Local Authority Building & Maintenance January/February 2022

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HOUSING & REGENERATION HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT

PLAN OF ACTION Joanne Drew, Director of Housing and Regeneration at the London Borough of Enfield and Darren Welsh, Deputy Strategic Director – Resident Services at the London Borough of Waltham Forest, talk to LABM about the Retrofit London Housing Action Plan

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CONTENTS

January/February 2022 Vol.38 No.1

REGULARS 5 COMMENT In Hot Water 6 NEWS Groundbreaking sustainability partnership launched — Pagabo’s Developer Led Framework — £750m Decarbonisation Framework — Building and Fire Safety in Housing event 8 PROJECT UPDATE United Living starts work on eco-friendly Leeds City Council development — Your Homes Newcastle appoints EQUANS for low carbon heating project — Fortem delivers £1m refurbishment project 10 LEGAL UPDATE Winckworth Sherwood discuss the road to sustainable finance for RPs 11 DRONE CORNER ARPAS-UK and Connected Places Catapult look at why local authorities need to build drones into their asset management monitoring and inspection programmes 12 INDUSTRY COMMENT Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) discusses the impact of rent policy uncertainty on councils SPECIAL REPORT 14 Safeguarding Those Working Around Electricity How remembering a simple acronym can help safeguard local authority building and maintenance teams 16 View from the Supply Chain Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive at the Structural Timber Association, explains why a more positive approach to communication about different building materials is essential

Work has commenced on site to deliver a new eco-friendly affordable housing development in Leeds HOUSING & REGENERATION

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VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT

17 Plan of Action The Retrofit London Housing Action Plan and the need to ensure the market ecosystem surrounding retrofit is robust

38 Clean Air Classrooms arbnco discuss their involvement in a £1.75m Government pilot to tackle Covid-19 transmission in schools

21 An Eye for Details The requirements of the revised Part L of the Building Regulations in England

40 Under the Spotlight Taking a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to damp and mould in social housing

26 Wiring Solutions Advice on delivering electrical installations to a budget, without compromising on safety or quality

42 Round-up

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HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY 30 Integrated Solar PV Solutions A look at how integrated solar PV solutions can improve the energy performance of the nation’s homes 32 Sustainable Homes for the Future Thermatic Homes discusses retrofitting green heating technology into housing association properties 35 Achieving Carbon Zero Building performance and advice on choosing the right valves to optimise potable and HVAC systems

Embodied carbon in the built environment

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37 Round-up

Tackling damp, mould and condensation

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

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In hot water Only two weeks into the New Year and government’s relaxation of restrictions and a return to Plan A has heralded the closest thing to a resumption of normality in what has been a torrid almost two years of uncertainty. Who knew as we entered the first national lockdown in March 2020, it would be nearly two years later that we would be slowly emerging from the worst affects of the pandemic. So what’s on the horizon?

In the immediate future there is an urgent need to tackle the energy costs crisis. With bills spiralling out of control and another significant price hike expected in April, this will undoubtedly push even more people into fuel poverty, potentially forcing some to make the uneviable choice between heating or eating, which research has shown some people already face.

Two major energy companies have found themselves in hot water following recent communications with their customers. One sent out pairs of socks to encourage customers to turn down their heating, whilst the other offered energy saving tips to customers, which included cuddling their pets and “doing a few star jumps” to stay warm. Both companies have since apologised profusely.

Given that, according to the BBC, the ‘new price cap looks set to add about £600 to the annual gas and electricity bill of a household with typical energy usage,” the decision to implement marketing strategies which so evidently fail to grasp the current situation facing so many people, is incredibly ill judged. It’s not surprising both companies were inundated with complaints.

As the search continues for cleaner, greener technology to heat our homes, cut carbon emissions and reduce fuel bills for consumers, it was great to see a recent episode of Countryfile showcasing the potential for geothermal energy in the UK. In the episode, presenter Anita Rani visited County Durham — a former coal mining stronghold “that has gone from mining old school fossil fuels, to the cutting edge of clean, green energy”.

After 200 years of coal mining, the last remaining mine shut its doors in 2015. Dawdon Colliery near Sunderland closed in 1991. The water pumps that once prevented the mine shaft from flooding stopped too and since then the water in the shaft has risen. Dr Charlotte Adams, Hydrogeologist and Principle Manager of Mine

Water Heat at The Coal Authority said: “We had to intervene and develop a treatment system to capture and treat the water [which contains iron as a result of the coal mining], to protect an important drinking water supply that sits above the mines.”

The temperature of the water as it’s processed is around 20 degrees. It’s naturally heated by the earth’s core and in the deep mine shafts (approximately 400m at Dawdon), retains some of its warmth and The Coal Authority and Durham County Council have devised an idea to put this water to good use.

Dr Adams said: “Durham County Council are developing a network of 1,500 homes and this mine will provide the heat source for those homes.”

…it will be the first large“scale plan to use mine water heating anywhere in the UK.

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Speaking on the show, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change, Durham County Councillor Mark Wilkes commented: “We have the potential to create one of the most sustainable housing developments in the country and it will be the first large-scale plan to use mine water heating anywhere in the UK.” According to Mark, there are seven to eight million homes in areas of old mine workings. So if this project in County Durham is successful, the potential is there to implement mine water heating at other sites, which could make an important contribution towards helping the UK meet its climate change commitments, as well as providing efficient more affordable heat.

Iceland has been reaping the benefits of geothermal energy for years. Through innovations like mine water heating, could it become an important part of the future energy mix in the UK too?

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

LOCAL AUTHOR ITY BUILDING & MAINTENANCE

HOUSING & REGENE RATION

HEATING & RENEWA BLE ENERGY VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT

PLAN OF ACTION Joanne Drew, Director at the London Boroughof Housing and Regeneration of Enfield and Deputy Strategic Director – Resident Darren Welsh, London Borough Services at the of Waltham Forest, about the Retrofit talk to LABM London Housing Action Plan

COVER STORY: THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR LOCAL AUTHORIT HOUSING ASSOCIATI Y AND ON SPECIFIERS, INCORPORATING

New affordable homes and charity headquarters set to regenerate Hemel Hempstead site. More details on Dacorum Borough Council’s plans here: www.rdr.link/lab001

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NEWS IN BRIEF S&P upgrades Bromford’s A+ rating outlook to stable Housing association Bromford has retained its A+ rating with outlook upgraded to stable by S&P Global. In restoring Bromford’s stable outlook, the agency cited an improvement in core metrics including “the upward trajectory of profitability margins” despite the weakening operating environment. It highlighted that Bromford continues with its “strong performance of the underlying social housing portfolio” whilst proactively de-risking its business plan to reduce its exposure to sale activities and increasing its grant funding through its latest strategic partnership with Homes England.

Bromford’s Director of Treasury Imran Mubeen says: “The stable outlook reflects that we are well positioned to continue to deliver with operational and financial strength over the coming years as we meet the challenges of rising inflation, decarbonisation, fire safety and catch-up repairs on our existing homes, whilst also delivering over 11,000 new homes by 2029.”

SNC-Lavalin launches Decarbonomics Decarbonomics from SNC-Lavalin is a data-driven solution to decarbonise the built environment in a cost-effective way and accelerate the global journey to net zero. The initiative builds on SNCLavalin’s methods and practices to deliver high-performing buildings and developments, interconnected by smart and green systems and infrastructure. It is being launched as both private and public sectors are looking at ways to reduce their carbon emissions at pace as the built environment contributes around 40% of global carbon emissions and the majority of the buildings that will exist in 2050 are already built.

■ You can find out more about Decarbonomics here www.rdr.link/lab002

New partnership launches groundbreaking pilot scheme A world-first in the move towards carbon zero, plastic-free and fuelefficient homes is set to be built in Liverpool due to a pioneering research and development partnership which launched in January.

Not-for-profit environmental company, Changing Streams CIC is joining forces with one of the UK’s largest housing providers, Your Housing Group and The University of Liverpool to design and build six prototype houses, which they hope will provide a blueprint for sustainable home development worldwide. The partnership project is aimed at creating economically viable housing that is environmentally friendly in every way possible, whilst helping to eradicate fuel poverty — by significantly reducing running/heating costs.

The prototype houses will be based in the Liverpool City Region and will encompass six different solutions to tackle carbon, plastic pollution and fuel poverty. The first house will be designed and built to prioritise carbon reduction, the second to prioritise plastic reduction. The remaining four will be developed as a chain of hybrid carbon/plastic reduced homes that will be used to identify and address the potential clashes between these two objectives.

Once built, six families will be asked to move into the homes and to work with the research team to understand how they function in everyday life.

It is hoped the learning from this pilot will set a new standard in the industry and go on to underpin Your Housing Group’s plans to develop new homes over the next 25 years.

Brian Cronin, Chief Executive of Your Housing Group says: “We have a substantial, multi-million pound investment programme to deliver over the next five years that includes the development and delivery of a carbon reduction strategy.

However, we recognise that this alone will

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not achieve our ultimate goal of making our homes truly sustainable whilst providing social equality.

“Talking with Changing Streams we recognised that plastic pollution is a serious threat, which we cannot ignore, whilst the embedded carbon in plastic conflicts with our carbon reduction programme. We do not want to develop carbon free houses that move the problem from a climatic emergency to an environmental one. The research we are undertaking with Changing Streams and the University of Liverpool will address this in a holistic way for both new-build and retrofit projects.”

Neal Maxwell, Co-Founder of Changing Streams CIC, believes this ambitious programme of work “will lead to a fundamental change in the way social housing and housing in general is created.

We are confident that this game changing project will lead not only to lasting changes within the housing sector, but that it will have far reaching and transformational impacts on the wider construction industry.”

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Developer Led Framework

DIARY DATES

Southwark Councils’ Turin Estate Scheme is the first large-scale project to be procured through Pagabo’s Developer Led Framework.

Building and Fire Safety in Housing

Southwark Council has selected Linkcity as developer for its Tustin Estate scheme, which will feature nearly 700 new homes. This includes 200 replacement council homes, around 50 shared equity properties, around 220 additional council homes including keyworker homes, and around 220 homes for sale. The project also includes a central park, several refurbishments of existing council homes and at least 1,800 sqm of commercial floorspace.

Linkcity, part of the Bouygues Construction group, will work with the authority over the coming months with a view to signing a full development agreement in summer 2022 with Bouygues UK as the main contractor for the scheme.

Construction will begin late 2022 and is planned to complete in summer 2028.

Pagabo’s £47bn Developer Led Framework was the first framework of its kind when it launched in December 2020, with 29 companies appointed across nine

Masterplan design for Tustin Estate, designed by lead architects dRMM

lots to deliver projects across a huge variety of development sectors.

Jonathan Parker, Head of Construction at Pagabo, says: “The Developer Led Framework was launched as a unique market offering to help procure significant projects that make a huge social difference, and Tustin Estate is exactly that. Having been heavily involved from the outset, we’re really excited to see this project come to fruition over the coming years.”

