy has entered into an ESCo partnership with Southern Housing to manage all aspects of heat network operation at the new Home X residential community in Brighton More details on page 36

New masterplan for Stafford

Plans to deliver new homes, business, hotel, and leisure facilities in Stafford have progressed following approval of a new masterplan The endorsement by Stafford Borough Council’s Cabinet follows extensive engagement with the town’s residents and businesses

The masterplan known as the Strategic Regeneration Framework for the Stafford Station Gateway was approved at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 19th January The Stafford Station Gateway is being delivered through a partnership between Stafford Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, and placemaking and regeneration expert LCR

Bid to secure decarbonisation funding

Dacorum Borough Council has teamed up with the Greener Herts partnership housing associations B3Living, Settle and Watford Community Housing in a bid to secure £13 5m from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) for energy-efficiency

improvements to more than 1,400 social housing properties

The bid, which has been submitted in the second wave of the SHDF, could see homes across all four organisations receive energy-efficiency improvement works including loft insulation, external wall insulation, draught proofing, installation of solar panels and lowenergy lighting

The funding bid is in addition to a combined pledge of £25m from Dacorum Borough Council, B3Living, Settle and Watford Community Housing The results of the bid are due to be announced in spring 2023

£60m available to councils to revive brownfield sites

Disused and unloved brownfield sites across England will be regenerated to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced in January.

Councils across England are now able to bid for a share of £60m from the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2, which will help to bring neglected urban areas back into use, support regeneration projects and boost local economies

The funding will deliver 5,800 new homes by March 2027 and create around 18,000 new jobs in the housing and construction sector, while helping thousands of first-time buyers into homeownership This is part of the Government’s plan to prioritise brownfield land for new housing, transforming underused sites into places where people want to live and work, while protecting green spaces

£35m of the £180m fund has already been allocated to areas from Exeter to Sunderland and the remaining funding will be made available to councils over the next two years The full brownfield fund will deliver 17,600 new homes and

56,000 skilled new jobs over the next four years, helping to transform communities and level up the country

Minister for Housing Rt Hon Lucy Frazer says: “We want to turn neglected areas into thriving new communities, as part of our mission level up the country To do this we must prioritise brownfield land to deliver new homes for people, in the right places ”

The application window for this round will close on 31st March

Zero carbon modular development

Contracts have been exchanged on Surrey and Sussex-based housing provider Raven Housing Trust’s latest net zero carbon development The new Lewes Low Cost Housing homes will be built on the site of the former Pells Church of England School, which closed in 2017, and will provide one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes for affordable rent and shared ownership

Raven has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and was recently awarded sustainability funding as part of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s bid to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 1 As well as being Raven’s second completely

net zero carbon development, the 32home site in Lewes will be the housing provider’s first to be built using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Raven has chosen to partner with modular home developer Boutique Modern, who is on a similar sustainability mission, with this new development being a significant step

©Philip J Openshaw/AdobeStock

Levelling Up funding support

Stantec supports UK councils in securing £71.5m of

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has supported local authorities across the UK in successfully bidding for more than £71 5m worth of levelling up funding After working closely with Stantec, Reading Borough Council, Dundee City Council, East Lothian Council, and Shetland Islands Council have all seen their projects receive investment as part of the second round of levelling up funding

Stantec worked with East Lothian Council on a successful bid that will provide nearly £11 3m of funding to help free up land at the former coal fired Cockenzie power station The remediation and preparation works will support future green regeneration and the development of one of Scotland’s fastest growing local authority areas, as well as the wider Edinburgh City Region Stantec provided vital updates to the project's masterplan and subsequent bid submission, including a socioeconomic baseline assessment, capital cost

Levelling Up

funding.

DIARY DATES Futurebuild

estimates, and detailed economic modelling of the potential project benefits

Stephen Findlay, Senior Associate Economist, comments: “We’re proud to have supported these essential projects in gaining funding which will help futureproof communities across the UK Developing local economies in the most sustainable and forward-thinking way is so important when looking at our resilience on a national level ”

To gain an overview of Stantec’s overall success when it comes to supporting local authorities in securing levelling up funding, view their interactive brochure here www rdr link/lah001

£2bn OSHA MMC framework

The Off-Site Homes Alliance (OSHA), an alliance of 23 housing associations and local authorities, has announced the volumetric and panelised home manufacturers that have won a place on its new £2bn MMC framework

A total of 13 supply partners were successfully selected, based on their technical competence, price and commitment to social value The successful bidders were: PMO Cast Consultancy, Cat 1 suppliers Beattie Passive, Ideal Modular Homes, ilke Homes, TopHat and ZED Pods and Cat 2 suppliers Donaldson

Timber Systems, Frame-Tech Structures, GreenSquareAccord, Mansell Finishes, Modularize, Project Etopia UK, Saint-Gobain

Off-Site Solutions and Sipco Limited

Matthew Harrison (pictured), Chief Executive of OSHA member Great Places Housing Group, says: “We’d like to congratulate the suppliers who have been awarded a place on the OSHA MMC framework, and Cast Consultancy for their

appointment to manage the project management office The framework was scoped following extensive feedback from our Alliance partners, and we look forward to working with the successful suppliers, Cast Consultants and manufacturing partners to realise our development ambitions of delivering much-needed affordable homes ”

The framework will be administrated by Great Places Housing Group on behalf of OSHA and will run from February 2023 to February 2027

This event returns to ExCel in London from the 7th to 9th March, providing an opportunity for specifiers from across the built environment sector to see the latest technology and construction innovations, network with peers and debate key issues affecting the building industry The conference programme includes sessions on planning to create resilient communities, circular construction, rebuild or retrofit, Passivhaus, ‘ zero bills’ homes, net zero energy, offsite construction, sustainable infrastructure and digital transformation

For more information and to register visit www.rdr.link/lah002

Abloy UK has announced its new schedule of Academy Foundations and Foundations Plus CPD courses for 2023, which offer attendees invaluable insight into emergency and panic escape compliance

The Foundations course is designed to help delegates understand the minimum legal performance criteria for access control locking applications for fire and escape doors, BS EN 179 and BS EN 1125 and help attendees to specify only compliant solutions They also include the new BS EN 13637 standard on electronically controlled exit systems for use on escape routes

For more details on the dates for both courses or to book a place click here www rdr link/lah003

Abloy UK CPD courses

I s f a b r i c f i r s t r e a l l y t h e b e s t s t r a t e g y ?

With global temperatures rising at an alarming rate and homes producing 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, we look at whether a fabric first approach to retrofitting homes is the best strategy. Here, Steph Willis, a Data Scientist at Sero, presents an alternative approach, which prioritises reducing carbon emissions and decreasing energy bills at a realistic upfront cost to enable faster uptake.

Historically, a fabric-first approach to retrofit made sense in the uK, but several key developments mean this is no longer the case:

l Heat pumps can now decrease energy bills because gas prices have risen faster than electricity prices, and heat pump performance has improved

l The carbon intensity of the uK’s electricity grid has plummeted, so replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump will now more than halve a home’s carbon emissions

l Getting off gas has become a priority following russia’s invasion of ukraine

These factors mean that we should be accelerating high quality heat pump installations, not delaying them

But wait; do heat pumps actually work in poorly insulated homes?

yes All a heat pump needs to do to keep a home warm is to provide heat at the same rate the home loses it A poorly insulated home might need 20kW of heating on a cold day, and there are heat pumps that can produce 1,000’s of kW of heat So, there is absolutely no problem finding heat pumps with adequate power to heat a home

It’s all about the radiators

This myth is really about radiators, and the ‘flow temperature’ of the water running through them Heat pumps can produce very hot water

but doing so reduces their efficiency The lower the flow temperature, the more efficient the heat pump, lowering both energy bills and carbon emissions But radiators running at a lower flow temperature emit less heat you need to offset this by:

1 Changing how the heating is controlled so it is on lower, for longer

2 Increasing the radiator area

3 Improving the home’s insulation

So, what is the right approach?

The cheapest way of ensuring that a heat pump running at a low flow temperature can keep a home toasty will normally be a combination of changing how the heating is controlled, increasing the radiator area, and doing easy insulation measures, such as loft and cavity wall insulation Add solar panels to that combination and you have a pragmatic

retrofit that delivers significant bill savings and massive carbon savings, at a reasonable upfront cost

A ‘fabric first’ approach, including external wall insulation, floor insulation and new windows instead of bigger radiators, is likely to cost about £20k more than the pragmatic approach And while it will deliver bigger bill savings, it will only deliver fractionally bigger carbon savings for those that have the cash and want the comfort and resiliency benefits of excellent insulation, the fabric first approach might be the right solution, but those who want a more cost-effective solution might opt for easy insulation, bigger radiators, solar and a heat pump

Whatever the decision, it should be made with clear understanding of each alternative and its implications

n To read more about this approach to retrofitting in greater detail, please click here www.rdr.link/lah004

Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), discusses the action being taken on damp and mould, and the issues surrounding the quality of local authority data on the condition of their homes and the work needed to bring them up to Decent Homes Standard

Following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak from a respiratory condition caused by damp and mould in his home, Housing Secretary Michael Gove wrote to every local authority in England demanding reassurance that damp and mould issues are being adequately addressed, both in any council housing they own and in the private rented sector Simultaneously, the Regulator for Social Housing wrote seeking similar reassurances from all Registered Providers ARCH members and other councils with housing, were expected to respond to both letters

The Regulator is now working through over 400 responses from Registered Providers, in diverse formats and of variable quality depending on the stock condition data available to each landlord. Analysis is likely to prove challenging

O n e p r o b l e m i s t h a t l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s a r e u s e d t o a s s e s s i n g a n d r e p o r t i n g

w h e t h e r t h e i r h o m e s m e e t t h e D e c e n t

H o m e s s t a n d a r d H o w e v e r , t h e

R e g u l a t o r ’ s l e t t e r d i d n o t a s k f o r t h i s

i n f o r m a t i o n b u t i n s t e a d f o r a n a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e n u m b e r o f h o m e s

w i t h c a t e g o r y 1 o r 2 d a m p a n d m o u l d

h a z a r d s , a s d e f i n e d b y t h e H o u s i n g H e a l t h a n d S a f e t y R a t i n g S y s t e m

( H H S R S ) . T h i s w a s p r e s u m a b l y t o e n a b l e

c o m p a r i s o n w i t h r e s p o n s e s r e l a t i n g t o p r i v a t e h o u s i n g , w h e r e H H S R S i s t h e b a s i s f o r a s s e s s m e n t a n d e n f o r c e m e n t a c t i o n a g a i n s t p r i v a t e l a n d l o r d s

Category hazards

There is an overlap between HHSRS and the Decent Homes Standard Every Decent Home must meet the current minimum standard for housing, defined as being free of any HHSRS category 1 hazard The Decent Homes guidance makes it clear that the existence of a category 1 hazard should be a “trigger for remedial action unless practical steps cannot be taken without disproportionate expense or disruption”; the latter caveat is expected to be used only in very exceptional cases and with the full knowledge of the tenant.

