‘Retrofit right’ to improve social housing

The retrofitting of windows and doors is key to accelerating  the energy efficiency of millions of social homes, according to a new report from REHAU. 

With local authorities and housing associations facing acute pressure to upgrade millions of social homes in line with modern net zero and thermal performance standards, retrofitting energy-efficient windows and doors will offer a vital way forward. 

This is the view of Retrofit Right – Making Social Housing More Energy-Efficient, a whitepaper that explores how the sector can decarbonise the 4.4 million UK social homes across the UK – mostly built between 1945 and 1980 – in line with legislative requirements and available funding. The report, from polymer specialist REHAU, confronts the scale of this challenge by demonstrating the crucial nature of informed specification of window and door systems. It underlines the importance of these key components in affecting heat loss in residential properties, detailing the relevant standards, regulations and metrics such as those governing thermal performance, noise attenuation, security and ventilation. 

England’s social housing sector produces three percent of England’s overall carbon footprint. This striking fact underscores the urgent need to decarbonise existing building stock. Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is not just a goal, it’s a legally binding target, with a 78% reduction in emissions required by 2035. Additionally, the Government has mandated that social housing providers must achieve Energy Performance Certificate ‘C’ by 2035, or 2030 for fuel-poor households. These goals present a challenging roadmap for local authorities and housing associations facing the dual pressures of decarbonisation and resource constraints. 

The report emphasises the importance of local authorities in establishing, bolstering and maintaining supply chains to ensure the specification of high-quality components in these retrofitting efforts. As explained by Martin Hitchin, CEO at REHAU UK, this third-party supply chain support is also key to bridging knowledge gaps and easing workloads within the social housing sector that may be exacerbated by the scope of the required works. 

“The UK’s residential sector is under great pressure to reduce emissions in line with net zero targets, including a 78% drop in emissions by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2050,” he explains. “As social housing is publicly owned, there’s undoubtedly additional pressure on local authorities to decarbonise, and also to ensure that every pound spent works as hard as possible to achieve the desired energy efficiency improvements. For strained local authorities and housing association teams, this combination of raised expectations and the sheer scale of decarbonising millions of social housing properties make this a daunting challenge.  

“As major sources of heat loss within properties, windows and door systems have a key role to play in improving the thermal performance of social housing. This is why we launched this latest whitepaper – it provides valuable advice on how to approach the frame specification and upgrading process, complying with relevant standards and regulations, and the importance of medium retrofits in achieving these goals.” 

Retrofit Right goes on to emphasise the importance of selecting sustainable materials such as coextruded polymer and advises social housing stakeholders to go beyond the point-of-purchase when selecting new frames. Specifically, it encourages decisionmakers to explore data-driven technologies including integrated digital ID cards for individual frames to streamline later maintenance works for local authorities and housing associations. 

“Material considerations and performance standards of frames are undoubtedly key for local authorities and housing associations carrying out retrofitting projects,” Martin concludes. “However, those selecting these components should also see how added services can streamline ongoing maintenance works, including breakages and installing additional accessories. 

“Innovations such as REHAU’s Window.ID provide quick access to key data and fenestration experts, greatly reducing the need for time-consuming inspection or measurement appointments. As detailed in Retrofit Right, these innovations can allow housing associations and local authorities to save money by reducing the number of visits to affected properties, ensuring efficient and effective maintenance. REHAU advises fenestration professionals and social housing stakeholders alike to read this latest whitepaper and take on board its insights ahead of future retrofitting works.”  

The full whitepaper can be downloaded online from REHAU’s website. 

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