£750m Decarbonisation Framework Procurement organisation and social enterprise Fusion21 has announced the suppliers successfully appointed to its new £750m Decarbonisation Framework. 50 specialist firms — including SMEs and multinational suppliers — are on the fouryear framework, which launched in January 2022 and features a lot developed exclusively for housing providers and local authorities — ‘Lot 1: Whole-house Decarbonisation (worth up to £500m)’.

As the sector continues to work towards the Government’s 2050 net zero target, it will support the design and delivery of energy efficiency measures, combining contracts that can deliver the decarbonisation of homes and neighbourhoods using thermal fabric improvements, heating and renewable technologies, whole house retrofit, and power and building management systems.

Appointed suppliers will be PAS2035: 2019 compliant and Trustmark accredited, and the framework — which provides geographical coverage across the UK — can be accessed using public sector funding, such as phase 3 of the Local Authority Decarbonisation Scheme.

■ To see the full list of suppliers appointed to the framework visit www.rdr.link/lab003

This National Housing Federation event, run in partnership with Housemark, is an online event that will be taking place on Tuesday 22nd February. The one day event will include an update from the Building Safety Regulator, as well as sessions covering how to prepare a safety case under the new regime, ‘ensuring a positive culture of safety: the Building a Safer Future Charter’, the latest guidance on external wall assessments and a session on ‘fire doors: journey to resident safety’.

Speakers include Lord Stephen Greenhalgh (MHCLG and Home Office), Emma Burton, (Peabody), Amanda Long (Considerate Constructors Scheme and Building a Safer Future Charter) and Andrew Mellor (PRP and Technical Advisor on Building Safety to Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities).

■ For more details about the event and to book visit www.rdr.link/lab004 CIH Masterclass The Chartered Institute of Housing’s ‘Navigating Climate Change and the Cost of Living Crisis’ mastercalss is a virtual event taking place online on the 8th March. It is part of the CIH’s Housing Management masterclass series.

Housing has a significant role to play in meeting ambitious net zero targets and with residents facing rising energy prices, the need to ensure existing homes meet higher energy efficiency standards and reduce costs for tenants is more important than ever.

As well as hearing about new research from the Existing Homes Alliance, the masterclass will include sessions on effective regulation for minimum energy efficiency standards, fuel poverty strategies and practical tips for tenants.

■ For more details about the event and to book visit www.rdr.link/lab005

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NEWS: PROJECT UPDATE Work starts on eco-friendly timber frame development in Leeds Work has begun to transform a vacant brownfield site into a landmark, 30 home timber frame housing development — providing much needed affordable properties in Leeds.

The scheme will deliver a total of 14 one-bedroomed apartments, 10 twobedroomed houses and six three-bedroomed homes — two of which will be located on a satellite site, replacing two old properties that were previously demolished. The homes to be built at Leeds Meynell, in Holbeck, will be 100% affordable and constructed in less than nine months, with the first residents expected to move in by early summer 2022.

The properties will be built using an innovative timber frame construction process that involves constructing elements of the properties offsite — in a

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factory-controlled setting — before transporting them to site for assembly.

They will be constructed using a 'Fabric First' approach – which involves maximising performance of the materials and components that make up the very fabric of a building. This will help to achieve a key objective of the project, which is to ensure energy efficiency, lower fuel bills and tackle the fuel poverty problems that some Leeds City Council tenants face. The eco-friendly scheme will also support the council’s commitment to reduce the city’s direct carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 and make Leeds a greener, fairer and healthier city.

The project is being delivered through Leeds City Council's Housing Growth Programme (CHGP), which aims to build around 1,500 new, high-quality social housing units over the next five years.

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Once completed, the new homes will be managed by the council and will become part of its affordable housing stock.

As the principal contractor for the development, United Living will partner with Leeds City Council and William Saunders Architects.

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate, says: "One of Leeds’ biggest priorities is to provide enough housing to meet the needs of a growing population. This is why we have developed our programme to build 1,500 new affordable homes over the next five years’, all of which need to be high quality and accessible. Not only will this scheme positively contribute towards this ambition, it will also help us achieve our climate targets by providing people with energyefficient, low carbon homes.”

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Pictured above: David Langhorne (YHN Assets and Development Director), Will Kay (EQUANS Regional Managing Director North East), Cllr Clare PennyEvans (Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Public Safety at Newcastle City Council), and Tim Wood (EQUANS Director of Sustainability (North).

Groundbreaking heat pump project EQUANS has been appointed by Your Homes Newcastle to deliver an innovative low carbon heating project for 164 homes. Centred on the Denton Park House and Hilltop House tower blocks in the West Denton area of Newcastle, the £3.8m project will see the complete removal of the gas-powered central heating systems, and the installation of Ground Source Heat Pumps. Project partners Newcastle City Council has secured £1.4m government funding for the scheme.

David Langhorne, YHN’s Assets and Development Director, says: “YHN manages around 26,000 properties for Newcastle City Council, so it is vital we play our part in reducing the city’s carbon footprint. We are committed to supporting the council’s ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and this project is one of several we’re trialling across the stock we manage to assess which pilots will be most effective.”

£1m refurbishment scheme enhances homes in Chesterfield

Fortem has delivered a £1m major regeneration project, which has improved the look, feel and thermal efficiency of homes in Chesterfield. As part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s wider £8m Residential Block Refurbishment Scheme, Ashcroft Court in Old Whittington is the latest block of flats in the borough to benefit from a major facelift.

Fortem has carried out extensive internal and external improvements at Ashcroft Court, including the re-tiling of the roof and upgrading of the roof insulation to provide better thermal efficiency. Windows in flats and communal areas have also been replaced with A-rated thermal efficient equivalents, which give the block a modern facelift.

The council has also upgraded all communal electrics including the door entry system. New extractor fans have been fitted in all the flats and the council has installed new boilers in a number of the homes.

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LEGAL UPDATE

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Sustainable finance Winckworth Sherwood’s Louise Forrest, James Duncan and Lucy Grimwood discuss the road to sustainable finance for RPs. Louise Forrest is a Partner and Head of Banking and Finance, James Duncan is a Partner in the Corporate and Governance Team and Lucy Grimwood is a Senior Associate in the Housing Finance Team, at law firm Winckworth Sherwood.

■ Visit www.wslaw.co.uk

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reening Finance: a Roadmap to Sustainable Investing, the UK Government’s policy paper, was released in late 2021 setting out the UK’s roadmap to transitioning to a more sustainable economy.

COP26 saw Rishi Sunak promise to make the UK the world’s first “net zeroaligned financial centre”. The rhetoric is clear: the Government’s aim is to ensure that financial institutions and other investors deploy capital in a way to help the UK meet its net zero commitments and wider sustainability objectives. It expects investment decisions and financial flows to be the carrot and stick that guide the UK economy towards such goals.

New regulation is designed to enable and equip that transition, but what will it mean for registered providers (RPs)?

In summary, all RPs will soon be required by to make ‘sustainability disclosures’ at some level.

These disclosures will be confirmations about their business and its impact on climate change and other sustainability issues. Any RP which seeks funding will ultimately need to show, in a measurable way (whether through key performance indicators or covenants agreed contractually in funding documents or direct regulation) that they are having a positive impact on the UK’s sustainability agenda.

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Green the financial system

What should RPs do now?

The roadmap has three phases to ‘green the financial system’. All will require legislation.

Phase 1 is ensuring that investors have ‘decision-useful’ information about sustainability from the entities that they finance or invest in. The roadmap raises concerns about green washing and notes that voluntary sustainability disclosure regimes are currently widespread but often inconsistent; information from different organisations is not always comparable. The focus is on decision-useful, comparable disclosure, which shows a positive ongoing impact on sustainability.

This is regarded as crucial and underpins much of the roadmap.

Disclosure will sit within a framework known as the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements, or SDR, which will bring together existing sustainability-related disclosure requirements in a targeted, specific and integrated way. Whilst a degree of interpretation on a sector-wide basis may be useful, the new rules will be based on an internationally focused non-sector specific regulatory framework; and ultimately each RP will be responsible for its own compliance.

Phase 2 is a call to action, to ensure that business and financial decisions are made using SDR and with sustainability in mind.

Phase 3 focuses on investor stewardship, ensuring that financial flows have indeed shifted to help the UK meets its net zero commitment and wider sustainability targets.

The ultimate aim is to ensure that businesses take sustainability into account in all of their decision making, and that they are able to report this in a consistent and uniform way, which investment managers and investors can then use to ensure that capital is applied to sustainability goals.

Governance is key, as is having a strategy to identify, assess and manage sustainability related risks and goals.

Metrics and targets will need to be understood and applied throughout the business. RPs will need to understand SDR and the UK Green Taxonomy and how they relate to their own business.

Very soon, it will no longer be possible to consider compliance with ESG criteria as a voluntary matter or a ‘nice to have’; it will need to be business as usual.

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Any RP which seeks “funding will ultimately need to show, in a measurable way that they are having a positive impact on the UK’s sustainability agenda.

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Social housing providers should be collating data and readying operational systems and business teams to prepare and easily access the information that will be required for this enhanced disclosure.

RPs should keep working with advisors who can apply the requirements to decision making throughout their businesses.

In terms of raising finance, RPs will need to be ready to volunteer KPIs or covenants to funders that are aspirational, measurable and achievable and which they are confident will work for them. As the ESG agenda develops, KPIs or covenants will become more standard and if RPs want to be sure that they can comply with these going forwards, they should be considering now, what they can achieve.

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DRONE CORNER IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

The sky’s the limit for cost savings LABM has teamed up with ARPAS-UK — the UK drone trade industry association — and Connected Places Catapult, who provide impartial ‘innovation as a service’ for public bodies, businesses, and infrastructure providers, to offer advice on drone technology for repairs and maintenance programmes. In this first article, Graham Brown, CEO of ARPAS-UK and David Pounder, Systems Engineer at Connected Places Catapult, discuss the economic benefits of using drones and why local authorities need to build drones into their solutions to improve monitoring and inspection effectiveness across the asset portfolio. rom NHS Trust hospitals and defence estates to municipal buildings and social housing, the ‘Forth Bridge’ of never-ending inspection and maintenance stakes a claim for a major chunk of funding. In social housing alone, more than £6.3bn annually is spent across the UK on repairs and maintenance. In answer to the significant costs and safety challenges of working at height, local authorities and social housing agencies are increasingly using drones with remarkable cost savings, such as £4m across a high-rise estate in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

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Renfrewshire Council Let’s drill down on the example in Renfrewshire, as explained by Duncan Smith, Housing Asset and Energy Strategy Manager. The service provider for the drone programme is Neil Mowbray, owner of Viewpoint UAV. Duncan says: “Renfrewshire Council owns roughly 12,000 properties in their social housing portfolio consisting of two five-story low-rise accommodation and 14 high-rise towers, all of which require regular maintenance. Part of the maintenance programme is building envelope and roof inspections. Until 2016, the council had been using Mobile Elevated Working Platforms (MEWP) and scaffolding to perform this task.