B u t t h e S t a n d a r d i s s i l e n t o n t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o r a c a t e g o r y 2 h a z a r d , w h e t h e r j u s t s h o r t o f c a t e g o r y 1 o r l e s s s e r i o u s I n r e l a t i o n t o t h i s p a r t o f t h e i r r e q u e s t , t h e R e g u l a t o r i s a s k i n g f o r i n f o r m a t i o n a l a n d l o r d i s n o t r e q u i r e d t o k e e p a n d w h e r e t h e r e i s n o o f f i c i a l g u i d a n c e o n t h e a p p r o p r i a t e r e s p o n s e R e s p o n s e s a r e l i k e l y t o b e u n e v e n a n d d i f f i c u l t t o c o m p a r e

G o v e ’ s l e t t e r d r e w a t t e n t i o n t o t h e i n c r e a s e d r i s k o f d a m p a n d m o u l d

“ D a m p a n d m o u l d i s n o t t h e o n l y h a z a r d o f c o n c e r n ; i t i s l i ke l y t h a t ma ny m o r e h o m e s a r e a t r i s k o f a c a t e g o r y 1 h a z a r d o f e x c e s s c o l d . ”

p r o b l e m s i n a “ c h a l l e n g i n g ” w i n t e r w h e n t e n a n t s f a c e s p i r a l l i n g f o o d a n d e n e r g y c o s t s B u t d a m p a n d m o u l d i s n o t t h e o n l y h a z a r d o f c o n c e r n ; i t i s l i k e l y t h a t m a n y m o r e h o m e s a r e a t r i s k o f a c a t e g o r y 1 h a z a r d o f e x c e s s c o l d T h e t w o p r o b l e m s a r e l i n k e d , b u t m a n y m o r e h o m e s a r e t o o h a r d t o h e a t t h a n s u f f e r f r o m s e v e r e d a m p a n d m o u l d

All this suggests that the current spotlight focused on damp and mould will bring into the light a wider range of problems, both about the quality of local authorities’ data on the condition of the homes they own, and the amount of work still needed to bring them all up to the Decent Homes Standard and keep them there

www.arch-housing.org.uk

A c t i o n o n d a m p a n d m o u l d

Driving oppor tunities for local authorities

Local authorities are commonly asset rich yet cash poor. However, if they look in the right places, many have an opportunity to tur n liabilities and dead space into true assets that achieve their financial and environmental goals The key is how to unlock this opportunity without breaking the bank. Dave Gar ner, Senior Associate Sustainability Consultant at Stantec, looks at the potential avenues for traditionally wasted public sector land and how to gar ner support which unlocks private sector or even community investment.

Local authorities are in a predicament many of them are strapped for cash but also have an enviable asset portfolio So, how can they invest in their fixed assets while battling against a constrained budget as well as varied pressures from across the environmental, social, and economic spectrum?

As it has often been said, the solution is not to try the same thing over and over and hope for a different outcome Local authorities must look at new ways to identify the most promising opportunities and actively invest in them

Let’s look at how local authorities can do this My specific focus is on three key

areas, which benefit councils economically, while delivering environmental and social objectives as well as adopted targets

These are:

1 The types of opportunities that can be promoted

2 Private investment options for public assets

3 Reducing investment risk for all through a different business model for investment

Sustainable opportunities

Councils have a wide range of fixed assets including property, car parks, vacant land, former landfills, infrastructure assets like roads and bridges, vehicles, plant and machinery, and also IT hardware

ÏThese provide opportunities to deliver operational savings or even revenue generation However, the council will often have a limited budget for any capital investment For these opportunities, the focus must be on those that deliver societal and sustainability goals, that is they deliver economic, social and environmental benefits

The investments could be in achieving efficiency gains through actions, such as improving the fabric of public buildings to reduce energy consumption, or they could be for revenue generation through installation of renewable energy technologies like solar panels The types of opportunities that should be considered

SPECIAL REPORT: TURNING WASTED PUBLIC LAND INTO ASSETS

will be specific to the drivers for each council and the available assets for investment As such, there is potential that a rapid analysis of key assets could be undertaken to highlight the opportunities available, advantages and disadvantages

By investing in local assets to deliver sustainability goals, councils can see a suite of potential benefits, including:

l Job creation (construction and operation)

l Renewable energy generation

l Carbon insetting

l Greater energy security

l Improved user experience

l Opening opportunities for other activities

l Visible action for the community

l Asset value increases

l Economic benefits

l Biodiversity gains

l Potential development of associated services

For example installing solar panels on a former landfill site can often prove to be a good investment This move helps councils

deliver the electricity generated to nearby operations, such as maintenance or waste depots, which are in the process of electrifying fleet vehicles

In addition, the council’s electric vehicles can potentially be used as battery storage when they are not in use, generating further revenue, while retaining valuable land

I n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n o f t h i s t y p e o f i n f r a s t r u c t u r e s h o u l d a l s o c o n s i d e r o t h e r a d d i t i o n a l s e r v i c e s t h a t c o u l d b e i n s t a l l e d t o f u r t h e r e c o n o m i c , s o c i a l o r e n v i r o n m e n t a l b e n e f i t f o r t h e c o u n c i l E x a m p l e s o f s e r v i c e s c o u l d b e c h a r g i n g s t a t i o n s , r e t a i l o p p o r t u n i t i e s , a n d b i o d i v e r s i t y n e t g a i n o r a c t i v i t y p r o m o t i o n

At Stantec, we ’ re currently working with a council to seek planning permission for a former landfill site to have solar panels placed on the cap This is then being colocated with electric vehicle charging infrastructure and a café

Once complete, this project will turn a net liability for the council into a revenuegenerating asset The scheme will create local electricity; provide the community

with both a café and electric car charging capacity, while also creating local jobs in the construction and operation of the developments

Corporate or Community?

T h e c o n c e p t o f d e v e l o p i n g p u b l i c s e c t o r a s s e t s u s i n g p r i v a t e i n v e s t m e n t i s n ’ t n e w, b u t t h e m a i n e x a m p l e s o f i m p l e m e n t a t i o n a r e t h r o u g h P F I a n d P P P p r o j e c t s f o r l a r g e d e v e l o p m e n t s

So, why has there been limited investment in medium sized projects that deliver on a council’s objectives?

Furthermore, why has this focussed on service delivery and not on alternative revenue generation or cost reduction opportunities?

Traditionally, when we talk about private investment, this has been from the corporate world We are, though, seeing a trend emerge in community wealth building (CWB) a people-centred method for local investment that seeks to enable local communities and people to invest in, access and benefit from local projects

CWB is effectively local crowd funding for projects that deliver benefits aligning with investors’ aims It provides a method for enabling people to influence their communities and impact on what is important to them, be it environmental, social or economic improvement

It also provides a mechanism for everyday people to invest smaller sums of money into large projects and to receive a desired return on investment For example, a person may invest £500 and receive £25/year return at 5% ROI that is significantly better than many current bank interest rates, while other investment options generally require significantly more capital

CWB can, in the right conditions, provide the potential for local authorities to allow community management of the infrastructure

Councils have a wide range of fixed assets including property, car parks, vacant land and former landfill sites

“I s i t t i m e t o t h i n k o f a n ew m o d e l fo r c o l l a b o ra t i o n b e t we e n t h e c o m mu n i t y / p r i va t e i nve s t o r s a n d t h e p u b l i c s e c t o r ?

to generate further wealth, employment and the upskilling of local people

A different business model?

R i s k i s q u i t e o f t e n a m a j o r i n h i b i t o r t o i n v e s t m e n t t h e p e r c e i v e d r i s k t o t h e c o u n c i l f o r t h e i n v e s t m e n t t o b e f o r t h c o m i n g , t h e r i s k a r o u n d c o m m u n i t y s u p p o r t , a n d a l s o t h e r i s k f r o m t h e i n v e s t o r s a r o u n d t h e i r r e t u r n s A l t h o u g h i t s h o u l d b e n o t e d t h a t c o m m u n i t y i n v e s t o r s a r e l i k e l y t o h a v e d i f f e r e n t a s p i r a t i o n s t o c o r p o r a t e i n v e s t o r s , w i t h t h e f o r m e r o f t e n b e i n g s a t i s f i e d w i t h l o w e r f i n a n c i a l r e w a r d i n r e t u r n f o r g r e a t e r s o c i a l r e t u r n

The reality is that it is currently less risky to invest in a green field for a solar farm or battery storage than it is to invest on a car park or a landfill This is a shame as the car park is likely to be in an urban environment where the energy is needed, while the former landfill will often already have a connection into the grid from their landfill gas turbines, which will become redundant over time, and the land is unproductive

Thinking more about risk

How can a local authority change the current risk assessment to promote development of their assets? Is it time to think of a new model for collaboration between the community/private investors and the public sector?

I n v e s t m e n t w i l l n o r m a l l y o c c u r w h e r e t h e r e i s a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e c e i v e a f a v o u r a b l e r e t u r n , w i t h a n a c c e p t a b l e a m o u n t o f r i s k At t h e s a m e t i m e, t h e a s s e t o w n e r w i l l a l w a y s s e e k t o r e c

As the asset owner, the council can look to lease the rights to using their underutilised assets to investors with a peppercorn rent for a 20-year duration, or whatever length is deemed appropriate

The investor then has less capital tied up in the land, releasing funds for investment in the infrastructure To further incentivise the investor, the council can seek to undertake a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the investor once the facility is up and running This is a long-term contract between purchasers and the producers of renewable

energy, which has mutual benefits The fixed-price makes for a win-win situation as users can budget more efficiently, and investors can forecast revenue more clearly

A similar system could be used for investment in biodiversity or nutrient neutrality, which can then be promoted for developments within the Council boundary In this model, the investor has reduced risk through low land capital cost and confidence in the revenue return for the system installed While the council has the benefit of energy price certainty in addition to the advantages identified above, while having minimal capital investment in the infrastructure

The PPA agreement could also seek to include a local community benefit clause where a percentage of the profit from the installation is allocated to a local community fund that invests in the people that live and work nearby

For the council to achieve the best outcomes from the collaboration with an investor, it is recommended they undertake an initial scoping study of their available assets and identify the best opportunities This could be done across a range of council assets to find the best locations for investment For example, where there is the right mix of grid connection, nearby demand, available land and somewhere which won’t have too much of a visual impact if changed

Councils may also want to consider creating greater certainty for investors through adoption in their local plan for sites identified as most viable for development

This model will support councils in reducing the cost of their energy and achieving their climate change objectives, through the provision of local renewable energy With over 70% of councils having declared a climate emergency, decarbonisation of energy will become a key requirement to achieving net zero aspirations

A council’s fixed assets, such as vacant land and former landfill sites, provide opportunities to deliver operational savings or even revenue generation

L A B M ’s w e b s i t e o f f e r s a n e s s e n t i a l i n f o r m a t i o n r e s o u r c e f o r l o c a l a u t h o r i t y a n d h o u s i n g a s s o c i a t i o n s p e c i f i e r s , a n d a n y o n e i n v o l v e d i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n , r e f u r b i s h m e n t a n d m a i n t e n a n c e o f s o c i a l a n d a f f o r d a b l e h o u s i n g , s c h o o l s , h e a l t h c a r e f a c i l i t i e s a n d p u b l i c s e c t o r b u i l d i n g s O n t h e w e b s i t e y o u ’ l l f i n d d e t a i l s o n a l l t h e l a t e s t f u n d i n g a n d r e g u l a t o r y u p d a t e s , s e c t o r a n n o u n c e m e n t s , c o n t r a c t a w a r d s a n d i n d u s t r y e v e n t s . We s h a r e i n s i g h t a n d o p i n i o n f r o m c o m m e n t a t o r s a c r o s s t h e s u p p l y c h a i n , f e a t u r e i n - d e p t h p r o j e c t c a s e s t u d i e s a n d i n o u r P r o d u c t s s e c t i o n , s h o w c a s e n e w p r o d u c t i n n o v a t i o n s , t e c h n o l o g i e s a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n s o l u t i o n s

D o n ’ t f o r g e t t o f o l l o w u s o n Tw i t t e r @ la b mm a g a n d o n L i n k e d I n a t w w w li nke d in c o m/ c o mp a ny / lo c al -a u t ho r it y -b u il di ng - m ai nt e na nce f o r a l l t h e l a t e s t s t o r i e s

F o r a l l t h e l a t e s t n e w s a n d v i e w s c h e c k o u t

l a b m o n l i n e . c o . u k

L O C A L A U T H O R I T Y B U I L D I N G& M A I N T E N A N C E

Redefining standards for new homes

Embracing new technology needs to be at the hear t of redefining standards for new-build homes, urges Nigel

Sedman, Executive Director

of Homes at ForHousing.

