Energy Matters | Issue 4 | 2020
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ECO3 adopts PAS 2035 standards Ellie Dinsdale, Technical Consultant
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) is set to run until 2022, delivering energy efficiency measures to domestic properties. Its primary aim is to reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions. To improve the process of determining ECO funding availability and potential improvement measures the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released a consultation in 2019, proposing ECO3 adopts PAS 2035 standards. The majority of responses following the consultation supported the proposals for incorporating PAS 2035 into ECO3 funding. This has led to an introduction of the newly adopted standards from 1st January 2020, with an extended transition period for installers to become certified and compliant with PAS 2035 standards ending 30th June 2021.
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Retain an uplift for replacement broken boilers delivered outside the broken heating system cap but will reduce the uplift to 200% where they are not renewable heating measures. Change the way first time central heating (FTCH) measures are treated under the scheme by increasing the lifetime for certain FTCH measures and allow FTCH to be installed in private rented sector EPC Band F&G rated properties.
Applying a 20% uplift to all measures which are completed during the transition period by projects delivered through PAS 2035 and with measures installed by those compliant with the new PAS 2030:2019 standard.
These new changes to the industry will drive the need for skilled retrofit roles within the PAS 2035 framework, capturing a potential 150,000 homes per annum where ECO3 requires a retrofit improvement plan. Minimum government requirements for homes receiving ECO funding mean a secured number of retrofit property improvement plans per year, improving the future security of retrofit roles until at least March 2022.
Require guarantees for all ECO measures, with a minimum length of two years. Guarantees for underfloor and room-in-roof insulation measures to be accompanied by a guarantee of 25 years.
Dedicated government funding of £640 million per year for the retrofit improvement of homes will push the demand for qualified retrofit assessors and coordinators. Further backed by banks and lenders willing to
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provide loans for retrofit energy efficiency measures for the ‘able to pay’ with the requirement that a sufficient quality assurance regime is in place. The determined quality assurance regime is covered by TrustMark and PAS 2035, where property retrofit plans can be submitted to the TrustMark ‘Data Warehouse’ where they can undergo quality assurance. Whilst the Requirements include those from an RdSAP assessment, it must also include an Occupancy Assessment and a Condition Report, requiring additional training and increasing