“At today's prices, a MEWP large enough to perform these inspections in the manner which they are required is roughly £1,000/day and it can perform inspections on three properties maximum

in a day (assuming they are all close by each other). Scaffolding is another matter whereby it takes between four and six days to erect, inspect and take down all at a cost of roughly £4,000 - £5,000.

Considering the price of a single drone survey, there is a difference of between 85% & 97% in price per property.”

In one year alone, this “methodology saved the council £4m+ and allowed an entire programme of inspections to be carried out in under two months.

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Data collection Duncan continues: “Although the cost savings on the actual inspections are considerable, the major savings have been in the ability to quickly assess the data and then allocate funds accordingly.

Previously, the standard procedures had been that a roof tile with a 30-year life span would be slated to be replaced at the end of its advertised life span, however the data collected by drones allowed the council to assess the health of the roof structure and decide to maintain for another two, five or 10 years.

“With traditional methods, the data gathering would have been too slow for this process to be effective. In one year alone, this methodology saved the council £4m+ and allowed an entire programme of inspections to be carried out in under two months (as opposed to multiple years for the same scope of project with traditional methods).”

Drone adoption In summary, the rationale for adoption of drones includes: ● More accurate, efficient and safe capture of data

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Greater insight into integrity of your assets ● Improved scheduling of maintenance programmes due to data-led decisions ● Significant reduction in expense overall ● Reduced disruption and better maintenance outcomes for residents As part of the UK Government funded Pathfinder Catalyst Programme, ARPASUK and Connected Places Catapult have been partnering with housing associations and drone solution providers to run live demonstrations and showcase the benefits that drone services can offer.

Additionally, a number of CPD sessions are planned during 2022 covering various use cases of drones.

In the next issue, we will examine the array of technology options and how to select the best service providers to deliver solutions for your organisation.

■ For more information on ARPASUK visit www.arpas.uk ■ For more information on Connected Places Catapult visit https://cp.catapult.org.uk/

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

INDUSTRY COMMENT

Can council rents stay affordable?

Councils are pressing government to commit to a long-term rent policy that will make long-term planning a possibility, particularly with expenditure related to building safety and zero carbon major priorities. Matthew Warburton, Policy Advisor at the Association for Retained Council Housing (ARCH) reports. ouncil tenants across England will be notified in the next couple of weeks of the rent they will be expected to pay from April onwards. For many the news will come as an unpleasant shock. The maximum rent increase allowed from April 2022 by the regulatory standard that applies to council and local authority housing is 4.1%, equivalent to an average increase of around £200 a year. Not the best news alongside a continuing upward drift in food prices and major hike in energy costs.

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Certainty about future “rents is important, but just as important is whether they will be sufficient to meet the necessary expenditure, and whether tenants will be able to afford them.

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Understandably, some councils have decided not to ask for the full increase, but by easing one problem this exacerbates another — raising the extra income needed to put building safety beyond doubt and make progress towards zero carbon.

April 2022 also marks the tenth anniversary of the self-financing settlement that ended the HRA subsidy system for local authority housing and, it was widely hoped, set councils free to plan long-term for the maintenance and improvement of

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their housing stock. Councils took on an extra £13bn in debt in exchange for longterm certainty about future rent income and the expectation that this would be sufficient to bring all homes up to the Decent Homes Standard — and keep them there — and repay the debt over a 30 year period. The assumption underlying the settlement was that rents would be allowed to rise annually by up to 0.5 % above the Retail Prices Index, in principle for the full 30 years.

The Government undermined the settlement by changing its rent policy almost from the day the ink dried on the agreement. In 2013 it announced its intention to switch the rent limit from RPI + 0.5% to CPI + 1% with from April 2015, effectively a reduction given the long-term divergence of CPI from RPI. Following the 2015 election the Government implemented annual rent reductions of 1% from 2016/17 to 2019/20. Current policy, announced in 2018, goes back to the CPI + 1% limit, but only until 2025.

Long-term policy Councils have been pressing for government to commit to a long-term policy that will make long-term planning a possibility, particularly as expenditure needs related to building safety and zero carbon have emerged as new priorities.

Certainty about future rents is important, but just as important is whether they will be sufficient to meet the necessary expenditure, and whether tenants will be able to afford them.

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Successive governments have concurred on a policy of above-inflation council rent increases for over two decades. Until 2012 this was delivered through annual subsidy determinations; from 2012 it was baked into the self-financing determination, except for a rent reduction interlude, as we have seen.

The origins and justification for this policy are obscure; the assumption may have been that rents should be allowed to move in line with household incomes, which, in the early 2000s, were rising faster than prices. This principle would have justified the policy for most of that decade, but not after the recession kicked in after 2008.

Since then incomes have flatlined, but so, until recently, have prices. The four-year rent reduction means that current rents are barely higher, in real terms, than their level in 2012. This April’s increase will be the first significant hike — in money terms — for more than a decade.

Opinion is divided on whether higher inflation is a temporary blip or here to stay. This is not a propitious time for councils to argue that Government should agree to extend the CPI + 1% policy until 2030. But the demand for greater expenditure on the council stock will not go away. If it cannot be met from rent income councils will need to agree with government on some other way to fund it.

www.arch-housing.org.uk

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SPECIAL REPORT — ENSURING THE SAFETY OF BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE TEAMS

For safe isolation voltage indicators should be made to BS EN 61243-3 for full compliance with the current GS38 standard

Safeguarding those working around electricity Steve Dunning, Managing Director of Martindale Electric explains how remembering a simple acronym can help safeguard local authority building and maintenance teams, reduce potential liability and ultimately save lives.

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ne of the most important responsibilities local authority building maintenance managers have to take on is reducing the risks presented by working with electricity to themselves, employees and the outside contractors they hire. Communication is a key part of this equation — it must be known by all those responsible for, or working with electricity that there are no reasonable circumstances in which you should be working with live equipment.

In an ongoing bid to safeguard workplaces, factories and industrial

premises and protect the lives of anyone working on or near an electrical installation Martindale created a simplified version of its more extensive and detailed process in the hope that its memorable acronym — ‘ALIVE’ — will help to prevent injuries and save lives. To aid the communication of these key safety messages, we have made resources and information available to anyone with responsibility for health and safety in an organisation via a specific landing page.

We need to acknowledge that, in terms of the safety of individuals, there is a

Martindale Electric issues new ‘ALIVE’ downloads

difference between the activities that should take place prior to working, such as gaining permission and permits, for example, compared to the activities that are totally critical in terms of preventing accidents and fatalities. For instance, a risk assessment is a critical element of any job, but it is not core to safe isolation in terms of staying alive.

The same is true for activities that take place after working on an electrical system, such as safe re-testing and start-up.

In creating our ‘ALIVE’ message, we are distinguishing between good working practice (such as our complete 12 step

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Before testing a circuit, voltage indicators should be proved using a proving unit

approach and the Electrical Safety Roundtable’s guidelines) and shining a spotlight on the five vital steps that absolutely must be carried out for your own protection and to prevent loss of life.

The 12 step approach will include activities that should certainly take place, particularly in terms of compliance; both sets of processes and procedures are valid and, in fact, complementary, but by streamlining the message and focusing on the most vital elements, following the ‘ALIVE’ process is what will, quite literally, keep you alive.

ALIVE: five fail-proof steps to safe isolation A — Approved Kit Before starting, make sure your equipment meets all legal safety standards (BS EN61243-3).

L — Lock Out Identify the point of isolation — lock it out (off) — and place warning tags onto the equipment.

I — Initial Prove Test your Voltage Indicator/Tester against the proving unit to make sure that it’s working properly.

V — Voltage Test Use your Voltage Indicator to confirm that there are no dangerous voltages in the circuit you are about to work on.

E — Ensure Prove and re-test the Voltage Indicator against the proving unit to ensure it is working, before you start working on the circuit.

The best voltage indicators for safe isolation should be made to BS EN 612433 for full compliance with the current GS38 standard. They should be engineered with safety in mind, eliminating batteries and switches that could lead to false indications and come with bright, clear displays for voltage reading, such as the Martindale Electric VI13800 and VI15000 voltage indicators. A durable design that can take some rough handling should also be a consideration.

However, even if you follow this advice and even bearing in mind that voltage indicators are designed with inherent reliability, can you 100% guarantee that your voltage indicator is working correctly every time? It only needs to fail once for the consequences to be potentially disastrous; never forget that 16% of deaths in the workplace are linked to electricity.

Verifying performance For maximum safety, it is vital to verify the performance of your voltage indicator. It’s as important as confirming that the appliance or circuit being tested is dead, and that there is no possibility of it becoming live while you are working.

Before testing the circuit, voltage indicators should therefore be proved using a proving unit, then test the circuit, and then test the voltage indicator against the unit once again to prove that the tester is still functioning properly. The device will verify the performance of the voltage indicator.

If you use a battery powered voltage indicator then proving the unit is working and the battery is not flat, couldn’t be more important. Furthermore, a lack of positive indication does not always prove absence, which is why the crosscheck with a proving device could quite literally be a lifesaver.

Essentially a proving unit is a portable device that serves as a voltage source designed specifically to verify that voltage indicators are working correctly. Some people still rely on testing electrical test tools, such as voltage indicators, against a live source, but this is not always a safe or convenient option. A proving device has been designed to provide a live source wherever you are working — with no need to leave the working area — and is considerably safer.

only needs to fail once “forItthe consequences to be potentially disastrous; never forget that 16% of deaths in the workplace are linked to electricity.

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Safer solution Proving units are very quick and easy to use. In the case of the Martindale PD440S 440V AC proving device, for example, you simply place one probe of the voltage indicator under test into the left-hand socket of the proving unit until it makes contact with the terminal. Then place the other probe into the right-hand terminal of the proving unit and gently press down.

This will result in the high voltage indicator illuminating to show the unit under test is functioning correctly.

As an added tip, during testing of your voltage indicator, we recommend flexing the voltage indicator cable along its length — particularly at the entry points to the hand-held elements — to confirm that the cable has not fractured. It is advisable to use a dedicated proving unit matched to the voltage indicator in order to fully test that all LEDs on all ranges of the voltage indicator are working — safeguarding against incorrect readings due to a faulty LED, for example.

Furthermore, it is important not to over-prove: a three-phase voltage indicator should be proved at 440V whereas a common 2-pole indicator with a 690V range should be proved at 690V. By incorporating a proving device into an electrical safety process, that process becomes inherently more robust and reliable. Although a relatively simple addition to the process, when working with or near electrical systems and equipment, a proving device can significantly reduce the risk of electrical injury to you and others around you.