Despite the amazing potential of innovative technology to reduce carbon emissions as we hurtle towards 2050 and the UK’s net zero target, take-up of new tech in the affordable housing sector is still alarmingly low For example, we are lagging behind our European neighbours when it comes to installing heat pumps A recent study1 showed that around 32,000 heat pumps were installed in the UK in 2020, compared to 394,000 in France

At ForHousing, we own and manage 24,000 homes across the North-West We’re passionate about developing highquality homes that improve people’s lives and stand the test of time We’ve worked hard to redefine the standards of our newbuilds and embracing new technology has been central to this

We take a 'fabric first' approach we believe if we can get the design and specification right, homes won’t need retrofitting later and energy bills will be reduced for tenants

As a result, we have refreshed our newbuild specifications in a variety of ways

Now, not only will our new-build homes be

well-designed, adaptable, and suitable for all life stages, they will be EPC Band A and incorporate energy-saving technology as standard We are currently working on a new affordable development at Hallsworth Road in Salford, which is a great example of this in practice

Gas free homes

One major contributor to carbon emissions is gas heating, and from 2025, installing gas boilers into new-build homes won’t be allowed So, from now on, we ’ re aiming for all our new-builds to be gas free

The homes at Hallsworth Road will make use of some of the most eco-friendly heat pumps available, which extract heat from the air outside and compress it to heat homes via radiators The technology uses low levels of energy and has a low 'Global Warming Potential', or GWP rating the measure for how emissions impact the planet

We will install whole-house ventilation systems with heat recovery technology, making homes more energy efficient The system2 we use recovers around 84% of the heat and helps regulate temperatures in a home, making it consistently comfortable for tenants

Not only are these new technologies highly efficient and helping tenants save on their bills, further down the track they will produce net zero carbon once the UK's national electricity grid is decarbonised

All the homes will feature low-energy lighting, first-rate insulation, and triple-

glazed windows, while SMART meters will give tenants access to real-time information to help them manage their energy usage On top of that, the homes support the transition to greener transport with electric vehicle chargers already installed, and more points identified to help future-proof the development

Embracing innovative technology

In the past decade, ForHousing has delivered more than 1,500 affordable homes in the North-West and we aim to build 1,800 new homes by 2026

Across the housing sector, we understand the need to urgently drive forward the development of new affordable homes to address the housing crisis But let’s make sure we embrace innovative technology to redefine new-build standards along the way to achieving net zero That way we can create high-quality homes and places that are environmentally responsible and make more things possible for more people, now and in the future

1 https://www placesforpeople co uk/media/ztbocixy/ net-zero-ready-new-build-housing pdf

2 https://www envirovent com/products/heatrecovery-ventilation-mvhr/

n For more information on ForHousing visit www.forhousing.co.uk

Installing an air source heat pump at a home on Egret Drive, Irlam

A sneak peek at the Condens 7000 F & FP

The new, versatile floor-standing boiler range ser ies from Bosch Commercial & Industr ial is designed to r un on both natural gas and LPG with all outputs able to r un on a 20% hydrogen blend benefitting local author ities by decreasing emissions

An exciting addition to the Bosch Commercial & Industrial is the latest addition to its commercial boiler series, the floor-standing Condens 7000 F & FP Built to replace the popular Worcester Bosch GB162 V2, the Condens 7000 F & FP features a new design developed with simplicity in mind For local authorities responsible for largescale projects, they will be happy to hear that the installation time can be reduced by up to 60% when fitting the new range when compared to the GB162 V2

The new narrow frame is built for easier access and includes a transport roller accessory for ease of mobility, particularly for rooms where space is limited This is thanks to a new frame kit design, simple install steps with minimal tools required and an easily accessible PCB

The range is available as either a single boiler or a cascade pack, which suits a wide variety of system outputs and hydraulic requirements, ideal for local authorities, as it is versatile by design

Thanks to an output range from 75kW to 1MW, the premium quality boilers can be easily cascaded to meet higher outputs thanks to the ability to combine 16 boilers while using a Bosch 8313 control This means the range can reach up to an outstanding 8MW output, making it perfect for large commercial applications

The Condens 7000 F & FP can be fuelled on both natural gas and LPG with all outputs able to run on a 20% hydrogen blend This model has an

The Condens 7000 F & FP floor-standing boiler range

integrated Internet interface, making it easy and convenient to control remotely using your Smartphone or tablet with EasyRemote or HomeCom from Bosch Wider benefits and features of the Condens

7000 F & FP include:

l Removable side panels and directly accessible components allow for quick servicing

l Simple integration in a variety of heating systems

l Intelligent Control 8000 providing easy operation

l Ability to effortlessly change the fuel type from natural gas to liquid gas (and vice versa)

Removing the complexity

Simon Tarr, National Projects Director at Bosch Commercial & Industrial, comments:

“Our new range has been developed with

Installer Viewpoint

installer’s time in mind We have taken the complexity away from each step of the product journey When specifying, each pack contains all the base components required, sitting under one part number This enables installers to easily receive a quotation from their local Merchants

“Whether you are specifying with Bosch in mind, or if you are looking for multiple quotes from different manufacturers to work out the best value for the job, we have made this process simple Packs are available as either as a single pack, or cascades of multiple boilers with various hydraulic options

“When it comes to installing, and while obtaining customer feedback during our research and development phase, we saw an installer on average assembling a two-boiler cascade in less than 20 minutes on their first attempt! The installation is very intuitive and shows a real evolution to cascade frames

“Finally, we ’ ve created an online precommissioning checklist where installers can now book commissioning directly through us, ultimately streamlining the process We hope that all these timesaving measures add up to give installers and contractors more time to focus on either additional jobs, wider business admin or just free time to enjoy!”

*Timesavings estimated and observed during customer installation studies

n For more information on Bosch Commercial & Industrial and the Condens 7000 F & FP please visit www rdr link/lah103

Paul Hull from The Commercial Group was one of the first installers to get hands-on with the Condens 7000F, here is what he had to say

What were your first impressions on the product?

I really liked the product, it is an easy design, comes together really quickly and the install time is cut down by 60%

What do you think Bosch have improved since the GB162?

T h e r e h a v e b e e n a l o t o f i m p r o v e m e n t s s i n c e t h e G B 1 6 2 , o b v i o u s l y w e ’ v e g o t a n e w a n d i m p r o v e d h e a t e x c h a n g e r , t h e g l o w p l u g h a s n o w b e e n t a k e n o u t , t h e e l e c t r i c s i s o n t h e t o p o f t h e b o i l e r , t h e g a s i s o n t h e f r o n t , a n d t h e r e a r e e a s y

p u m p g r o u p s s o a l l i n a l l t h e r e h a v e b e e n h u g e i m p r o v e m e n t s

Have you had any feedback from your customers?

We’ve installed two in a care home in Surrey, and the first piece of feedback we had was about how quiet the boilers were, in comparison to her old wall mounted boiler Additionally, the client was really impressed with the colour screen and the colours of the boilers, thinking the boiler looked really smart

What in your opinion is the best part about the product?

There are several great things about the boiler, but the easy fluing options now with the plume kit is a great plus, which allows us to get the boilers into different

areas. The easy use screen is absolutely brilliant in addition to the design as well, and the higher outputs of the boiler functioning from 50kW to 145kW is a great option on such a small footprint

What advice would you give installers who are considering light commercial/commercial installations?

I t ’ s g r e a t t o g e t s o m e e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e b a c k g r

“When specifying, each pack contains all the base components required, sitting under one par t number.”

A d d e d v a l u e

C l a r e C h a m b e r l a i n , H e a d o f C o n s t r u c t i o n C a t e g o r y a t C r ow n C o m m e r c i a l S e r v i c e, d i s c u s s e s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f s o c i a l va l u e i n c o n s t r u c t i o n p r o j e c t s a n d g i ve s t o p t i p s t o e n s u r e i t ’s n o t m i s s e d o f f t h e l i s t .

Th e p p n 0 6 / 2 0 p o l i c y n o t e 1 h i g h l i g h t e d c h a n g e s t h a t m e a n p u b l i c s e c t o r b u y e r s a r e r e q u i r e d t o t h i n k d i f f e r e n t l y a b o u t h o w t h e y s e c u r e s o c i a l v a l u e f r o m t h e g o o d s a n d s e r v i c e s t h e y b u y f o r t h e i r l o c a l a r e a t h i s s i g n i f i c a n t p o l i c y c h a n g e m e a n t t h a t s o c i a l v a l u e b e c a m e a m a i n s t r e a m p r i o r i t y i n a l l p u b l i c s e c t o r p r o c u r e m e n t f r o m 2 0 2 1

What does this mean for your building and construction projects? our construction frameworks allow customers to embed social value in the way most appropriate to their circumstances there’s a wide range of social value related considerations, such as opportunities for disadvantaged groups, contributing to achieving healthy communities, driving climate change, and with recent impacts of eu exit on labour, social value that considers upskilling the workforce and providing job opportunities has become more important than ever to ensure that there are clear lines of sight between your social value expectations and what suppliers can offer, here’s our five top tips on what you need to consider

1 Embed throughout the project focus on embedding social value considerations throughout the project for

larger projects consider a project specific social value strategy Don’t wait until the main contractor tender to start thinking about it either, consider writing clear guidance around social value and what is expected into the brief

2. Don’t ask for everything early community engagement brings tailored social outcomes this will help your team to be able to focus on what social value outcomes you want for your project and help to avoid you asking for everything What are the key themes for the area of construction? Does it have a high unemployment rate? Is it in a built up area with limited community space? engage with local charities and social enterprises to find out what’s important to them

3. Consider what questions to ask at tender stage tailor your questions to be project specific and drive a SMArt answer think carefully about who you ask to assess and score these questions, it should be someone with the right skills and experience to know a good answer from a bad one

4. Make it contractual and monitor Getting some great social value outcomes at the tender stage is fantastic, but it’s really important that this is fed through and

