Why retrofit matters, and what does it mean?

Richard Gvero

A new report has identified that by 2050 half a million homes in Hertfordshire will require improvements to ensure residents can stay warm over winter, lower household bills and meet net zero targets. Carrying out these improvements requires specialist skills. In this article, Lucy Gravatt, Director of Partnerships and Communications, Hertfordshire Futures, looks at the role of retrofit and how the county is growing the capacity to deliver real change.

Hertfordshire, we have a problem

Hertfordshire, like the rest of the UK is facing two big problems, rising energy prices and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions if it is to reach net-zero by 2050. Houseowners are increasingly worried about higher bills and this impact is felt more keenly in winter.

The scale of this problem locally is vast. In a recent report, Hertfordshire Retrofit Skills Plan, commissioned by Hertfordshire Futures, it was identified that 500,000 homes in Hertfordshire will require work to make them more energy efficient by 2050. This work is called retrofit to bring our old and draughty houses up to new energy efficient standards by installing better insulation, glazing, smart heating controls and modern low carbon heating technologies. This is equivalent to, on average, 52 homes a day needing improvements made, every day, over the next 25 years. In order to meet this challenge, the county needs to develop a ‘green army’ of skilled workers.

The growing demand for skilled labour in various trades and professions is just one part of the retrofit equation. Growing the supply chain to meet green demand is also key.

Hertfordshire’s Domestic Energy Efficiency Supply Chain market was worth £1.2bn in 2021/22. This is forecasted to grow to £36bn by 2030, which is a significant level of growth but not enough to meet the predicted demand by 2050. Construction industries play a clear role in decarbonising homes, but only 1.7% employers are currently certified in Hertfordshire to install energy efficiency measures.

There is clearly a strong business case to unlock capabilities and capacities in the supply chain and address identified skills shortages. With the Government’s Industrial Strategy re-affirming its commitment to renewable energy sources, growing the green economy and protecting billpayers from volatile energy prices - doing nothing locally is not an option.

Growing the supply chain

The Hertfordshire Retrofit Skills Plan identified that there are 9,915 registered construction businesses in the county who could be potentially targeted and upskilled to deliver retrofit. Hertfordshire Futures, a public-private organisation focused on accelerating economic growth and delivering value for money, identified that financial incentives were needed to stimulate the market.

A total of £50,000 of funds were then made available as a Business Growth Grant, which sole traders, micro businesses and SMEs could apply for to undertake accredited retrofit training courses. A dedicated team of Hertfordshire Futures Retrofit Skills Advisers guided employers through the different retrofit training courses, career routes, the grant scheme and the application process.

Hertfordshire Futures worked with key industry partners, such as the Federation of Small

Business, Federation of Master Builders, CITB, Herts Growth Hub and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce to identify employers in the construction supply chain. As a result, it was able to support 35 employers in the construction supply chain, disperse grants and enable 75 learners to start retrofit training.

For some, attending one of Hertfordshire Futures retrofit events stimulated real interest in this growing sector and, for one individual, it was career-changing.

Eoin Power said: “Before training as a Domestic Energy Assessor and Retrofit Assessor I was a primary school teacher. The training has provided me with the ability to start my own business in a growing market. I could clearly see the possibilities that this could provide me with. I was very grateful to have attended the events as they allowed me to gain valuable contacts within the industry and to ensure that there is further growth of retrofit within Hertfordshire.”

Growing green skills

Hertfordshire Futures and the four FE colleges across the county have a strong collaborative record of working together to identify, develop and deliver impactful skills programmes that meet the industry needs. In this case the goal is to build on and increase the provision of quality retrofit training provision, for the benefit of residents and local businesses and the market.

In 2022/23, Hertfordshire’s colleges began a substantial programme of investment in equipment and started to deliver retrofit training through existing and new qualifications. With additional Hertfordshire Futures funding and support, the colleges are able to further accelerate access to retrofit skills across the county for businesses and residents.

With this proactive approach, coupled with £100m secured by local authorities and housing associations to retrofit social housing stock, the race to train skilled retrofit operatives and professionals had begun.

Colleges can now offer students, from school leavers to those in industry looking to upskill/ re-train, the skills and knowledge needed to achieve the necessary retrofit accreditation.

This autumn, training courses (Level 3 Awards) in Heat Pumps and Solar Panels are now being rolled out. As a result of the investments that colleges have made in new curriculum and equipment, current and future students are now able to gain practical skills by working directly with cutting-edge renewable energy systems and retrofitting techniques.

Claire Dolan, Deputy Principal, Oaklands College, said: “Oaklands College has just opened a new Construction Training Centre, and the Hertfordshire Futures investment has enabled us to develop green skills provision furthering our offering to learners and employers”.

For more information on how we are building a greener future and how businesses are benefiting, visit https://www.hertfordshirefutures.co.uk/business/clean-growth/

For more information on retrofit and how you can retrain, upskills or future-proof your business, visit: https://www.hopinto.co.uk/retrofit-greener-homes

With additional research by Pauline Traetto, Founder and CEO, Reconstructing Minds

Greener together

Hertfordshire Futures is a member of the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership (HCCSP), a pan local authority group committed to joint working on environmental, climate change and sustainability issues. Earlier this year, HCCSP successfully secured Local Area Retrofit Accelerator (LARA) funding to develop a countywide strategy to accelerate retrofit. This work is underway with a strategy due in March 2025.

Hertfordshire Futures has also supported the county’s successful Solar Together Scheme. Over 2023/24, this resulted in the installation of over 5,000 solar panels; 23 battery installations and 46 EV charging points. This represented a private resident investment of around £4.5m in renewables, evidencing a real change in attitudes and behaviours in energy consumption.

Helen Pollock, Clean Growth Manager, Hertfordshire Futures, said: “This is just the start of Hertfordshire’s retrofit journey. With targeted investment and a truly collaborative approach, Hertfordshire Futures has played a key role in transitioning local communities to sustainable practices and helping foster a wider culture of green skills to meet the growing retrofit demand.”