■ Downloadable ALIVE resources for those responsible for local authority building and maintenance are available here www.rdr.link/lab006

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VIEW FROM THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Net zero will require collaboration, not conflict Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive at the Structural Timber Association (STA) looks at the recent focus on embodied carbon in the built environment and explains why a more positive approach to communication about different building materials is essential. educing the embodied carbon of buildings gained increased attention in 2021. In particular, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow shone a spotlight on the issue of decarbonisation and what will be required to achieve net zero by 2050.

The construction industry has a key role to play in this. Globally, the built environment accounts for 39% of carbon emissions — 28% from the energy used to heat, cool and light buildings and 11% from embodied carbon. In fact, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) estimates that for a residential block, the embodied carbon up to practical completion accounts for as much as 51% of the whole life carbon emissions for the building.

Therefore, it is clear that the carbon footprint of the materials we use must be considered carefully. The publication of the Government’s ‘Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener’ document in October 2021 included commitments to help increase the use of low carbon materials, such as timber. The strategy also states an intention to improve carbon reporting and explore setting a maximum embodied carbon level for new-builds in the future.

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The STA has produced a range of guides and resources covering all aspects of timber construction

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RIBA estimates that for a “residential block, the embodied carbon up to practical completion accounts for as much as 51% of the whole life carbon

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emissions for the building.

Design and specification

While we at the STA believe that timber is an excellent and versatile building material that has a significant role to play in the future of construction, the size of the challenge of decarbonisation means there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Building materials such as timber, concrete, steel and glass, each have their own particular attributes and benefits.

There is also a whole industry dedicated to the development of new low and zero carbon materials that will play a part in the coming decades. This being the case, the optimum design and specification for a building should be a combination of products and materials that best meets the specific needs of the users, the site and the local environment. We firmly believe that the best way to achieve this is by ensuring decision makers have complete, fact-based and unbiased information to allow informed specification choices.

Sadly, this is not always the case and some organisations have gone to great lengths to discredit competitor products and materials. Sometimes this is through unfair comparisons, while at others it is plain and simple misinformation. It is always disappointing to see negative communications and marketing campaigns that attempt to mislead people about the attributes of a particular building technology in order to promote their own solution.

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However, steps are being taken to establish a fairer, more transparent and more consistent approach to communicating product information. We believe this will go a long way in combating some of the less constructive tactics that have been employed. For example, the Construction Products Association (CPA) has established the Marketing Integrity Group (MIG) to address the issues raised in Dame Judith Hackitt’s 2018 report ‘Building A Safer Future’ and to tackle the challenges of obtaining clear and credible product information.

The MIG has developed a new Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) and sets five acid tests that information from product manufacturers must pass. Under the Code, information must be Clear, Accurate, Up-to-date, Accessible and Unambiguous.

This is something that the STA strongly supports, as it reflects our own commitment to providing fact-based information to allow informed specification choices. Ultimately, it will be more productive and beneficial for groups within the industry to work together to find solutions to meet the challenges of the coming years.

To help provide specifiers with the information they need about all aspects of timber construction, we have produced a range of guides and resources covering everything from the latest research findings to Building Regulations and best practice principles. Our online library is a valuable resource for the growing number of public sector organisations investing in structural timber.

■ To find out how the STA can help visit www.rdr.link/lab007 ■ To see more about the role timber can play in a low carbon future visit www.rdr.link/lab008

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

Plan of action Installation of 12 photovoltaic solar panels at London Borough of Waltham Forest’s demonstrator project — 47 Greenleaf Road, Walthamstow

Tackling climate change through retrofitting London’s housing stock. Joanne Drew, Director of Housing and Regeneration at the London Borough of Enfield and Darren Welsh, Deputy Strategic Director – Resident Services at the London Borough of Waltham Forest, talk to LABM about the Retrofit London Housing Action Plan and the need to ensure the market ecosystem surrounding retrofit is robust. he threat posed by climate change requires all levels of government to act quickly and ambitiously if we’re to avoid its worst effects.

Across London, local authorities recognise the scale of the challenge and are taking forward plans to address it. To date, 28 boroughs have declared a climate emergency and in December 2019 all 33 local authorities in the capital signed up to the London Councils Joint Statement on Climate Change. This outlined a series of pledges to achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions across London.

The new Retrofit London Housing Action Plan sets out a path to achieving the first of these pledges: upgrading all housing stock to an average Energy Performance Certificate rating of B by 2030. The entire action plan can be found on the London Councils website. This target is further to the longer-term statutory requirement set out by the Government to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Delivering a programme of mass retrofitting across London is vital if we are to combat climate change. Homes

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make up around one third (36%) of London’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The action plan is a significant contribution to London’s aspirations and statutory requirements to reach the net zero target. Retrofitting London’s 3.8

million domestic buildings is a huge task, but with recent polling showing that the overwhelming majority of Londoners (82%) are concerned about climate change, we know our residents are ready to play their part.

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HOUSING & REGENERATION Retrofit action plan The plan was developed by London Councils and the London Housing Directors’ Group, with support from the London Environment Directors’ Network, the GLA, and Enfield and Waltham Forest as lead boroughs for this project.

It not only sets out a series of eight shared principles for taking forward home retrofitting in London, but also detailed actions that can help boroughs collaborate on this shared challenge.

The eight key principles are: 1. Boroughs need to retrofit their own stock and facilitate retrofit on the whole housing stock.

2. Boroughs are vital in creating and shaping a stable and sustainable retrofit market.

3. Planning decisions and guidance should support low carbon retrofit.

4. We need to move away from gas heating rapidly (and hydrogen is unlikely to be the answer).

5. Achieving net zero will require energy efficiency and carbon data/metrics in addition to EPC ratings.

6. Retrofit should seek to avoid a significant increase in energy costs.

7. Asset management/maintenance decisions should be consistent with the Retrofit Action Plan.

8. Boroughs will work collectively to develop skills, procurement models, and engage with residents.

that boroughs will “beGiven leading on retrofit, not just for their own stock but enabling retrofit locally, the Government must provide consistent funding that can be used flexibly to address local challenges, as well as provide the necessary policy levers to help meet these shared goals.

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Further to these broad principles, the action plan sets out decisive steps for addressing the details of the retrofit challenge. While boroughs will differ in their strategy, a common overarching goal and set of collaborative actions can support councils to go further, faster and more efficiently. The plan covers activity across wide ranging areas, from technical matters and delivery mechanisms, through to communications and engagement.

Analysis and approach On technical features, it includes detail on electrifying heating, increasing solar generation, and improving the building fabric of London’s homes, amongst other

Q-Bot’s MK7 robot was used to create a 3D map of the space under the floorboards at the property on Greenleaf Road, identifying pipework, cables and ventilation points. Once mapped the robot could spray on the insulation foam

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innovative technological solutions. The action plan also adopts an ‘archetype by solution’ approach, with aspirations to develop whole-house retrofit templates for properties based on the solutions required for common housing types.

Analysis undertaken to support the action plan found that just 14 common housing typologies accounted for almost 94% of London’s housing stock, providing a more manageable approach to what can seem a daunting challenge. By looking at common measures for certain building types and areas, effective retrofitting can be rolled out across London at scale.

An area-based approach will also be important, with different providers — particularly councils and housing associations — working together to efficiently retrofit across multi-tenure sites.

Ensuring the market ecosystem surrounding retrofit is robust means developing retrofit skills actively across London and giving certainty to supply chains, helping to ensure materials and services can be procured at scale.

Early engagement with social tenants, owner occupiers, and landlords can help bring the public on side with the disruptive elements of retrofitting, while communicating the longer-term benefits that will be generated is important.

Finally, a fully funded action plan will need us to maximise capital finance for council-owned stock as well as support the owner occupier and private rented

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Internal wall insulation (IWI) being installed at the London Borough of Waltham Forest demonstrator project

sectors to leverage private investment — facilitated by a ‘finance for retrofit’ taskforce involving financial experts.

Costs and funding All of this is achievable if boroughs and partners are properly supported. Modelling suggests that reaching net zero will cost £98bn across all 3.8 million homes in London.

To achieve this, we need further support from government to help landlords and private homeowners bridge the cost of home retrofit and incentivise action. But increased government assistance for councils is also essential. Boroughs have already been asked to do more with fewer resources, with Housing Revenue Account budgets under pressure from previous rent cut policies and the impact of Covid-19, as well as requirements in relation to building remediation, new-build and forthcoming Decent Homes Standard revisions.

Given that boroughs will be leading on retrofit, not just for their own stock but enabling retrofit locally, the Government must provide consistent funding that can be used flexibly to address local challenges, as well as provide the necessary policy levers to help meet these shared goals. Having a holistic and long-term approach will support the development of a world leading retrofit sector in the UK, which can level up the fuel poor and spark a green skills boom; based on Retrofit London forecasts, at least 110,000 additional jobs could be created in London alone by 2030.

Going forward, this action plan and the forthcoming implementation plan will be key in embedding retrofitting as a central activity for all asset management and housing management teams. By engaging with the retrofit agenda now, we can integrate retrofit into everything from building safety works to home repairs going forward, accelerating London’s progress towards net zero.

■ You can download a copy of the Retrofit London Housing Action Plan here www.rdr.link/lab009

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HOUSING & REGENERATION

Jonathan Ducker, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Kingspan Insulation, discusses the requirements of the revised Part L of the Building Regulations in England.

An eye for details efore Christmas, the Government published the revised version of Part L of the Building Regulations in England, which sets the energy efficiency requirements for new and existing buildings. The updates come into force on 15th June 2022 and will mean carbon emissions from new homes will need to be 31% lower than at present, whilst those from new non-domestic buildings will need to be 27% lower.

Scotland and Wales are also due to publish changes to their own regulations in the spring.

In addition to setting tougher targets for energy demand and carbon emissions, all three regions are also looking to close the so called ‘performance gap’, where properties fall short of their expected energy performance. To address this, new measures are set to be introduced in both the design and construction phases.

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Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES) and setting tougher worst-case U-values, which buildings must meet.

The FEES sets a maximum space heating/cooling demand for a building. As with the carbon emissions and Primary Energy targets, the target is calculated by

An update to Part L of the Building Regulations has been published in England, setting tougher carbon emissions and energy targets for buildings

applying a notional dwelling/building specification to a theoretical building of the same type and dimensions as the actual property and modelling its expected demand. The notional dwelling and worst-case U-values for new homes are shown below:

Key changes in Part L 2021 England In addition to the carbon emissions targets, all new buildings in England will also need to meet a Primary Energy target. This is calculated by looking both at the energy demand of the building, and all the energy needed to prepare its fuel source (for example, extracting and transporting gas).

The revised regulations look to support a good level of fabric performance, retaining and strengthening the Fabric

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HOUSING & REGENERATION Keep in mind that it is possible for project teams to diverge from the Notional Dwelling specification, providing the property meets the energy, emissions, FEES and worst-case U-value targets.