“ O u r c o n s t r u c t i o n f ra m ewo r k s a l l ow c u s t o m e r s t o e m b e d s o c i a l va l u e i n t h e wa y m o s t a p p ro p r i a t e t o t h e i r c i rc u m s t a n c e s . ”

delivered one way to do this is to convert these promises into social value KpIs that are monitored throughout

5. Ask for data

Include clear instructions on exactly what you want captured for example, if you ’ re asking for contractors to train apprentices, ask them to record apprentice initials and postcode, the programme, level and start and end dates so that you can interrogate the data ensure your contract has a right to audit clause and that any data you collect is GDpr compliant

1 https://assets publishing service gov uk/government /uploads/system/uploads/attachment data/file/9214 37/ppn-06 20-taking-Account-of-Social-value-inthe-Award-of-central-Government-contracts pdf

n For more advice on including social value in your construction projects, visit ww.rdr.link/lah005

Community engagement is important

Early community engagement with local communities on projects brings tailored social outcomes

HOUSING

Building for the future with Passivhaus principles

Steven Simpson, Managing Director of the Cruden Group, discusses the Scottish Gover nment’s announcement that Passivhaus will become the minimum standard for new housing from the end of 2024, and Cruden Building’s project with Hanover Scotland to construct 15 new Passivhaus bungalows and semi-detached homes in the Stirlingshire village of Drymen

The announcement by the Scottish Government that from the end of 2024, Passivhaus will become the minimum standard for all new housing in Scotland, has brought about a rapid response from the construction industry, which is now questioning the speed of adoption and lack of consultation surrounding the proposal

Developers have raised concerns that the move is being made too quickly, leaving them with little time to upskill in order to meet the complex needs of this form of building Question marks also exist over costs and the impact on margins as well as the ability of local authorities, housing associations and individual buyers to meet the higher purchase prices that building to Passivhaus standards will require

There is no doubting the need for warmer, greener and more fuel-efficient homes, but concerns remain over whether or not Passivhaus is the preserve of one-off

builds and may be costly, time-consuming and, because of the complexities involved, impossible to deliver at scale, particularly at a time when the construction industry is facing shortages of skilled workers

Over the last two years Cruden Building, part of the Cruden Group, has acquired indepth experience of Passivhaus principles with the completion of 15 bungalows and semi-detached homes for Hanover Scotland in the Stirlingshire village of Drymen This is believed to be one of the very first social housing projects in Scotland to be completed to Passivhaus levels and probably the only one to have been achieved using a standard house kit and not one that has been specially commissioned for the project

Getting here has taken fresh expertise and the development of new working methods, but it has shown that building to the exact tolerances required to meet Passivhaus standards can be achieved on

sizeable developments given the right level of knowledge and experience

Achieving Passivhaus

The elements involved in reaching the standards required for Passivhaus certification involve orienting properties for solar gain, installing mechanical heat recovery ventilation and using triple-glazed windows to significantly reduce the need for additional heating In fact, Passivhaus can use up to 90% less energy for heating and 70% less energy for all uses than conventional buildings

o n d e l i v e r i n g h o m e s w i t h a n e xc e p t i o n a l l e v e l o f a i r - t i g h t n e s s a n d t h i s i s w h e r e t h i n g s b e c o m e d i f f i c u l t A f e w, m i n i s c u l e g a p s i s a l l i t t a k e s i n o r d e r f o r a h o u s e t o f a i l c e r t i f i c a t i o n T h e o t h e r c h a l l e n g e i s

Cruden Building was involved in a project with Hanover Scotland to deliver 15 Passivhaus bungalows and semi-detached homes in the village of Drymen, Stirlingshire

t o e n s u r e c l o s e l y m a n a g e d f r e s h a i r i n t a k e a n d c h a n g e o v e r t o e n s u r e h i g h a i r q u a l i t y t h r o u g h t h e u s e o f M V H R , w h i c h i s Pa s s i v h a u s C e r t i f i e d

At Cruden, our solution to meeting these standards has been to check airtightness levels at every step in the building process, ensuring that we meet essential requirements before moving on to the next stage of the build We also developed a new methodology for quality control that has proved to be hugely effective and that we will be rolling out in further Passivhaus projects

The impact of this approach has been shown by the fact that the nine bungalows at Drymen have also met the required standards, despite the bungalow being one of the most difficult of all house types to make fully fuel-efficient with low CO2 and energy demands

Reducing the carbon footprint of construction

Passivhaus principles were developed in Germany and Sweden in the 1990s, inspired in part by what North American architects had achieved while building homes during the oil crisis of the 1970s It is now an internationally recognised standard for achieving a very low carbon footprint and there is a huge demand for it to be applied far more widely, especially now when we are facing a climate

emergency and buildings currently account for 35% of global energy consumption

The aim now is to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of construction by using a fabric first approach to delivering buildings that take very little additional energy to maintain at a comfortable temperature However, there is a world of a difference between designing a Passivhaus home and actually building one on site, so before construction began at Drymen key members of the Cruden team undertook indepth training in order to understand the process and to get hands-on experience

This willingness to learn and adapt has been key to replacing outdated and inefficient houses with comfortable, contemporary homes that can help reduce the burden of fuel bills for occupants at a time when energy costs are spiralling

Achieving these results has also involved working closely with the architect and all of the suppliers and it requires a client with a long-term approach, who is willing to pay the

higher up-front costs involved in this type of construction, in order to achieve something that will deliver comfortable, low-energy housing that will stand the test of time

Training and investment needed

For Cruden, developing expertise in delivering Passivhaus standard housing has been part of our ongoing commitment to building comfortable, contemporary homes that meet the need for low carbon solutions However, it is precisely because of this experience that we hold the view that converting the entire housebuilding industry in Scotland to a similar model in just two years and without in-depth consultation is not realistic If Passivhaus is to be made to work on a wide scale, then it is going to take considerable training, investment and time before this result can be achieved

Passivhaus can use up to 90% less energy for heating and 70% less energy for all uses than conventional buildings

“Building to the exact tolerances required to meet Passivhaus standards can be achieved on sizeable developments given the right level of knowledge and experience.”

M a k e a c o n n e c t i o n

Connected technology supports health, safety and wellbeing of social housing residents, says Sam Collier, Sustainability & Ethics Lead, HomeLINK.

Social housing providers are facing a monumental challenge to deliver decent homes against a backdrop of global climate and energy crises, uncertain economic conditions, and a raised profile of housing quality

Back to basics

The core purpose of social housing is to provide safe, affordable, comfortable homes for those who need them There are over five million social homes across the UK, representing almost 20% of all households Ensuring these properties are built and maintained to a standard which guarantees residents’ safety and comfort, whilst sustaining a level of rent that is achievable to those on low incomes, is a mammoth task which housing providers are battling daily

These pressures do not exist in isolation to external factors, such as the ever-growing burden of climate change and a cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by inflated global energy prices Providing good quality social housing is a difficult task in itself, but delivering this service alongside the backdrop of these broader

contextual challenges makes it all the more difficult

Poor quality housing causes a substantial drain on public resources, with an estimated cost to the NHS in England of £1 4bn to treat those experiencing health effects attributed to living in poor

housing1 When considering the wider societal impacts such as reduced educational attainment, poor productivity, decreased social capital, and the impacts on asset value and future costs of delayed retrofit and other interventions, annual costs could reach £18 5bn

Stirling in Scotland

Aico’s Jordan Toulson with tenant Robert Cairney

Data, data, data

To approach a challenge of this magnitude, it is useful to understand the starting point In other words, we need to know the condition of the existing housing stock and its performance, so we can target the most in-need properties with appropriate solutions

At present, comprehensive data on the state of the nation’s social homes is limited Huge uncertainty exists over indoor air quality, which has been found to have significant impacts on inhabitant’s health Improving what we know about our homes is vital in understanding how to move forward

The connected home

There is good news, however Substantial innovation is emerging to address some of these core challenges, partly enabled by policy, regulation and funding We also need (and are seeing increasing numbers of ) housing providers who are willing to pilot new innovations to tackle these issues, providing evidence that these tools can be used to better understand the conditions within and the performance of our housing stock

HomeLINK, Aico’s connected home solution, provides a solution to improve data across safety, affordability, and comfort Aico has been providing the UK social housing industry with smoke, heat, and CO alarms for over 30 years, and it’s connected offering provides a means of monitoring these life safety devices remotely

In addition, environmental sensors co designed with social landlords have been rapidly brought to market to meet existing demand, providing rich insight into the health of the home Collection of as-used building data can be used to develop risk insights into issues such as damp and

mould, overheating, fuel poverty, thermal efficiency, and indoor air quality, enabling landlords to take a proactive approach to overcoming inadequate living conditions for their residents

Having this data at scale can provide the foundation for the development of more advanced analytics A feature of the HomeLINK Portal recently brought to market breaks down the nature of a damp and mould risk to aid landlords in identifying its source, and to plan an appropriate approach to resolve the problem This might include improving ventilation, enhancing thermal performance, or providing advice to residents about how they can maintain a good indoor environment

Stirling Council recently announced its intention to install over 50,000 IoT devices in what will be the largest rollout of the technology to date The connected devices will be used to ensure homes are healthy, target energy efficiency works and monitor their effectiveness, provide a means of proactive maintenance, and significantly improve life safety

Residents and affordability

There is also a need to ensure residents are seen as an integral part of decisionmaking and are given the opportunity to participate in these processes The effectiveness of good quality housing provision will depend on the role of tenants, opportunities for diverse voices to be heard, and subsequent empowerment

Residents have been involved in the Stirling project since its inception and have been key to its success

Tenant Robert Cairney says: “I was initially sceptical about what the sensors and technology being put into my home would bring in terms of financial or health benefits However, by recording moisture in the air, I can be alerted to the risk of damp and mould

“This new IoT technology for homes like mine is fantastic because it helps me to feel safer, live in a healthier environment, and reduce costs I’m more

“T h i s n ew I o T t e c h n o l o g y

fo r h o m e s l i ke m i n e i s

fa n t a s t i c b e c a u s e i t h e l p s

m e t o fe e l s a fe r, l i ve i n a

h e a l t h i e r e nv i ro n m e n t , a n d

r e d u c e c o s t s . I ’ m m o r e

a wa r e o f h ow my h o m e i s

b e h a v i n g , a n d a l e r t e d t o

wa y s I c a n s a ve m o n ey by

u s i n g t h i s f r e e c u t t i n g - e d g e

c o n n e c t e d h o m e k i t ”

aware of how my home is behaving, and alerted to ways I can save money by using this free cutting-edge connected home kit

“For example, wasting money trying to heat a home that has gaps in the doors and windows letting heat out, or an inefficient boiler and room heaters that need bleeding Everyone is concerned about the rising costs of energy but, thanks to these improvements, it’s not a question of eat or heat for me now ”

Making homes more energy-efficient and reducing their running costs go hand in hand Landlord investment in energy efficiency improvements for their housing stock has a direct impact on the disposable income of their resident With household budgets increasingly stretched, easing the stress on resident finances reduces the risk of rent arrears whilst improving lives and reducing health impacts

This level of insight does not need to come at a premium Aico’s rollout of connected fire and carbon monoxide alarms across Barnet Homes’ housing stock provided £2 70 return on investment for every £1 spent on equipment Savings were seen across compliance reporting, increased asset lifetime, and reduce maintenance, whilst significantly improving resident safety

