Retrofit North West Debate “Retrofit for the future”

1. Retrofit North West Debate“Retrofit for the future” Douglas Nuttall – Stock Option Appraisal Officer 17th December 2010

2. Bolton at HomeWho we are: • Bolton at Home manages approximately 18,200 properties across the Bolton borough as an ALMO and we actively involve customers in shaping and developing the services we provide. • By addressing the themes of “great homes” and “great communities”, our aim is to bring positive and long lasting change to the neighbourhoods where we work.

3. What is “Retrofit for the future” and Why?Aims and Objectives • The Technology Strategy Board has funded over 80 refurbishment projects from a total fund of 17m. • The Aim is to kick start the retrofit market for social housing by innovative whole house solutions. • The target is to achieve cuts in carbon emissions (80%) which is 17kg/m²/year from an average base rating of 60 - 80kg/m²/year • Use different home types and locations. • Target new skills and technology. • Cost effective • Develop relationships with new partners and suppliers. • Monitor and share the findings with the wider community.

4. 1 CYPRESS GROVEKEARSLEYWhy did we choose this one? • Traditional 1946 3 bed semi. • One of thousands. • North facing. • Excellent transport links. • Near school. • Near Community centre. • Near Health Centre. • Near country park. • Visible to 3 sides from road. • Void & available.

5. Enabling the dreamBefore work even starts • Nominate the contractors – Wates Living Space. • Ensure contracts are signed – bureaucratic delays. • Structural survey – problems. • Asbestos report • Party Wall agreement – difficulties with owner occupier. • Mining search. • Utilities – debt on meter, which supplier. • Finish existing capital work: Lintols, Sills, External work. • Pre-site meetings – design freeze. • Air tightness test. • Arrange for apprentices to visit during innovative work. ***AT LAST….. ON SITE***

6. Work to be undertakenThe main items • Insulation to ground floor. • Install Solar PVT (photovoltaic thermal) panels connected to a heat pump. • Insulation to roof rafters and loft. • External render to gable end. • Internal insulation to all walls exclude gable end. • Triple glazed windows • Creation of a triple-glazed draft lobby • Reduce internal gaps to increase air tightness. • Supply of AAA rated white goods.

7. Work to be undertakenThe internal insulation – what is it? • Earthwool EcoBatt is a high performance, non-combustible, water repellent, glass mineral wool slab • It will be friction-fitted between a thermally engineered composite of high performance extruded polystyrene bonded to Oriented Strand Board insulated stud. The OSB 3 component is sourced from FSC certified forests.

8. Work to be undertakenThe PV-T (Photovoltaic-thermal) – what is it? • This British-designed and built solution is the first in the world to combine 3 different renewable energy solutions into a single system able to meet the heating and hot water requirements of well-insulated homes and provide electricity. • The drawback with PV is that as the surface temperature of the panel rises, the output drops. • This system draws the heat from the back of the PV, making the PV more efficient and absorbing free heating energy

9. Work to be undertakenThe Wattbox – what is it? • Wattbox is a new highly innovative house heating controller. • We believe it is the world’s first occupancy based heating controller - it notices and learns household occupancy which removes the need for users to set time-clocks. • It also acquires data from around the house.

10. Potential SavingsPrice per tonne of C02 saved: Cost Included : supply, installation, maintenance costs and VAT: • New external sliding door - £155 per tonne • Roof insulation - £200 per tonne • Ground insulation - £40 per tonne • Wall insulation overall - £465 per tonne • Triple glazing - £2,315 per tonne • Increasing air tightness to 3m3/hr.m2 @ 50 Pa - £875 per tonne • Heat pump - £3,700 per tonne • Solar PVT - based on 2.5 kWp - £1,950 per tonne • White goods - fridge, washing machine - £1,180 per tonne

11. Values • Air tightness target 3m³/(h/m²) • Glazing U-value of 0.85 W/m²K • Photovoltaic panels 2.1 kWp • External Render U-value of 0.15 W/m²K • Walls U-value of 0.15 W/m²K • Roof U-value of 0.15 W/m²K

12. Beyond bricks and mortarThe project is only half finished After the physical work is complete the project runs its course for 2 years involving: • New tenant allocation process. • Social media hub involving facebook, twitter etc. • Tenant blog on a laptop supplied by Bolton at Home. • Monitoring of tenant data sent to Salford University. • Added research measuring tenant behaviour. • Community involvement campaigns. • Investigation of additional funding streams.

13. Problems encounteredLearning by experience • Ground source heat pump: Kearsley is a mining area which meant the one long steel coil became several small coils around the garden. Price and space prohibitive. • PV roof tiles were expensive, with maintenance issues. • PV solar panels require roof pearling strengthening. • Internal Insulation was space restrictive.

14. Thank You Contact details: Douglas Nuttall e-mail : douglas.nuttall@boltonathome.org.uk Tel: 01204 335475 M:07980152111 Technical handouts available on request