Additionally, all new dwellings will need to be designed to operate with low temperature heating systems (55˚C or lower). This is to future-proof them for the transition to low carbon heating as heat pumps work most effectively and affordably at lower temperatures.

Performance gap As mentioned, along with these changes, there are also new measures designed to close the performance gap, particularly in relation to thermal bridges.

These are areas where materials, which are more conductive to heat than the insulation, are allowed to form a ‘bridge’ between the internal and external parts of a construction. They can account for as much as 30% of the total heat loss from a property.

Thermal bridges typically occur because of gaps or inconsistencies in the insulation layer and are common in areas such as: ● Junctions between the wall, floor and roof; ● Junctions around openings such as windows; and ● At penetrations such as pipework.

To improve practice in this area, the Approved/Accredited Construction Details (ACDs) are being removed in England, Scotland and Wales. These were standard details used to model heat loss at

junctions, however, it was felt they had become out-of-date with best practice. The default heat loss values given where no detail is supplied (either for the junction or globally for the building) have also been worsened. This makes it much more difficult to reach compliance without either calculating your own details for projects, or making use of details from manufacturers or reputable industry libraries.

For example, we carried out modelling in SAP for a standard three-bed, semidetached property with the specification shown below, which includes the worstcase thermal bridging values. Even with a number of costly upgrades over the Notional Dwelling, the property would still fail to meet the FEES requirements (by 12% due to the poor detailing) and therefore would be non-compliant.

regulations “lookThetorevised support a good level of fabric performance, retaining and strengthening the Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES) and setting tougher worst-case U-values, which buildings must meet.

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New compliance reports are also being introduced in England and Wales. These require the building specification and details to be checked for compliance by an energy assessor. The installers will then need to supply photographic evidence of constructions before they’re covered to Building Control, proving the measures installed match the specification and details.

Reaching the target The revisions to Part L are an important first step for England, with further changes due in 2025 when all new homes and most new buildings will need to be ‘net zero ready’. By getting on board with the changes now, making use of good quality details and ensuring installations match plans, it should be possible to construct properties which use energy responsibly and are affordable to keep warm.

The updated regulations support a fabric first approach and include new compliance reports designed to ensure insulation measures match specifications and details

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■ For information on Kingspan Insulation’s range visit www.rdr.link/lab010

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Fitzwarren Court in Salford: winner of ‘External Wall Insulation with a render finish’

Palmyra House in Warrington won the ‘External Wall Insulation with a brick finish’ award

INCA: 40 years young!

INCA, the Insulated Render and Cladding Association, is celebrating its 40th year and is now established as the leading organisation representing the external wall insulation industry.

Technical standards and excellent workmanship is core to INCA’s values and the recent INCA Awards showcased the best projects from the industry completed in the previous 12 months. The winning projects demonstrate the tremendous variety of schemes carried out in both refurbishment and new-build sectors including many local authority and social housing schemes using a wide range of innovative finishes.

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xternal wall insulation is a technology employing insulation boards fixed to either masonry walls in a refurbishment setting, or to the sheathing layer of new-build schemes built with steel framing or with a concrete frame with SFS infill. Beyond these common construction types, other building methods such as timber frame, ICF and offsite construction can also benefit from the use of EWI. System designers of EWI systems provide project-specific specifications outlining the adhesive and mechanical fixings of the insulation boards and the systems are finished with either high-grade decorative coatings or brick slip finishes.

External wall insulation is an energysaving, fabric first measure targeted in various central and devolved government schemes, the most recent being the Decarbonisation Fund and ECO4 programmes. With the current UK housing stock urgently requiring energy upgrades to solid wall properties, opportunities to find suitable communities to benefit is high priority for social landlords where the

positive outcome extends well beyond the energy efficiency benefits for landlords, residents and the wider community.

INCA’s Refurbishment Awards recognise the use of EWI in upgrading existing buildings and this year featured a wide range of examples of traditional masonry as well as non-traditional properties being thermally improved and visually transformed.

EWI with a render finish The winner of this year’s EWI with a render finish is a large-scale high-rise project. In July 2020, K Systems completed a major refurbishment of Fitzwarren Court, one of the highest residential buildings in Salford, delivering a modernised aesthetic and improved thermal performance. Extensive evaluations of systems and materials took place with Hamilton Contractors to identify the best combination to achieve a clean and contemporary finish, improve the uvalue of the properties and ensure compliance with Building Regulations in England for high-rise buildings.

The client desired a clean, slick finish whilst residents, involved at design phase, requested a more contemporary aesthetic than the previous blue and green façade. K Systems applied a unique combination of VBriQ acrylic brick slips and Silkolitt render finish in contrasting colours to achieve an eye catching and textured exterior.

The refurbishment, taking place with some Covid restrictions still in place, wasn’t without its challenges. However, K System’s technical teams remained ontask and committed to delivering excellence, making regular site visits to guarantee the highest standards of workmanship including old expansion joints and lintels dubbed out, fire fixings secured through mesh and panels, bespoke vented gas plates fitted, joints accurately sealed and surfaces without undulations. Through expert vision and innovation, K Systems delivered an outstanding refurbishment and proudly played its part in the regeneration of this deprived area in Salford.

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Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership: Winner of EWI with a traditional finish

EWI with a brick finish Demonstrating that remodelled commercial buildings are equally suitable for EWI systems is Palmyra House in Warrington, winner of INCA’s award for EWI with a brick finish. Aliva UK’s external wall insulation system has transformed an old, dysfunctional office block into high-end residential apartment blocks and commercial spaces for Torus Developments.

The system had to improve the aesthetic that had been approved by local planning officers including lightweight brick slips, feature cills, heads and reveals to replicate stonework as well as a feature parapet.

The existing building was formed by a concrete frame in need of concrete repairs, a brick infill with minimal cavity behind creating a poor u-value of 1.2W/m2k. Aliva worked with Hamilton Contractors to carry out the installation of the EWI system. Aliva supplied their Thermok8 Minerale System comprising of 90mm Mineral Wool insulation, reinforced cementitious basecoat render and a lightweight brick slip in red multi and buff colours to achieve 0.28W/m2k. The end result was further complemented by projecting feature bands with a textured finish and taped to replicate a stone joint.

The area of Palmyra Square has been transformed with the addition of this newly refurbished building, complying fully with BBA Certificate 11/4841.

Retaining traditional finishes Using EWI to retain the traditional finishes of the local vernacular was the inspiration

behind the INCA award for EWI with a traditional finish and it had a worthy winner.

Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership has signed a contract worth up to £8m to include investing in new external wall insulation. Tenants in around 800 DGHP homes will benefit from an improved external appearance, increased energy efficiency, and reductions in the cost of heating their homes as a result of the award of the contract to SERS Energy Solutions (Scotland).

SPS Envirowall’s external wall insulation system was fitted to 562 properties. All gas meters and risers were moved to allow for insulation behind to minimise thermal bridging. All roof gables and eaves were required extending to accommodate the extra thickness of the EWI system. The system selected utilised 90mm graphite EPS insulation, finished with a traditional dry dash.

All works were conducted while the properties were still occupied. RLOs and site managers worked hard to manage the customer interface to keep residents well informed and safe, as well as ensuring a safe working environment for operatives.

Local subcontractors were employed where possible, and with help from Envirowall, EPS waste was recycled.

Chairman of DGHP, Robert Higgins, comments: “The £8m programme will provide much needed investment in properties across the region and is indicative of the commitment of DGHP to improve tenants’ homes.”

Environmental/Energy Conservation Blackstoun Oval project picked up the Environmental award for its deep retrofit approach

Recognising environmental benefits and energy conservation was the winner of this distinct category, Blackstoun Oval in Paisley. Renfrewshire Council’s ambition was to provide intense retrofit measures to inter-war properties making them suitable for modern living. Installed by Procast to meet PAS2030: 2019 involved roof

extensions, insulation below dpc level to fully encapsulate the buildings, and modifications to surface mounted services by removing and fitting insulation behind — designed to maximise thermal efficiency.

This project not only realised the client’s vision, it demonstrated exemplary work towards a greener future where energy efficiency measures can be installed using the PAS2035 ‘whole house approach.’

Procast’s Barry Chisholm summed up the project: “This project presented a number of challenges and difficulties, all exacerbated by Covid-19 and trying to adapt our working practices to PAS2035.

Structherm’s unparalleled technical and commercial support from building warrant stage through to completion ensured that Procast were able to deliver Renfrewshire Council’s vision of exceptionally deep retrofit on these 1930s houses turning them into houses for the future.”

AC Whyte, award winners for their Energy Efficiency Skills Academy

Other notable winners in the awards were installer AC Whyte for their Energy Efficiency Skills Academy, giving 36 local candidates from deprived areas an opportunity to learn a trade, attain a recognised qualification and become full time EWI installers upon successful completion, becoming part of Scotland’s ‘carbon army’, creating up to 22,000 jobs by 2028.

Specialist EWI component suppliers Swifix and Trueline were winners in the Innovation and Component Supplier awards respectively and Hamilton Building Contractors were praised as Installer of the year.

■ For more information, including the online Awards brochure featuring these and all winning and highly commended entries, visit www.inca-ltd.org.uk

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HOUSING & REGENERATION Logic Plus USB-C sockets from MK Electric

MK Base from MK Electric

Wiring solutions echnology adoption has grown exponentially in recent years, resulting in a greater demand for power and charging. It’s clear that in the future the upgrading of homes and buildings will require more socket installations and new styles of sockets to accommodate our modern power requirements.

With more and more of our devices requiring USB charging, installing sockets with integrated USB ports is recommended.

Upgraded sockets ensure that the charging requirements of a property are fulfilled well into the future, potentially making more socket outlets available to users within a property and mitigating the need to install additional socket outlets.

For specifiers looking for more flexibility in the wiring devices they choose for projects, sockets with USB-C integration are well worth considering. Providing a direct USB-C connection through the socket outlet ensures longevity and is a safer way of charging.

Features such as a 3-Pin operated ‘Child Resistant Shutter System’, double pole switching, and total charging current and voltage outage safety modes, are also worth looking out for to deliver enhanced safety to both the user and the USB socket.

USB-C Integrated Sockets are currently available through MK’s Logic Plus range.

They use Dynamic Device Recognition (DDR) technology, to draw the electrical current in a way that best suits the individual requirements of a particular device, providing optimal charging and enhanced user protection.

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Value without compromise The publication of the Building Safety Bill1 in June 2021 rightly made the safety of residents more of a focus than ever before. This increases the importance placed on social housing providers and developers to use products that meet required quality and safety standards.

Whilst deploying the safest and most reliable technology is the priority, it remains likely in the social housing sector that budgets may be limited. In terms of wiring devices, choosing a value range from an established manufacturer is therefore a worthwhile consideration to help meet budgets whilst still providing assurances on safety and product quality to decision makers.