1 BRE: The cost of poor housing in England https://files bregroup com/research/BRE Report th e cost of poor housing 2021 pdf

Aico Ei1000G Gateway & Environmental Sensors

Ho u s i n g t a r g e t s

Under its many guises three Prime Ministers and three Secretaries of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities the current Government has been resolutely committed to growth But to varying degrees, those responsible for housing delivery have edged away from the 2019 manifesto pledge to deliver 300,000 homes per annum Liz Truss set out to remove so-called ‘Stalinist’ housing targets; whilst until recently, Michael Gove, as the re-appointed Secretary of State, has been more acquiescent, suggesting that that the target remained but the calculation and implementation would be ‘rebased ’

Housing need

We now know that Gove’s proposition is in fact not to tinker with the Standard Method for calculating housing need just yet Instead his proposals (as set out in the draft revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework) are potentially more extreme To recap, the key proposed changes regarding housing targets are:

l Proposed additional caveats would allow for lower levels of housing to be planned in situations in which meeting full needs would result in adverse impacts, such as building at densities significantly out of character with the existing area, or where there is clear evidence of past over-delivery in terms of the number of homes permitted compared to the housing requirement in the existing Local Plan In such cases this over-delivery may be deducted from the provision required in the new Plan

l Green Belt boundaries would not be required to be reviewed and altered if this would be the only means of meeting the objectively assessed need for housing over the Plan period It will be a matter for the individual local planning authority (LPA) as to whether such a review takes place

l The duty to co-operate would be replaced by a future ‘alignment policy’, and plans will no longer be required to be ‘justified’

l Where the housing requirement is less than five years old, LPAs would no longer have to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply

l Some LPAs with well advanced Local Plans will only need to demonstrate four years ’ housing land supply instead of five years for a period of two years from the point that the proposed changes to the Framework take effect

Potential impact

The stated purpose of these proposed changes is to provide more certainty that authorities can propose a plan with a housing requirement that is below their local housing need figure So, in effect, planning for fewer homes The consequence being that these deliberate steps will allow the needs of future generations to go unmet

Matt Hare, Par tner at Car ter Jonas (Cambr idge), discusses the consequences of an absence of housing targets on levelling up and regeneration

Park View, by Blenheim Estate Homes

Whilst some may welcome these proposals, many will lose out Unfortunately, it is more likely to be the more vulnerable, by which I mean those a) looking to get on the housing ladder, b) looking to find a reasonably priced rental property, c) on waiting lists for affordable housing or d) in need of other forms of specialist accommodation

For example, consider the ‘Green Belt’ authorities in Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire and the Home Counties These are areas where housing pressures are some of the most acute in the country In many instances the key cities and settlements in these areas are surrounded by Green Belt meaning that one of the primary ways of meeting needs is to review Green Belt boundaries In other instances, reviewing Green Belt boundaries is necessary for the delivery of a sustainable growth strategy

Such is the nature of many people’s misconception of what the Green Belt actually is, and the way this often transposes into political pressure from a vocal minority, the danger is that some local authorities will take the easy route and seek to duck a Green Belt boundary review

The same can equally be said of housing delivery generally So often the protestations of a vocal minority distract

local politicians from the important task of actually delivering for the more vulnerable groups within their constituencies These potential changes to the NPPF offer some new, helpfully nebulous reasons to local politicians to justify a failure to meet local needs

Of course, not all local authorities are looking for reasons to suppress housing delivery The reality of the situation is more complex it is rare to find a local planning department that is not grappling with the almost unresolvable twin issues of heavily squeezed budgets and staff shortages In this regard it’s fair to say that many local authorities simply don’t have the resource to critically assess difficult strategic planning issues and effectively promote growth strategies to the local population

Housing shortfall

The need and demand for new housing, affordable housing and specialist accommodation does not dissipate,

however Young people will still be drawn to economically successful parts of the country If the homes are not available for them to occupy then we risk either perpetuating unsustainable travel patterns or the continued success of those areas, by cutting off the supply of new talent to the local industries

Likewise, those on the waiting lists for social housing do not disappear simply because the door may allow authorities to plan for less Such people still need places to live, often urgently Older people still need specialist accommodation with care, something that we are already failing to deliver in anything close to the levels needed

Regardless, we are already beginning to see some paralysis of plan making in the wake of the consultation on the proposed changes to the NPPF This follows the similar effect that the last few years of government messaging has yielded, leading some commentators to the speculate that England will see a shortfall of up to 100,000 new homes over the next five years Given all the other challenges facing the country at present, this is precisely the sort of own goal we could desperately do without

Matt is a Partner in the Carter Jonas Cambridge Planning and Development team and has been a planning practitioner since the early 2000s, working in both the public and private sectors

services

Park View, by Blenheim Estate Homes

Evacuation alert system helps protect social housing residents in Merseyside

Advanced has supplied its EvacGo evacuation alert system to Knowsley Heights, two high-rise residential tower blocks in Huyton, Merseyside, owned by Livv Housing Group Following a significant programme of compartmentation works undertaken in 2018, the 11storey Knowsley Heights buildings have benefitted from a refit that includes installation of Advanced’s EvacGo system, which is compliant with the BS 8629 Code of Practice

ABM Fire and Security Ltd undertook the complete, supply, installation and commissioning of the system A 4-loop, 16zone evacuation alert panel was installed in each building Each EvacGo panel is housed inside a STS 205 security-rated enclosure with patented BS EN 1303-compliant lock and key mechanism for exclusive access by the fire and rescue Argus Vega Sounder VADS audible and visual devices and interfaces were installed in the hallways of each of the 128 flats to ensure all residents, including people who are deaf or have hearing loss are kept safe and informed

AKW extends inclusive showering and bathing range AKW, a leading provider of bathroom accessibility solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of a range of wellknown products to its portfolio, thanks to the company ’ s acquisition of Contour Showers in 2022 These include a high-load bearing shower former, peristaltic waste pump, Vent-Axia extractor fans, walk-in and assistive baths, as well as a shower changing bed Stuart Reynolds, UK Marketing & Product Management Director at AKW, comments: “We are very happy to have welcomed Contour Showers Limited to our growing family and to be able to continue to offer their popular products to installers, specifiers and end users We are committed to making life better for those who need inclusive bathroom and showering solutions and these range additions enable us to offer even more competitively priced, high quality products that stand the test of time ”

Future proofing the 77 window and door system

AluK’s high performance 77 commercial window and door system has been comprehensively updated to ensure it not only complies with the 2022 amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations, but is ready for the 2025 Future Homes standard as well The modern, minimal aesthetic of the 77 system and its slimline, square profile design make it ideal for new-build, particularly multi-storey apartments The product comes with a choice of open-in and open-out window profiles The system easily meets the 1 2 W/m2K U-Value limit currently set for Part L compliance in new-builds using standard, cost-effective 1 0 centre pane double-glazing If even lower U-Values are required, then it can also accommodate triple glazing to achieve as little as 0 8 Wm2K

n More details are on the product pages at www.rdr.link/lah011

New fabricated range to help streamline drainage stack installations

Terrain FUZE Stax is the latest addition to Polypipe Building Services’ Terrain FUZE HDPE drainage system The new range of two-part fabricated stack configurations is designed to make installing the most common low to high-rise applications simpler and quicker Because many large-scale drainage stack projects involve repeating very similar configurations of loose components across floors, significant time is spent on the same cutting and welding jobs

Using data gathered by its Advantage service, Polypipe Building Services has produced a range of stacks that reflect the most common of these standard configurations to help reduce installation time needed on site The range covers three standard applications kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms

n Find out more about FUZE Stax here www.rdr.link/lah012

BBA approval for rainscreen stone wool insulation product

ROCKWOOL has been accredited with the British Board of Agrément (BBA) Agrément

Certificate for its NyRock Rainscreen 032 a stone wool insulation product specifically developed for use within ventilated cladding systems, as well as sealed systems such as curtain walling Manufactured using patented technology, it has a more efficient fibre structure that increases the density of air pockets trapped within each slab This results in an improved thermal performance when compared to traditional stone wool products The product has a low thermal conductivity of 0 032W/mK It has proven acoustic benefits and is water repellent, yet breathable Being manufactured from stone wool, the product is classed as noncombustible in Euroclass A1

n For more information go to www rdr link/lah013

HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Matthew Lumsden, CEO at Connected Energy, explains how a second ‘behind the scenes tour’ of AMRC demonstrates how batter y storage can help local author ities build energy resilience while maximising budgets and meeting eco targets.

Local authorities are under renewed pressure to maximise their sustainability budgets to meet increasingly tight targets, and only significant changes to their electricity generation and supply chain can achieve the carbon zero compliance required

A second sell out ‘behind the scenes ’ tour of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) North West and its energy management systems, organised by Connected Energy, recently allowed visitors to see the renewable technologies in action and learn how batteries can manage and reduce energy bills and lower carbon emissions, all whilst increasing energy consumption and security

Solutions demonstrated at AMRC can be applied to existing buildings or new sites for local authorities looking to solar and wind generated power as the key to

energy resilience, alongside potential additional income

Demo site proves battery value

The demo site at AMRC presents a road map for site and building managers that will enable them to cut the carbon footprint of older facilities and achieve net zero by 2050 Visitors have been keen to see the renewable technologies in action and learn how batteries can manage and reduce energy bills and reduce carbon emissions, all whilst increasing energy consumption and security in buildings

“It’s not about telling others to buy the latest equipment to reduce their emissions, but rather demonstrating how they can make their existing infrastructure greener and more efficient by retrofitting digital technologies,” says Ben Smith, Low Carbon Building Specialist at AMRC North West

The battery unit at the AMRC is linked to a range of renewable technologies and sensors which together allow the site to store and use its own clean energy, always keeping the centre on its green tariff and serving as the data ‘heart’ of a new fully digitised building and manufacturing facility

Making ‘Industry 4 0’ a reality where efficiencies and improvements are identified and made through real time data analysis, AI application and learning via remote control thousands of sensors on each piece of equipment will gather information about energy use, and feed this through a single dashboard

By aligning meteorological data with data from the IIoT and battery cells, and using AI and data modelling, the BESS will be automatically made available to charge from solar or the grid according to which will be

Connected Energy E-STOR battery

R e a l t i m e d e m o n s t r a t i o n : s t o r i n g e n e r g y r e s i l i e n c e

AMRC visitors look inside an E- STOR Connected Energy BESS

Visitors at the AMRC North West hearing learning how batteries can manage and reduce energy bills and lower carbon emissions

most profitable, appropriate for the weather, or energy needs at any given time

The AMRC also shows how buildings can automatically switch between the BESS and the national grid to minimise costs and maximise revenue through arbitrage

Keeping sites powered

Battery energy storage allows sites to store energy either directly from the grid or from their own renewables and use it when it is required Connected Energy’s current 300kW system, for example, could provide 100kW per hour to a site This energy supply could power one piece of critical equipment, or it could be spread over a building to maintain heating and lighting With larger multi-MW systems, like the type under development by Connected Energy, storage systems could keep a whole building operating for an extended period For many local authorities it will be difficult to maximise their renewable energy in any other way but with storage