As a specifier, making sure you deploy a range of wiring devices that suit the user requirements is important, but ensuring products have been thoroughly tested is also crucial. The MK Base broad and practical range of white moulded wiring devices, for example, have undergone 100% electrical and visual testing at the point of manufacture and are backed by a 20-year guarantee.2

Amy Burley, Offering Manager at MK Electric, looks at how social housing providers can work within available budgets to deliver electrical installations that exceed expectations, without having to compromise on safety, quality or aesthetic. thoroughly will be key to keeping the spread of infection at bay in the future.

Specifiers should look out for products that have been independently tested to the latest industry standard. In addition, the Phi-X174 virus is an internationally recognised standard in anti-viral testing and one of the smallest known nonenveloped viruses, making it harder to detect and destroy. Products with high PhiX174 kill rates therefore offer the highest levels of anti-viral protection.

For example, the MK Logic Plus range of sockets is made using urea formaldehyde, a high-grade thermoset material with antibacterial and anti-viral properties inherent in the compound of the product. It has been tested over a 24-hour period in line with ISO 22196:2011 and is designed to kill bacteria and viruses and not just inhibit their growth. The range has a kill rate of over 99.99% on the Phi-X174 virus MRSA, E. Coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Listeria, as well as S.Aureus 6538p, which can be resistant to antibiotics. Whilst the MK Base range has a kill rate of 99.9% on the Phi-X174 virus and over 99% for MRSA, E. Coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Listeria and S.Aureus 6538p.

Healthier power With our awareness of touchpoints and how germs can easily be spread increasing, upgrading homes and communal areas to create healthier spaces has come into sharper focus. Sockets and switches are frequently touched, so it’s important to look out for products that are made from a high-grade, anti-bacterial material. Sockets that have been tested

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https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ building-safety-bill Excludes electronic products

■ For more information on the MK Base range visit www.hwll.co/MKBase ■ For more information on MK’s USB Charging Solutions visit www.hwll.co/MKUSBSockets

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Wraptite UV airtightness membrane launched A. Proctor Group is expanding its Wraptite external airtightness membrane range with the introduction of Wraptite UV. This is a Class B fire-rated membrane that combines the critical properties of vapour permeability and airtightness into one innovative, selfadhering product. Specifically designed for use behind open jointed cladding, it has exceptional water and UV resistance.

In addition, the product provides a shadow gap detail behind open jointed façade systems in offsite construction, rainscreen and timber cladding systems.

The inclusion of Wraptite UV prevents lateral air movement and enhances the building thermal performance.

A rating of Sd 0.06m provides a high vapour permeability within a professional quality, self adhered, airtight breathable membrane. In addition to its use behind open jointed cladding, the membrane is designed for applications that require protection against UV for extended periods.

■ More information on the Wraptite UV airtightness membrane here www.rdr.link/lab011 ADS StormTech SuDS attenuation system

ADS is America’s largest manufacturer of corrugated thermoplastic drainage pipes and a specialist in water management systems. StormTech, its proprietary belowground stormwater attenuation system, is now available in the UK. The chambers are injection moulded to ensure consistent quality and performance and lock together to form a continuous, unimpeded void that provides easy access for inspection and maintenance. The system also incorporates Isolator Row — a patented, in-built water treatment device, which removes silt, sediment and other surface water pollutants, independently tested and proven to remove over 80% of total suspended solids and other water-borne pollutants.

■ More information on StormTech here www.rdr.link/lab012

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HOUSING & REGENERATION ROUND-UP

Passivhaus benefits guide launched

One Manchester low carbon housing project Construction membranes from Glidevale Protect have been installed throughout a flagship low carbon new-build development in Manchester for social housing provider, One Manchester, helping meet stringent airtightness and energy efficiency targets. The development comprises 22 properties, incorporating two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, with two dwellings achieving net zero carbon status, with all other plots being built to Passivhaus.

The low emissivity Protect Thermo Extreme reflective membrane was used on all external walls to deliver enhanced thermal performance, creating a radiant barrier to help improve energy retention, alongside the TF200 Extreme breather membrane installed on spandrel panels, offering the required protection from water ingress and the control of condensation risk. On internal walls, the Protect BarriAir air and vapour control membrane was used, ensuring airtightness results were under the required Passivhaus threshold of 0.6 ACH @ 50Pa.

■ More information on the Glidevale Protect construction membranes here www.rdr.link/lab013

The Passivhaus Trust is delighted to launch guidance on Passivhaus benefits to help bolster any business case for adopting a Passivhaus strategy or project. The Trust’s research identified almost 50 types of benefits relating to Passivhaus, which are categorised into six distinct areas. Homeowners may be interested in superior quality and comfort whilst lowering energy bills. Eliminating fuel poverty, reducing rent arrears, and achieving zero carbon targets will attract local authorities. The Government may focus on the potential to lower peak demand and amplify grid capacity for a smooth transition to renewable energy.

The new guide forms part of the Passivhaus Trust’s wider cost-benefits research. When read alongside the Trust’s construction costs paper, the case for Passivhaus in the UK is robust.

■ Download a copy of the Passivhaus Benefits guide here www.rdr.link/lab014

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HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Modern, integrated solar PV systems

Integrated solar PV solutions The UK’s net zero strategy that includes ambitious carbon reduction targets in both the new Part L and the Future Homes Standard, as well as the recent announcement of the Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy, and the associated £800m Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, means the spotlight is on those responsible for ensuring improved energy performance in the nation’s homes, says Stuart Nicholson, Roof Systems Director at Marley. argets are clear. All new homes are expected to produce 31% lower carbon emissions from 2022 as part of changes to Part L of the Building Regulations. Playing a significant role in delivering a more sustainable future will be the decisions made by local authorities and social housing providers by incorporating energy saving technologies into new properties and refurbishment projects. The current energy cost crisis, with further hikes predicted in 2022, also emphasises the urgent need to provide income-poor tenants with access to alternative and cheaper heat and power.

Improvements in energy efficiency cannot purely be made through simple changes to the building fabric, it also requires a step change in the specification of available technology.

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Marley roof-integrated solar panel tiles replace standard roofing tiles giving the benefit of both roof covering and electricity generation

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For local authorities and social housing providers, a clear specification pathway can assist in the urgent energy transformation of the homes they are responsible for. With looming deadlines, in the short-term, the selection of solar PV solutions on the roof, combined with an efficient gas boiler appears to be the easiest and most costeffective way to meet the new Part L targets, partially because supply chains are ready and trusted installers are in place. PV technology is tried and tested, readily available, and has become much more affordable over recent times.

Looking into the future however, under the Future Homes Standard, it is anticipated all new homes will have heat pumps as the primary heating system. But this will need to go together with greater uptake of solar PV solutions to ensure running costs are kept under control.

on available “roofDepending space and the household electricity usage, a well-sized PV solar energy system can cover a significant portion of a home or building’s annual electricity usage — up to 65-75% in many cases.

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Energy benefits within a low carbon energy mix The role of solar PV as an integrated part of an energy-efficient performance mix within homes is growing in importance. Its rise in popularity is evidenced by the 27% year-on-year increase seen in new solar capacity as reported by Solar Energy UK in 2020 — with 40% of the increase directly resulting from installations in homes and commercial buildings.

Alongside popularity, factors such as improved aesthetics, affordability, quick installation times and proven performance, are also helping to make the case for solar PV as a strategically important element of the home energy efficiency revolution.

Depending on available roof space and the household electricity usage, a well-

sized PV solar energy system can cover a significant portion of a home or building’s annual electricity usage — up to 65-75% in many cases. When used in combination with battery storage, solar PV also enhances energy cost efficiencies. By storing excess solar energy from the PV system for nighttime usage, it can help tenants make savings on electricity bills.

Other good ways of helping energy affordability for tenants is the use of power diverters within systems. They work by using the surplus solar energy the installed PV system generates and instead of letting it go back to the grid, simply redirects it to cost effectively heat a household’s water tank for example.

Finally, when it comes to providing the most effective use of solar PV and heat pumps post 2025 when gas fired boilers are excluded from new-builds, it is critical properties are insulated to a high standard.

If they are not, this will increase the heat demand within the home, leading to increased electricity pressures to generate heat. The more heat or warmth preserved by the property’s insulation, the greater the reduction of the running cost of heat pumps as they work less intensively.

Aesthetics and performance Advances in solar PV technology mean there are now many more design-led options available, and at a much more affordable price which can better suit local authority and social housing budgets.

When it comes to solar PV, there are three options to choose from: a traditional onroof panel, or two different types of integrated PV system (one with a separate tray and one with an integrated tray).

Many people associate solar panels with the original on-roof systems, which consist

of a set of panels attached to the rafters by a mount, sitting over the top of the roof tiles.

These can stand out too much, so modern, integrated solar PV systems have been developed, which blend in seamlessly with roofscapes. These roof-integrated panels incorporate into the roof surface, acting as an MCS 012 approved building material, effectively replacing a section of tiles.

There is a belief that on-roof systems generate more electricity. However, the difference is relatively small and is outweighed by some of the other disadvantages of an on-roof system, particularly because they can look quite bulky.

Modern on-roof panels are sleeker than in the past, but they hold no comparison to the aesthetic of roof integrated PV. As both tiles and PV are installed together, it means there is no modification to the roof tiles, securing the warranty. Marley’s SolarTile system is compatible with all the manufacturer’s clay and concrete tiles, allowing the easy incorporation of solar PV into any roof design.

Catalyst for change The recently announced Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, available for use by social landlords, including housing associations, to carry out energy efficiency technology upgrades in their tenants’ homes is an important step forward.

It should now act as the catalyst for change and help to kick-start tangible efforts to ensure social housing stock is made as energy-efficient as possible.

■ For more information on Marley’s solar solutions visit www.rdr.link/lab015

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HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Sustainable homes for the future Retrofitting green heating technology into housing association homes is one of the many ways in which Thermatic Homes is helping housing associations reduce their carbon footprint, as LABM finds out from Managing Director Karl Wallace. e’ve retrofitted homes with air and ground source heat pumps. We’ve installed Solar PV and Solar Thermal, EV car charging units, CHP, battery storage and so much more. In addition to this, we’ve also been providing training for our client’s workforce and engineers in the fitting and use of green technologies.

Our retrofitting services don’t end there.

For housing associations across the UK, we are providing an array of electrical, mechanical and building services, including: full rewires, upgrades to electrical and heating installations, smart controls, EICR compliance testing, kitchen and bathroom replacements, smoke and heat detection upgrades, reactive and first response, property insulation and full property refurbishment.

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The MSV Way Mosscare St Vincent's Engineers at Thermatic Homes installed 12 Mitsubishi Housing Group own and Ecodan air source heat pumps across two developments for Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group manage almost 9,000 homes across the North Manchester to install 12 air source heat West. They pride themselves on being a pumps, replacing old storage heaters in housing group that has retained its caring customers’ homes that were costly and values and continues to deliver a range of inefficient to run. Having carried out due housing solutions to those in society who diligence to find the right contractor to most need them.