A battery storage unit can also save a substantial amount of money and operational headaches at sites such as fleet depots, which can become grid constrained due to additional pressures from EV charging where local authorities are working to decarbonise their fleet

For example, if a depot requires EV charging which might exceed the available capacity on the grid, it can be taken from battery storage; if there is a significant load during a peak tariff period, it can be managed using low cost or locally generated supply; or if there is a good

value night rate it’s possible to charge a battery with the cheaper rate and offset higher costs later in the day

Engaging with smart technology

Energy supply and resilience solutions lie in the planning and installation of smart, local energy systems Local government should focus on integrating renewable generation with battery storage, alongside connected digital technology in existing and new buildings

With the increased uptake and development of electric vehicle charging and vehicle to grid exchange, a local energy system would allow a local authority property or site to create a private network With the ability to isolate from the main grid when required, these networks can remove reliance on the national supply, allowing them to operate independently when needed, providing a flexible and clean energy system

Contrary to popular belief, battery systems do not need to be linked to solar panels or wind turbines to deliver cost and carbon savings standalone battery units can be utilised in several ways to benefit existing buildings

A battery can be used to selectively store energy from the national grid so that a site always remains within its green tariff It can also be used to make additional revenue by supporting imbalances in the grid when it’s needed back, which the National Grid will pay for as a service Battery storage can also be used to support a site against energy fluctuations,

protecting buildings from damaging electricity brownouts or blackouts

These functions can be managed by a smart technology management platform, which uses data analysis to select the most valuable outcomes for the asset owners relating to reducing carbon footprints and energy use on site

Utilising second life cells

What will be particularly appealing to councils with challenging Climate Strategy and Action Plan targets, is that battery systems from Connected Energy are made from second life car batteries Each unit contains 24 used Renault Kangoo batteries

While operationally identical to units made from brand new batteries, these second life storage units provide a positive carbon benefit of 450tCO2e for every 1MWh installed compared with a first life energy storage unit This kind of carbon saving is hard to achieve in any other way

Furthermore, the raw materials used in lithium-ion batteries are costly and difficult to extract, alongside costly to manufacture and recycle Second life battery cells bypass supply chain issues, and they are a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative, whilst functioning at the capacity required with no compromise to performance

De-centralised energy is the future Energy network resilience and achieving climate driven sustainability targets are two critical focus points for local authorities The development of de-centralised and locally generated energy backed with battery storage is clearly the rational choice for many council owned properties

With bigger and more powerful battery systems, councils can build a smarter network capturing the full value of renewable energy and offer power to all essential services even when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing

The energy revolution is just around the corner and battery energy storage will be a key component in secure and resilient energy systems for local authority buildings across the UK

E-STOR

T h e r o a d t o n e t z e r o

Westminster City Council has declared a climate emergency and has set a target of achieving net zero for the city of Westminster by 2040, but with some of the highest emissions and worst air quality in the UK, the challenge facing them is steeper than most

A core part of Westminster City Council (WCC) achieving the net zero goals is to lower the emissions from their own estate

At the time of the climate emergency declaration, council-owned buildings accounted for 9,376 tonnes of carbon per year It was clear that to meet these targets the council would need to revolutionise the way they generate and consume heat and electricity

Westminster City Council initially envisioned a £1m project with delivery

partners Vital Energi This scheme would see assessment of 20 buildings and identify the best ways to reduce carbon After the council received £13m of Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding, the scope of the RE:FIT framework project expanded massively, but crucially, the deadline for completion stayed the same due to funding conditions

Scott Lutton, Operations Director for Vital Energi explains: “It was a clear case of quadrupling the workload, whilst needing to meet the same funding milestones, but the upside was that we were sure we could get 1,600 tonnes of carbon reduction per year for WCC, which would be a great contribution to their overall plan We needed a more fluid client/contractor relationship with a much quicker decision-making process and the council were fantastic in responding to this challenge ”

RE:FIT framework

The award-winning project was delivered through the RE:FIT framework, which involves two key stages The first is that contractors produce high-level appraisals, which the client assesses and then determines those to progress Once the

client has chosen their partner, the contractor then produces an investment grade proposal, which costs the project, maximises the carbon reductions and, crucially, underpins it with an energy performance contract which guarantees minimum carbon and financial savings

To achieve this, Vital Energi worked closely with the council to perform in-depth energy audits on 70 of their premises, which ranged from libraries and offices through to schools and leisure centres They analysed the council’s historical energy usage and assessed every single energy asset to see which improvements would yield the best carbon savings All of this information was then fed into the overall energy model and presented to the client in a report for their consideration

Scott continues: “PSDS funding comes with a condition that carbon reductions are delivered at less than £500 per tonne, which creates a need for balance On this project, for example, 78% of reduction is delivered from heat pumps, but with some of these installations costing over £1m they don’t meet the cost per tonne criteria We therefore had to blend them with other ECMs such as solar, lighting upgrades and insulation to bring the overall cost down to

ASHP installation at Porchester Leisure Centre

Air source heat pumps being installed at Porchester Leisure Centre

Paddington Library

£472 per tonne of carbon, making the project viable ”

Claire Barrett, Director of Property and Strategic Asset Management at WCC set up a project board with delegated authority to make decisions, which meant the project could move swiftly in a matter of days rather than weeks The benefits of this approach enabled an accelerated design and delivery programme, with the first energy conservation measures (ECMs) being approved just seven weeks after the contract award The majority of works were completed between July 2021 and March 2022, with an agreed extension to accommodate the design, procurement and structural and electrical improvements necessary for the heat pumps

Delivery strategy

Once the investment grade proposal was completed and agreed, it was essential to create a delivery strategy, which would allow continuous progress This saw a focus on “quick wins” such as lighting, HVAC and insulation and, whilst these works were being undertaken, the council would work to progress the larger projects,

such as rooftop solar and heat pumps so the project could continue uninterrupted

To put the scale of the project into context, 61 of the 70 buildings surveyed were chosen for upgrades and overall, 135 separate projects were carried out including over 11,200 lighting upgrades, 1,649 solar panels across 12 buildings and 1 2MW of heat pumps installed Complicating matters, most of the work was done in live, occupied buildings

In addition to upgrades and renewable energy generation, it was important to make sure the buildings operated intelligently Simple things like automatic lighting sensors and programming heating and air handling around occupation times significantly reduced energy usage with the system running regular checks on each asset, informing engineers if there are any problems

Carbon reduction

The result of nine months of intensive energy works is that the project is now saving a guaranteed 1,600 tonnes of carbon per year, which accounts for approximately 20% reduction from their estate when compared with pre-project levels Claire Barrett, Director of Property and Strategic Asset Management at WCC

comments: “Our net zero target of 2030 is rapidly approaching, and we need to drive meaningful change The ability to deliver impactful, carbon reduction swiftly is essential, and local authorities need to create more dynamic systems of governance to be able to fully take advantage of funding opportunities such as PSDS By getting the right partner and complimenting each other’s strengths I feel we have achieved the ideal outcome for any partnership ”

Key Project Facts

Solar PV Over 1,600 solar PV panels were installed across 12 buildings with the largest seeing 378 panels installed on to roof of Moberly Sports Centre These installations account for 40 tonnes of carbon reduction per year Insulation and Draft Proofing Upgrades were delivered at 36 buildings and resulted in over 155 tonnes of carbon savings per year.

Lighting Upgrades We identified over 11,200 opportunities to upgrade lighting across 50 of the council’s buildings

Fan Upgrades Only two of the council’s premises were suitable for fan replacements, but the upgrades still yield 11 6 tonnes of CO2 reduction annum

Heat Pumps These account for 78% of all carbon savings on the project Installed across 10 buildings, the heat pumps account for over 1,200 tonnes of carbon reduction

Building Energy Management Systems

We upgraded the controls at 20 council-owned buildings, which accounts for almost 100 tonnes of CO2 reduction.

n More information on Vital Energi and its services here www rdr link/lah015

The lighting was upgraded at Marshall Street Leisure Centre

Solar installed on the roof of the Queen Mother Sports Centre

Council Members with Vital Energi staff at Queen Mother Sports Centre

P u t t i n g e n e r g y i n t o g r e e n i m p r o v e m e n t s

Richard Par tington, Managing Director at renewable energy and batter y specialist AceOn Energy, discusses the company’s wor k with the Wrekin Housing Group to deliver solar and batter y storage solutions to save tenants’ money on their bills now and for years to come.

The latest research1 from the National Energy Action charity suggests that 8 4 million households will be in fuel poverty from April 2023, as the energy cap rises again and government support for bills is pared back to only the most vulnerable Gas and electricity prices have more than doubled in 18 months, and as a result people are using their heating less, turning down their thermostats or switching off the heating completely to avoid unaffordable bills

A separate poll2 for Citizen’s Advice showed that a third of UK adults would find it difficult or impossible to manage a £20 increase in their monthly outgoings It is desperate times indeed and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight

For local authorities and housing associations, there are ways to help tenants with the current cost-of-living crisis and for many years to come, but this requires a longer-term vision and

investment plan Temporary fixes, such as creating energy hardship funds and increases to welfare and rent-relief payments will of course alleviate the impact of the immediate crisis but there must also be a plan to tackle fuel poverty long-term and this goes hand-in-hand with sustainability goals

Energy efficiency goals

The Wrekin Housing Group which provides 13,000 homes for affordable rent and low-cost home ownership across Shropshire, Staffordshire and Telford & Wrekin is exploring new ways to achieve its energy efficiency goals From retrofitting ground source heat pumps and insulation to building new Passivhaus homes, 88% of the housing group ’ s homes are now A-C rated but a further £1 6m is needed to bring the remaining 1,600 homes up to standard by 2030

AceOn worked with the Wrekin Housing Group on a Government-funded

scheme to install green energy systems into 68 existing homes and 11 new properties As part of the £1m project, AceOn supplied solar PV roof panels, inverters and 7kWh energy storage batteries Our batteries and inverters are compact enough to fit into an understairs cupboard, making them ideal for retrofit as well as new-build applications, and they are simple to install A typical installation takes just 1 5 days

Storage batteries are key to unlocking the potential of renewable energy generation and helping tenants get more from the electricity their solar panels generate With a battery, the tenant can store any unused energy for use later, such as during the evening when the solar panels are no longer generating This reduces the amount of energy households need to draw from the Grid

To ensure the green energy systems fitted for the Wrekin Housing Group work at their best, tenant education has been very

AceOn supplied solar PV roof panels, inverters and 7kWh energy storage batteries to Wrekin Housing Group

important Every household fitted with a new installation received an induction to their solar energy system, and information leaflets with details of how to maximise the energy generated as well as contacts for support

Energy bill reduction

While figures vary between properties (based on usage, efficiency of the home etc), on average the Wrekin Housing Group tenants’ have been able to achieve at least 60% self-consumption of the renewable energy generated and stored This equates to almost 2,100kWh of free electricity per household and a saving of some £580 per year (this will be more in 2023 when prices rise again) We’ve even received tenant feedback from individuals who were previously worried about affording their rising energy bills but who are now paying up to 70% less

For the Wrekin Housing Group, which is trying to reduce its carbon footprint by 90% from 24,000 tonnes a year to 2,400 tonnes by 2050, the 720-tonne

reduction in carbon dioxide (equivalent to a 1 6m kWh reduction in energy consumption off the grid) over a 10-year period from the 79 solar installations we worked on with them has been very much welcomed But installing green energy systems can have even more potential benefits for providers

Renewergy model

We recently partnered with Rebel Energy to provide a unique model for housing associations and local authorities to make green energy schemes more affordable Under the Renewergy model, AceOn provides and installs the solar system and battery storage, and Rebel Energy provides smart meters and takes care of the operating and billing services for tenants The model allows tenants to benefit from discounted energy via the Renewergy tariff while the social landlord receives an income from any energy generated but not used by the tenant, which is then sold back to the grid

This additional revenue stream can help housing providers to recoup their initial investment faster, or it can be used to finance additional energy efficiency measures to upgrade housing stock or to fund other services It all helps to make investing in game-changing green technology more affordable as the payback times are vastly reduced even more so when energy prices are so high

1 https://www nea org uk/news/8-4-million-ukhouseholds-will-be-in-fuel-poverty-from-april-saysnational-energy-action/

2 https://www theguardian com/business/2023/jan/ 02/more-than-third-of-uk-adults-would-struggle-tofind-extra-20

n For more information on AceOn visit www.rdr.link/lah016

n Watch a TV news clip of the Wrekin Housing Group project here www.rdr.link/lah017

n Watch a video highlighting the project benefits here www rdr link/lah018

S u p p o r t i n g r o l e

LABM speaks to Simon Tarr, National Projects Director at Worcester Bosch, about how the organisation wor ks with social housing providers, the solutions it offers, decarbonisation and the future of heating.

How do Worcester Bosch contribute to social housing development?

Worcester Bosch has a dedicated, national social housing specification team that only serve this sector We deal extensively with housing associations, local authorities, national and regional contractors; working closely with preferred distributors to deliver an array of product and services, tailored to this segment

We know that tenants’ comfort is of utmost importance, with our long-term partnership, support, care and Which? Best Buy endorsed boilers, we can provide long-term peace of mind for all kinds of housing stock with both quality and reliability

We support the entire process, from specifying the right product all the way through to after sales We appreciate the need for pragmatic, short-term solutions and for long-term planning in an environment where decarbonisation goals are shaping how heating will be fuelled in the future

What do Bosch offer to social housing associations?

We can support and even indemnify detailed design, including heat loss calculations to identify and diagnose where inefficiencies are in a dwelling, supply of goods and services, extensive training to

maintain the highest of standards for the development of social housing, remote monitoring and of course ongoing maintenance of equipment installed We offer comprehensive services throughout the various stages of social housing development from ensuring the

©fstopphotography/AdobeStock

Worcester Bosch’s Hydrogen Ready

©Duncan Andison/AdobeStock

right skillsets are on the job to ensuring it remains to the highest standard In terms of our full specification process, we have a highly experienced bids and tender team, tailoring solutions to respective requests

What is Bosch’s position within the social housing market?

The Worcester Bosch brand is built on strong values and a history of quality over profitability, which has been at the core of what we do since the company began 60 years ago

For us, this means at the core of our activities we need to not only be economically viable but also have a positive impact on society, and respect and preserve the environment This is demonstrated by the brand’s innovations into greener technology such as electrical heat pumps as well as the developments into hybrid and hydrogen fuelled boilers

The road to net zero is something that is very close to the brand and is one of our main motivating factors when it comes to future innovations

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do We strive to protect our planet for future generations, in the products we manufacture, the way we package and distribute them, and through the processes we use at our manufacturing plants

By acting in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible manner, we want to improve people’s quality of life and safeguard the livelihoods of present and future generations This is backed up by our purpose ‘Warming Lives and Protecting our Future’ which runs through our entire business

What is the aftersales care protocol for Bosch?

We directly employ around 365 x service engineers, offering genuine, nationwide coverage and immediate access to spare parts Furthermore, via our dedicated contact centre and technical support teams we ’ re often able to effectively diagnose over the phone, for professionals and tenants alike

Our aftersales care is one of the most important pillars at Worcester Bosch and is an integral part of our training programme We strive to set the benchmark for all our aftersales activity and continually invest in this area of our business Being able to efficiently and expertly identify and resolve any potential issues that may arise is one of the keys to providing the best customer service we can

What does the future look like within social housing from Bosch’s perspective?

The future in this space is highly interesting but not without challenge As such we deliver multiple ‘Future of Heat’ events where we invite decision makers to share our insights as to the UK’s anticipated technology transition and of course our investment in necessary innovation, specifically around decarbonisation

It’s highly likely that, as with the newbuild market, there will be significant pressure on local authorities to decarbonise their estates at a quicker rate than a private homeowner for example, and this needs careful consideration and

in most cases a ‘fabric first approach’ as a leading supplier of HVAC we are technology agnostic and only interested in delivering an optimised solution to a property or building

There is much emphasis on air source heat pumps currently; like many in industry we await a decision by the UK Government on mandating hydrogen-ready boilers, and heat networks are also expected to increase, to name just a few As recently as December 2022, there was a new BEIS consultation report published that is open to public review until March 21st 2023 There are quite a few proposals in there so it is certainly of interest to both those within the industry and the wider public to review it

Worcester Bosch led the way in developing a 100% Hydrogen firing appliance working very closely with UK Government; we have an extensive heat pump and Heat Interface Unit offering and also manufacture commercial and industrial equipment that can be installed in main energy centres for district heating schemes, many of which will provide heat and hot water to social housing tenants

Our goal is to educate the marketplace by sharing the benefit of our experience; make detailed training available to organisations and installers alike, and continue to invest in new products and services

Worcester 7400iAW 7kw Outdoor Air Source Heat Pump

Aston university is to set up the first integrated centre to explore low carbon hydrogen production from biomass conversion The new research centre will be developed at Aston university with the help of a £300,000 grant from the Wolfson foundation, which will enable the university to acquire state-ofthe-art equipment including for gasification, membrane separation and fuel cells Having these technologies integrated within the new centre will place Aston university at the forefront of hydrogen production and utilisation based on biomass conversion and will strengthen its global research reputation in these areas The new equipment will be installed at the university’s campus-based energy and Bioproducts research Institute (eBrI), which carries out world-leading research into new and innovative ways of converting biomass into sources of sustainable energy, using thermochemical, biological and catalytic processes

n More information is available here www.rdr.link/lah020

New Tyneham Heat Pump brochure

Hamworthy Heating has released a new Tyneham Heat Pump brochure highlighting its latest monobloc air source heat pump offering The new range is said to be one of the lightest commercial heat pumps on the market It features seven models with six nominal outputs of between 14 to 70kW and a coefficient (COP) rating of up to 4 85 to provide efficient, low carbon heating Tyneham heat pumps use r32 refrigerant to deliver increased efficiencies with a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) Distinct icons in the 32-page brochure highlight each model's erP rating, coefficient of performance (COP), weights and dimensions, whilst easy-toread detailed technical information is displayed in chart format To highlight the efficiencies of heat pumps, the brochure also features a dedicated section on the COP and explains how to calculate the ratio of heat produced, relative to each unit of electricity consumed in heat pumps

n The Tyneham Heat Pump brochure can be downloaded here www rdr link/lah021

Apartment living made simple with HIUs

Consort Claudgen includes Wi-Fi enabled heaters in LST range

Consort Claudgen’s low surface temperature heaters range now includes heaters that are Wi-fi enabled These heaters connect directly to Wi-fi and heating can be controlled from the digital control panel on the heater or Consort Connect app features include a 7-day timer with 24 heating periods per day, lock function, open window detection and custom automations users can also view the energy consumption statistics of all connected heaters Additionally, LST heaters with Wi-fi and occupancy sensor have a self-learning control ability, which uses in-built occupancy sensors to detect and learn a user ’ s weekly presence in a room It then creates a heating schedule and automatically warms the room according to the detected or predicted occupancy When the room is unoccupied, the heater will conserve energy by switching to a setback temperature or frost protection mode BIM objects are available for download from Consort’s website

Modutherm supplied its MTA heat interface units to the Linen Quarter development in Dunfermline, fife, providing highly efficient heating and domestic hot water to 112 two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a single commercial unit The new apartment block has been connected to Dunfermline’s District Heating System, which supplies heat from a central source generated at the Dunfermline recycling Centre Modutherm’s ultra-compact MTA HIu was the ideal partner to the district heating system, offering excellent heating and DHW loads All internal components of the MTA HIu are easily accessed from the front of the unit with minimal tools They are also mounted on a unique HydraBlok composite backplate, which reduces mechanical water connections and the potential for internal leaks The MTA HIu is available in four models: indirect heating and DHW (twin plate), heating only, DHW only, and direct heating and DHW

n More information on the MTA heat interface units here www rdr link/lah022

n More information on the Wi-Fi enabled heaters here www rdr link/lah023

Southern Housing selects Switch2 as Brighton heat network ESCo partner Switch2 Energy has entered into an ESCo partnership with Southern Housing to manage all aspects of heat network operation at the housing association's new Home X residential community in Brighton The heat network supplies Southern Housing's Home X residential development of 369 affordable rent, shared ownership, and open market homes Switch2 will be responsible for operating, optimising, and maintaining the entire community heat scheme to maximise efficiency, cost, and carbon performance Using its Internet of Things (IoT) Optimise technology, the company will enhance long-term operational performance by utilising real-time data to deliver continuous improvement and preventative maintenance

Switch2 will also provide customer service support for residents, together with smart metering, pay-as-you-go and credit billing The company has supported the project team throughout by providing advice and technical expertise, including reviewing original design proposals in line with the CIBSE CP1 Heat Networks Code of Practice resulting in significant efficiency improvements, lower heat losses and reduced carbon emissions

n More information on Switch2 Energy and its services here www.rdr.link/lah024

rdr.link

Introducing rdr.link

A new digital service for our readers

With a wide array of online resources supporting the latest solutions – from videos to technical guides, PDFs to Podcasts – it can be a challenge to locate what you need.

To ensure you don’t miss out on these valuable resources, we are introducing rdr.link – a new, rapid service to transport you immediately to the online resources mentioned in our stories.

So, in articles you may now see things like: “To view an exclusive time-lapse video of the process use rdr.link/AA101”

Simply enter rdr.link/ with the unique 5 digit code into a browser and it will take you directly to the mentioned resource – in this case the video.

Designed to help busy professionals rapidly locate more information – look out for & use rdr.link

Resideo provides controls for groundbreaking future home trial

Resideo supplies Bellway with its Honeywell Home evohome smart thermostat for the housebuilder’s ‘The Future Home’ The smart thermostat is to be installed alongside a low carbon heating system inside

Bellway’s ‘The Future Home’ as part of Energy House 2 0 a lab-controlled research project testing various energy scenarios within new-build homes, located at the University of Salford, UK Energy House 2 0 is a collaborative project between partners including the University of Salford, Bellway, Barratt Developments, and Saint-Gobain The £16m research facility, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Resideo has donated the Honeywell Home evohome to the project, which was recently installed With nine rooms in total, 12 radiators and three underfloor heating zones, the thermostat was selected for its smart zoning technology, which uses radiator controllers to wirelessly measure and control temperatures for up to 12 zones individually

Changes to Par t F

Paul Williams, Product Manager at Domus Ventilation, discusses the revised Building Regulations Par t F, highlighting what specifiers should be doing differently and why.