Their corporate strategy ‘The MSV Way’ take on the work, MSV discovered that there were few contractors that had the commits to investing in People, Planet and experience, manpower or knowledge of Place with capacity for over 1,000 new sustainable homes over the next few years installing air source heat pumps needed for a project of this scale. to be built that people can afford, a After speaking to Martin Lee at sustainability strategy to reduce the impact Thermatic Homes, Pat McKendry, the of climate change and investing in Sustainability Manager at MSV said: "After communities and neighbourhoods. working with Thermatic Homes for the past MSV had been searching for a three years MSV has formed a good Mechanical and Electrical contractor in working relationship. Thermatic Homes are very experienced within the renewable fields sector, highly professional in their approach and customer focused.

“Not only does Thermatic Homes have the experience of installing air source heat pumps, but those specialist skills are backed up by a breadth of industry knowledge — they really know their stuff! We are confident that the air source heat pumps will lead to a reduction in carbon remissions and help our customers save money on energy bills.”

Project requirements As part of MSV’s ongoing net zero carbon roadmap, engineers at Thermatic Homes installed 12 Mitsubishi Ecodan air source heat pumps across two developments as a

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Thermatic Homes installed some of the ASHP units in a purpose-built noise reducing housing

pilot scheme. This demonstrated our capabilities as a contractor but also gave us the opportunity to showcase the pilot to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

During the process our team at Thermatic Homes assisted with system selection, design, and delivery. Both developments had previously been heated using electric storage heaters, which were costly to run for the residents and required regular maintenance due to their age and performance. They also offered residents very little means of controlling the temperature of their homes.

The new air source heat pump systems have been designed to give residents full control of their heating whilst reducing energy costs and carbon output. Due to local planning restrictions, we installed some of the units in a purpose-built noise reducing housing.

Resident Mr Moran had an air source heat pump fitted two years ago and said: “I only pay about £10 a week in summer and £12 a week in winter on my prepayment meter. It's a great system, really easy to use and the house is nice and warm after previously having storage and downflow heaters.”

Residents Mr and Mrs Knight added: “This system is a far better system than what we had in previously (storage heaters and downflow heaters) and we are really happy with it."

The results Following the successful delivery of the pilot scheme, Thermatic Homes were appointed to carry out various additional

installations of air source heat pumps, solar panels (photovoltaic and solar thermal) within MSV's housing stock.

As part of our ongoing partnership, engineers and staff at MSV have the opportunity to gain knowledge on the equipment installed through the Thermatic Academy.

We are delighted to continue working with MSV to create more sustainable homes, which will have a positive impact on both the environment and MSV's customers.

■ Thermatic Homes is a national M&E contractor based in Greater Manchester that provides a onestop solution for housing associations, from mechanical and electrical services, to renewable energy installations and training. Email information@thermatichomes.com for more details or visit https://thermatichomes.com/

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HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Achieving carbon zero ©fstopphotography/AdobeStock

Sindar Singh, Director of Product Line Valve Technology at Aalberts IPS UK, looks at building performance and the importance of choosing the right valves to optimise potable and HVAC systems. ince the UK Government committed to the net zero target as recommended by the Climate Change Committee in 2019, which has actually increased the target to at least 100% reduction by 2050 as opposed to the original 80% reduction, it is recognised that we all have a role to play.

There’s no doubt that the challenges different industries face are immense, and the construction industry is no exception.

However, it is pleasing to see that we, so far, have been one of the industries at the forefront of developing solutions to mitigate the reliance on fossil fuels and drive forward technologies that will eventually achieve net zero.

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Sustainable outcomes One crucial element of the ongoing ability to achieve and sustain net zero is the efficiency and performance of our buildings.

Each single element of the fabric of a domestic or commercial building can play its own role in achieving the target, and within that, the effectiveness of a plumbing system will be a critical part of this.

An understanding of valve technology is paramount for an optimised HVAC system as well as user satisfaction and long-term maintenance objectives. Sometimes small but vital components, valves are integral to building performance and efficiency.

Specifiers and public building decision makers can rest assured that the correct valve will positively affect reliability, performance and efficiency. Selecting the correct valve will also make installations easier and reduce maintenance and system downtime costs.

Choosing the right valve

Pegler ResiFlow Valve

maintenance procedures must not be overlooked, however this, combined with deciphering future effectiveness, can seem daunting and more often than not over complicate the process.

One of the main challenges facing decision makers is the limited amount of

Contractors, engineers and often specifiers frequently choose valves using ‘historical’ knowledge, but as previously mentioned, the construction industry is at the forefront of developing products and solutions to support the UK’s targets, so going forward any valve selection must have tangible benefits. In order to support building efficiency, the emphasis on key elements such as product longevity, quality engineering, and straightforward commissioning and

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Valves are integral to building performance and efficiency

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HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY A range of Pegler Yorkshire fittings from the XPress press-fit portfolio were specifed by Interserve Engineering Services (IES) for The Christie Proton Beam Therapy Centre project

Our advice is to take an “alternative approach; look at valve solutions targeting ‘application areas’ rather than individual system time and opportunity available to actively seek out products that offer enhanced benefits and support a building’s need for greater performance and increased efficiency now and in the future.

Our advice is to take an alternative approach; look at valve solutions targeting ‘application areas’ rather than individual system requirements. This will ensure the correct valve is chosen to support function, size, performance and optimisation, in essence, help the building perform and help reduce energy and maintenance costs.

Choosing the right valve for the right application Typically, a valve application can be categorised into three key areas: Source — which is focused around plant/boiler centres, Network — which encompasses the distribution of heating and potable building systems; and finally, the Zone — this is the occupied function zone, such as

an apartment, office or ward where the heat or water is emitted.

Within a Source, area requirements would be typically centred around largesized valves, in some instances up to DN600, which provide regulating and isolating functions from the heat source into the first part of the Network.

Within the Network area, valves are used to control water flow and balance the heat and cooling distribution to different locations. These valves ensure the correct flow rate is supplied to different building parts, thereby providing optimum energy efficiency and comfort.

The next point of use is classed as the Zone area, for example heating, this consists of pre-set valves for either panels or radiators through to modular valves units used on fan coil units; these types of valves allow control through heat/flow output, therefore, offering precise, controlled comfort.

Managing the flow When it comes to achieving optimum building performance, user comfort and long-term maintenance objectives, the right valve selection can dramatically alter the outcome. That is why Aalberts IPS UK is continually developing solutions and innovating new products to keep specifiers and engineers at the forefront of their profession, such as its latest valve, the Pegler ResiFlow Valve. An integrated valve

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requirements.

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arrangement that converges isolation, drain, pressure reduction, and an “adapter free” direct connection for a Class D concentric water meter.

It has been designed to overcome challenges often found with these types of potable system valves, namely flow limitation. This valve boasts a larger entry orifice to allow for an increased flow and a pre-set ‘anti-creep’ pressure reducing valve, ensuring continued settings for resident comfort and system efficiency.

Constantly looking to innovate, Aalberts IPS UK sees the importance of education and sharing their knowledge with industry professionals, provided through a range of support tools, such as drawing ‘Take-Off’ and CIBSE accredited CPD modules.

Future-proofing Education and innovation are what Aalberts IPS UK believes will continue to keep the construction industry at the forefront of the drive to net zero. In the meantime, a system utilising the correct valve in the correct area will undoubtedly provide greater performance and optimise building efficiency.

■ For more information on the Pegler ResiFlow Valve visit www.rdr.link/lab016

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HEATING & RENEWABLE ENERGY ROUND-UP New commercial guide to hydrogen for heat

CPD guide on Multi-Residential Buildings

Baxi Commercial Solutions’ new educational guide for the non-domestic sector aims to debunk the myths surrounding hydrogen for heat and provide a timeframe for the anticipated transition to this greener gas. The ‘Your guide to hydrogen for heat’ sets out the potential for hydrogen to become one of the central pillars of decarbonisation in the UK for the commercial sector, along with electrification and heat networks, presents a timeline of how the transition from natural gas to hydrogen is likely to unfold and provides a succinct definition and distinction between hydrogen boilers, hydrogen-ready boilers and 20% hydrogen boilers.

The guide provides the facts relating to hydrogen that will assist organisations in meeting heat demand in their buildings more sustainably with future-ready solutions. Baxi Commercial Solutions recently secured independent certification of the ability of its Remeha Quinta Ace and Gas 320/620 Ace boilers to operate on a 20% hydrogen blend.

Mitsubishi Electric’s latest CPD guide, ‘Multi Residential Buildings: Heating, Hot Water and Ventilation’, provides clear information on some of the UK’s most pressing building challenges. As with all dwellings, multi-residential buildings must comply with Building Regulations and be designed to meet targets such as low carbon construction and operation, while ensuring occupants have adequate ventilation and protection from overheating. This guide looks at the technology that can support the design and operation of multi-residential buildings. It discusses the importance of heat networks and heat pump technology as crucial technologies for decarbonising the UK, and explores the need for developers to consider these heating and hot water options for multi-residential buildings. The guide also covers building occupant health, and how to combat the issue of overheating and maintain good indoor air quality when building new homes — including the role of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) technology.

■ ‘Your guide to hydrogen for heat’ is available to download here www.rdr.link/lab017

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

■ You can download Mitsubishi Electric’s CPD Guide here www.rdr.link/lab018

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VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT

arbnco’s arbnwell sensors

Clean air classrooms Simon West, COO and Co-Founder of Glasgow-based proptech arbnco, discusses the importance of properly ventilating the UK’s classrooms following the company’s involvement in a £1.75m Government pilot to tackle Covid-19 transmission in schools. he pandemic initiated a conversation about air quality on a global scale, with the evidence quickly suggesting that airborne transmission of infectious particles is a principal way in which the virus spreads — both at a conversational distance and in poorly ventilated settings.

There’s been no shortage of scientific papers published about Covid-19 and air quality over the past two years. Research from Imperial College London in June 2021, for example, unearthed a correlation

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between the severity with which a person experiences the effects of Covid-19 and long-term exposure to air pollution.

The importance of improving air quality pre-dates and extends beyond the more immediate concerns of the pandemic, though. The long-term health impacts of poor air quality are not insignificant: asthma cases, for instance, have been consistently and directly linked to pollution, with American scientists estimating that one in 12 new child asthma cases worldwide are attributable to exposure to

nitrogen dioxide (NO2) — a toxic gas produced by diesel vehicles.

These findings, combined with the increased susceptibility of children to air pollution-related health issues such as impaired lung function, make poor air quality an issue of particular concern to parents and educators.

From polluted playgrounds to cleanair classrooms It’s little comfort to note then that indoor air can often be more polluted than that

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With children spending on average just over an hour outdoors a day, the healthiness of the indoor environment is critical

outside — as shown by a joint report from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Physicians.

Opening windows has come highly recommended as a solution to deal with Covid-19 transmission, but doing so limits the ability to control air humidity and temperature and also risks exposing children to vehicular pollution, which a recent study showed to be at a “dangerously high” level in the surroundings of over 25% of all British schools and colleges.

With children spending on average just over an hour outdoors a day, the healthiness of the indoor environment in which they learn and play is critical.

Tackling the problem One interesting idea floated by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) in 2020 was to make air quality part of the OFSTED inspection regime. More recently, the Government launched an initiative to trial air cleaners in UK schools in the hope to combat student absences related to Covid-19 and other airborne viruses. arbnco has been a chief partner of the £1.75m pilot scheme, which commenced in September 2021, working alongside the universities of Leeds, Bradford and York, Bradford Council, the Department of

30 schools, including this one in Bradford, are part of a £1.75m air cleaners trial pilot scheme

The potential of the trial is enormous. If successful, it “could make a tangible difference to managing Covid-19 and helping to minimise disruption to education by reducing absences.

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Health & Social Care and the Department for Education. 30 schools are participating in the live trial: 10 have received highefficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that trap particles such as dust, pollen and bacteria from the air; a further eight had UV-C technology installed — devices that cycle air through an enclosed unit and expose it to a UV germicidal light and inactivating microorganisms; and the remaining 12, which have no devices, act as a control group.

To analyse how pure the air is following filtration (or not), all classrooms have been fitted with arbnwell — this is arbnco’s platform offering centralised control and continuous high-resolution sensing of air quality and environmental conditions, such as CO2, volatile organic compounds (VOC), particulate matter, temperature and humidity. By gathering quantitative and qualitative data, arbnwell allows for a full assessment of the human experience and the effectiveness of the air cleaners to reduce the risk of transmission in these educational settings.

A pilot full of possibility The potential of the trial is enormous. If successful, it could make a tangible difference to managing Covid-19 and helping to minimise disruption to education by reducing absences. By also gathering data that provides insight on the overall air quality in these school settings, we’ll

hopefully be able to improve the health and wellbeing of young students — particularly those with asthma and hay fever — and ensure that children are spending the bulk of their day in an environment that is safe, healthy and comfortable.

The project runs for the full academic year, and depending on how the results shape up, there’s a big and exciting opportunity to roll out the technology nationwide throughout 2022. Moving forward, as important as it is to identify any initial problems with ventilation, so too is the continuous monitoring of these air quality status indicators via sensory technology.

This will be key to achieving consistent improvements to environmental quality.

Change is in the air The past two years have been a highprofile education on the importance of proper ventilation; the hope is that this trial with Bradford schools will teach us valuable lessons as to how this applies to schools, helping us to better protect children in their classrooms.

It’s not too much to say that getting the air quality and ventilation right in our schools could be the key to improving the health and wellbeing of the nation as a whole.

■ For more information on arbnco’s arbnwell solution www.rdr.link/lab019

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VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT

©phive2015/AdobeStock

Tom Wodcke, Product Manager at Vent-Axia, looks at the Housing Ombudsman’s recent report ‘Spotlight on Damp and Mould. It’s not lifestyle’, which calls for landlords to take a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to damp and mould as well as considering proactive actions to identify homes that have or may be at risk of developing problems, rather than waiting for residents to report issues.

Under the spotlight he Housing Ombudsman’s recent report ‘Spotlight on Damp and Mould. It’s not lifestyle’ was published because of the high incidences of damp and mould witnessed in social housing. The report recognises the challenges for landlords in tackling these issues — including overcrowding, poverty, and the age and design of homes.

Within the report, survey responses resulting from the Housing Ombudsman’s call for evidence state the top three causes of damp and mould are insufficient ventilation 30%, leaks 23%, structural 20%, and condensation was fourth with 18%.

This confirms the importance ventilation plays in improving indoor air quality and tackling condensation and mould. It also says landlords should avoid inferring blame on residents due to ‘lifestyle’.

Instead, the document identifies best practice and makes 26 recommendations for landlords to implement. These range from improved record keeping to delivering net zero homes and an effective response to reports of damp.

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Taking action The top recommendation in the report is that landlords should adopt a zerotolerance approach to damp and mould interventions. Key to this is taking

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proactive action. One recommendation is to adopt a consolidated policy for actions to take based on diagnosis to ensure an effective response to reports of damp.

Landlords should identify opportunities for extending the scope of their diagnosis within buildings, for example by examining neighbouring properties, to ensure the response early on is as effective as possible. This also highlights the importance of planned maintenance to ensure any potential issues are tackled early. As housing becomes increasingly airtight, more homes are being blighted by condensation, mould and the associated problems they bring. Including the regular maintenance of ventilation systems in planned works can help tackle these problems.

Record keeping Another key recommendation is for landlords to ensure they have robust record keeping. Fans with data logging enable detailed record keeping. These fans record details of the home environment and can also monitor all ‘on/off’ occurrences, giving a clear indication of whether the fan has been running as intended. This environmental data can be downloaded and can include information on relative humidity, vapour pressure, dew point, room temperatures, along with power interruptions and

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isolations. This can be used as evidence to support a legal disrepair case or to help with the difficult complaint case.

Detailed record keeping can also be helpful for landlords in implementing a data driven, risk-based approach with respect to damp and mould, which is a proactive approach the Housing Ombudsman’s report advocates. By monitoring this data, it is possible to identify problems in similar properties before they are reported and so “prioritise interventions before a complaint or disrepair case is made”.

Net zero The Housing Ombudsman also recommends ensuring strategies for delivering net zero homes consider and plan for any potential unintended consequences around damp and mould.

This was followed in December 2021 with the publication of the new Building Regulations Part F (Means of Ventilation) and the new amended Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power), which is set to help the UK deliver net zero. As buildings become more airtight to improve efficiency, it is essential to consider indoor air quality (IAQ) too to protect the wellbeing of inhabitants.

Importantly there is a key addition to Part F, which reflects the significance of ventilation in meeting net zero. The new

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sub section ‘Installing Energy Efficiency Measures’ relates to existing properties: “When carrying out energy efficiency measures to an existing dwelling, an assessment should determine what, if any, additional ventilation provision is needed, based on the estimated impact of the work.”

This is a welcome addition since previously many homes have suffered from condensation, mould and poor IAQ following energy efficiency measures designed to increase the airtightness of properties and reduce carbon emissions.

This positive move will help protect the health and wellbeing of inhabitants from indoor air pollution and protect buildings from damp, condensation and mould, in line with the Housing Ombudsman’s recommendation.

Expertise Ensuring staff and contractors have the appropriate expertise to properly diagnose and respond to reports of damp and mould is another essential

recommendation in the report. By working with ventilation specialists such as Vent-Axia, who can offer expert advice on the most appropriate product for each property, landlords can be sure they are using the right solutions to tackle condensation and mould and meet their obligations.

For example, in social housing refurbishments Positive Input Ventilation (PIV), such as Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon PoziDry Pro and PoziDry Compact Pro, improve IAQ and prevent moisture buildup within social housing properties and provide a highly effective solution to help households and landlords control condensation and mould, as well as offering high levels of air filtration.

Meanwhile, continuous extract ventilation such as the Lo-Carbon Revive and LoCarbon Response 7 intelligent filter-less fans offer data logging, which can help with detailed record keeping.

With the vital importance of a good indoor environment well established and the Housing Ombudsman’s report providing wide ranging recommendations, landlords should look to work with companies that can offer expert advice, the latest solutions and both planned and reactive maintenance to ensure good IAQ and freedom from damp and mould.

■ More information on Vent-Axia’s products and services here www.rdr.link/lab020 ■ To download a copy of the Housing Ombudsman’s report visit www.rdr.link/lab021

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VENTILATION & AIR MANAGEMENT ROUND-UP

New D-dMEV energy-efficient units with enhanced air extraction The new D-dMEV range of single flow, continuous running decentralised mechanical ventilation fans from Domus Ventilation is ideal for small to medium size rooms, such as bathrooms and toilets. The fan, which can be fitted in a wall/panel, ceiling or window, extracts indoor stale air directly to the outside providing a more comfortable indoor living space. Its specific winglet-type impeller provides enhanced air extraction for maximum effectiveness, yet remains very quiet in operation — down to 9dba — and has a low power consumption.

The Domus D-dMEV comes in 4” and 6” options, each with multi speed selection for flexibility and humidistat and timer. With a contemporary, minimalist design, the new range features a discreet front flat cover, which is easily removed for cleaning without the need of tools. Its high quality shockproof case also makes for a long lasting unit. The product is listed on the BEAMA Green Homes Compliance Scheme.

■ More information on the D-dMEV fans here www.rdr.link/lab022

MVHR solution chosen for ‘Homes of the Future’ pilot EnviroVent’s energiSava 250 MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery) system has been specified for Project 80, a new development by housing association Midland Heart. The development of 12 homes will meet the Government’s Future Homes Standard, reducing carbon emissions by up to 80%. These homes will be monitored constantly as this research project will be used to inform the Government’s next consultation about the Future Homes Standard. The energiSava 250 MVHR system extracts moisture-laden air from the wet rooms such as bathrooms, WCs, kitchen and shower rooms, at the same time it supplies fresh air into the living areas, recovering the energy from the extracted air. The system incorporates Intellitrac Technology, which monitors and controls humidity. It operates continuously at a low level to ensure that the home is correctly ventilated, providing good indoor air quality with no user intervention required. As humidity rises and falls, the motor speed rises and falls in correlation.

■ More information on the energiSava system here www.rdr.link/lab023

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 Andreas Stihl Ltd ..........................................................(page 13) www.rdr.link/LAB100

MK ..................................................................................(page 20) www.rdr.link/LAB109

Astraseal Ltd ......................................................(page 44/OBC) www.rdr.link/LAB101

Pegler ........................................................................(page 2/IFC) www.rdr.link/LAB110

Consort ..........................................................................(page 37) www.rdr.link/LAB102

Pro Builder Live ....................................................(page 43/IBC) www.rdr.link/LAB111

Dulux Trade ..................................................................(page 23) www.rdr.link/LAB103

Samuel Heath & Sons ..................................................(page 19) www.rdr.link/LAB112

Eurocell ..........................................................................(page 27) www.rdr.link/LAB104

Stuart Turner Ltd ..........................................................(page 33) www.rdr.link/LAB113

Harrison Thompson ....................................................(page 29) www.rdr.link/LAB105

Triton Showers ............................................................(page 28) www.rdr.link/LAB114

Horne Engineering ......................................................(page 41) www.rdr.link/LAB106

Vaillant Ltd ....................................................................(page 34) www.rdr.link/LAB115

Inca Ltd ..................................................................(pages 24,25) www.rdr.link/LAB107

Winkhaus UK Ltd ............................................................(page 4) www.rdr.link/LAB116

Icynene ............................................................................(page 9) www.rdr.link/LAB108

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