The world is a very different place since 2010, the year that Building Regulations ‘Ventilation: Approved Document F’ was previously revised In the years that have elapsed we have learnt considerably more about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), have had to contend with a pandemic, and have the Future Homes Standard to meet in 2025, which requires average new homes to produce 80% less carbon emissions Building Regulations is the method being used to achieve the Future Homes Standard

Set amongst this context, it is without doubt that Building Regulations Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part F were ripe for an update These were published in December 2021 with the immediate aim to ensure new homes built from 2022 produce 31% less carbon emissions compared to current standards A further revision will take place to come into force in 2025 The revisions to Part F are a direct response to this requirement

So,

what has changed?

Under the previous Regulations, smaller developments were exempt from airtightness testing Now, airtightness testing is mandatory in all new-build

dwellings there are no exemptions based on the size of the new-build This is necessary if we are to produce the type of airtight low energy buildings laid out in the Future Homes Standard

Mechanical ventilation

Mechanical ventilation systems in the form of Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV) and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) are recognised in Building Regulations as the most proficient means of ventilating a dwelling To ensure incoming air reaches all parts of a home especially the bedrooms the minimum ventilation rates have been increased as follows:

In a much-welcomed move, predicted occupancy rates have been removed from the ventilation calculations, making them far more straightforward

For larger properties, this increase is substantial and will mean choosing mechanical systems with greater fan power

Background ventilation

Two key changes have been introduced here The first is the guidance on sizing background ventilators, including

MVHR ventilation being fitted in the kitchen

MVHR ventilation ducting being fitted

intermittent extract fans, trickle vents in windows and airbricks in the wall these are to be done on a room-by-room basis rather than the whole property

the second applies to extract only systems, such as MeVs, where the background vents must be increased in size from 2,500mm2 to 5,000mm2 this may well impact on the property’s façade and window sizes

Natural ventilation

natural ventilation systems, such as background vents, remain an option although only for less airtight homes with a design air permeability of ≥ 5 However, with the background ventilation to be determined on a room-by-room basis, rather than based on the whole property, this will probably mean much larger grilles are required

ultimately, natural ventilation isn’t an efficient means of ventilating a home as heat will be lost and there is no guarantee of moisture or pollutants migrating outside With an increasing understanding of the dangers of living with mould (including asthma, eye irritation, respiratory problems and even more serious problems resulting from exposure to mycotoxins from toxic mould), which is caused by condensation, removing excess moisture from the air is a key concern for social housing providers

Air pollution guidance

With air pollution now firmly on the news agenda, and a greater awareness of its

dangers to our health, the revised Part f addresses both internal and external air pollutants more thoroughly useful indoor air pollution guidance has been added, covering exposure limits and times for Carbon monoxide (Co), nitrogen dioxide (no2), formaldehyde (CH2o) and tVoC

In areas with high level of outdoor pollution, advice has been provided on the location of intake grilles, primarily away from the direct impact of the sources of local pollution Where urban traffic is a source of pollution, the air intakes for dwellings next to busy urban roads should be as high as possible and located on the less polluted side of the building

Ventilation intakes should not be located in courtyards or enclosed urban spaces where air pollutants are discharged

Reporting

With many homes unable to comply even with the previous building regulations Part f requirements, either through confusion and a lack of understanding of the requirements or through deliberate flouting of them, the reporting procedures have been tightened up under the 2021 revisions now a new style commissioning sheet featuring a compliance report and photographic evidence must be provided to building Control bodies and the building owner, along with a Home user guide specifically for residents

So much has changed in the years since building regulations ‘Ventilation: approved

Document f’ was last revised the changes made to Part f are both a reflection on this, but more importantly look to the future and how we can meet net Zero and provide housing fit for purpose

n Domus Ventilation is a manufacturer of ventilation

that save energy and improve indoor air quality. More information on their products here www rdr link/lah026

systems

HRXE MVHR with ducting

Prevention is better than cure

As we are well into the winter season, many social housing providers may be experiencing an influx of complaints about condensation on windows and unsightly black mould appearing on walls and ceilings It has been widely reported recently that occupants are at increased risk of developing or worsening breathing related conditions, such as asthma, due to living in homes with poor indoor air quality Local authorities and housing associations are aware of their responsibilities and how condensation and mould can affect both new and older properties, and many are already deploying proactive strategies to improve conditions in their homes

Excess moisture is produced simply by people breathing, as well as through

everyday activities like bathing, cooking, washing and drying our clothes, which can release an average of 18 litres of water vapour per day into the home

When a home is effectively heated, the air is warmer, and has a higher capacity to hold moisture

However, when there is a reduction in temperature this can lead to the air holding less moisture, which in turn leads to condensation forming on cool surfaces like walls and windows Condensation itself may not be a problem, however as some residents have had to reduce their homes’

temperature due to rising energy bills, this can make mould growth more prevalent in homes with inadequate ventilation This in

Dan Bour ke, Regional Sales Manager – Social Housing at one of the UK’s leading ventilation manufacturers, EnviroVent, looks at how mechanical ventilation systems can reduce the maintenance burden caused by dampness and condensation dur ing the colder months.

EnviroVent’s energiSava 400 MVHR Unit being installed into a property

EnvironVent’s ATMOS gently ventilates the home from a central position on a landing from within a loft

turn can negatively impact respiratory conditions, such as asthma

Mould and damp can affect walls and window frames, as well as ceilings, clothes in wardrobes and soft furnishings The problem with mould is that, without a permanent solution, it will keep reappearing, no matter how many times you clean or paint over it Good ventilation in a property helps to reduce the amount of moisture trapped in the air

Whole house solution

I n a d e q u a t e v e n t i l a t i o n i n a p r o p e r t y o f t e n r e s u l t s i n c o n d e n s a t i o n a n d m o u l d g r o w t h , h o w e v e r i n v e s t i n g i n a w h o l e h o u s e v e n t i l a t i o n u n i t s u c h a s Po s i t i v e I n p u t Ve n t i l a t i o n ( P I V ) c a n e a s i l y s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m

PIV systems work by drawing in fresh, filtered air into a property from outside to gently ventilate the home from a central position on a landing in a house or a central hallway in a flat or bungalow, at a continuous rate They run quietly and automatically in the background, reducing the overall maintenance costs of a property by protecting the fabric of the building They prevent the condensation and mould growth that are the cause of so many complaints

To minimise energy usage, many modern PIV units are fitted with an ultralow watt motor These ventilation systems

offer a very low running cost, especially when compared to everyday household items like TVs, fridges and kettles a small price for healthy indoor air quality They should also eliminate condensation and issues associated with mould growth

Many local authorities encourage their residents to adopt lifestyle changes to lower the level of humidity in the property: such as closing doors in moistureproducing rooms, keeping the property warm to reduce cold spots and not drying clothes inside In reality, it is often difficult to enforce these changes

How good ventilation helps

Having a mechanical ventilation system in place means that local authorities can have peace of mind that residents are living in homes with good indoor air quality and with less risk of developing or exacerbating asthma and other respiratory conditions An effective ventilation system keeps a home environment healthy as it prevents the build-up of excessive levels of humidity, therefore preventing condensation and mould

In the past it was acceptable to rely on natural ventilation, such as opening windows or doors, passive air vents and the natural leakage of the building However, with modern properties being more airtight, natural ventilation is often insufficient The latest Building Regulations

reflect this with the updates to Approved Documents F and L introduced in 2022 in a move towards the Future Homes and Building Standard

A major change in the updated Building Regulations has been the increase in the whole dwelling ventilation rates in a property This is relevant to both new homes and those undergoing refurbishment, making effective ventilation systems increasingly important

Installing an effective mechanical ventilation system into a property keeps relative humidity under control and delivers improved indoor air quality, and occupants find they often experience an improvement in their symptoms of respiratory conditions such as asthma, which are exacerbated by poor IAQ For a relatively small investment in an effective ventilation system, the result is a long-term solution that reduces the maintenance burden and provides an allround healthier indoor environment

Any social housing providers concerned about how condensation and mould growth could affect the fabric of their properties and the health of their tenants, can contact EnviroVent to book a free property survey The free survey will assess any condensation, damp or mould problems in a property, measure relative humidity levels, identify any underlying problems and make recommendations for a permanent solution

n For more details about EnviroVent’s sustainable ventilation products, visit the website www.rdr.link/lah027

Atmos Loft PIV being installed

VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT ROUNd-UP

Panasonic delivers heating and cooling for Gloucester City Council

Gloucester City Council has recently relocated and completed a refurbishment of a 700 sq metre office space in the East Shopping Centre of the town The Council has set net zero targets for 2030 and was looking for a sustainable and energy-efficient system to cool and heat its new office space to replace an old gas boiler They also wanted to ensure that the indoor air quality catered for the well-being of employees and visitors

The Council appointed TESN as the main contractors for the refurbishment project with SFE Services as the contractor who specified and installed the Panasonic Mini ECOi 10HP system along with four cassettes, four TZ wall mounted units (all with nanoe X technology) and three energy recovery units to ensure good ventilation for the property The Panasonic Mini ECOi system is said to offer outstanding efficiency with SEER levels of up to 8 5, SCOP levels of 5 05 and can operate in temperatures as lows a20˚C for heating and when in cooling mode up to temperatures of 50˚C

The nanoe X technology is a cost-effective way to improve air hygiene by inhibiting the transmission of certain airborne viruses and bacteria indoors

n More information on the Panasonic Mini ECOi 10HP system here www.rdr.link/lah028

CIAT unveils newly designed website

CIAT recently launched a new version of its website to enhance the customer experience, make navigation simpler and offer richer insight into CIAT’s portfolio of HVAC solutions and services The new site has an updated look and has been optimised for all platforms, making it more responsive and clearer on all types of devices

Visitors to the new website will be able to find upto-date information about all of CIAT’s range of high-performing and innovative air handling, rooftop, fan coil, chillers and heat pump units Specifiers, engineers, architects and contractors can easily find product specifications, and define products using certain search criteria at the click of a button The technical and application information available allows specifiers to plan and acquire the details they need for future projects

n To view the new website visit www.rdr.link/lah029

Advertisement index

Here is a useful summary of all the adverts that appear in this issue of Local Authority Building & Maintenance. Each is listed with its page number and a direct URL that will get you straight to the relevant online information

Aico ..................................................................................(page 2/IFC)

www rdr link/LAH100

Andreas Stihl Ltd

www rdr link/LAH101

BMI UK & Ireland

www rdr link/LAH102

(page 4)

(page 44/OBC)

Bosch Thermotechnology (pages 16,17)

www rdr link/LAH103

Consort Equipment ............................................................(page 37)

www rdr link/LAH104

Crown Commercial Services ..............................................(page 9)

www rdr link/LAH1005

Hamworthy Heating ..........................................................(page 33)

www rdr link/LAH106

Horne Engineering Co

www rdr link/LAH107

LABM Online Ad

www rdr link/LAH108

(page 27)

(page 14)

ProBuilder Live (page 43/IBC)

www rdr link/LAH109

Samuel Heath & Sons ........................................................(page 21)

www rdr link/LAH110

Sunray Timer Fire Door ....................................................(page 26)

www rdr link/LAH111

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