ISSUE 8 | 2021 www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
ENERGY MATTERS Scottish Government's Heat in Buildings Strategy
Building Regulations across the UK: where are we?
Life as a Retrofit Assessor
The Future of Energy Efficiency Conference
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Foreword Government, and then recently by England and Wales. Both are heavy hitting strategy documents with targets through different building sectors, with lots of different timelines and ambitions. The good news is that it is the first time all the policies have been put into one document. The (slightly) bad news is that there are plenty of gaps if we are serious about bringing all the buildings up to energy efficiency standards.
Stuart Fairlie Managing Director Elmhurst Energy
Welcome to the latest edition of Energy Matters. I am truly honoured to be writing this foreword as the new Managing Director (MD) of Elmhurst Energy. This is thanks to Martyn Reed, who has been promoted to Group MD, and I look forward to keeping the ball rolling in the right direction.
For those who don’t know me, I have been at Elmhurst for 22 years and I have worked in different areas of the business throughout that time. I have obviously seen policies and regulations come and go, some quicker than others! I am now very lucky to be surrounded by a fantastic team who are all experts in their fields - and I hope that we are all here in another few decades but with a lot more energy efficient buildings! At the time of writing this, we are expecting the world’s focus to be on Glasgow at the UN COP conference. We are sure that we will hear lots of noise from politicians across the globe about how we are all going to aim for a reduction in greenhouse gases and transition to net zero. Coincidentally, the long awaited heat in buildings strategies were released, first by Scottish
We do, however, welcome the fact that energy assessment is an absolutely vital starting point of our journey; the retrofitting of existing buildings is beginning to take shape, and new building standards are close to being delivered throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Whilst the strategy documents do not have all the answers, they highlight the political intent and ambition that we need to solve together as consumers, industry and government. I am also delighted to see the opening up of events around the country from online only, to hybrid, and now face to face. We continue to push the message that Elmhurst members are the best in the business, and this is something that we take great pride in. I recognise that we are clearly not over the pandemic, but here at Elmhurst, we have adapted the provision of training and all our delivery mechanisms to cater for those that want to do it from home/office, to those who feel comfortable to meet in person.
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performance. Hopefully I will see a few of you at the event, as it looks set to be a great day!
We must continue to push for ‘energy savings’ through good fabric improvements thus the heating systems use less energy. For too long ‘switching’ our energy supplier has been the answer but as we have advocated for years this is a sticking plaster approach which is not a policy.
There is intense debate in the news about fuel prices, which has highlighted that the cheapest energy is that which we don’t use. We must continue to push for ‘energy savings’ through good fabric improvements, thus the heating systems use less energy. For too long ‘switching’ our energy supplier has been the answer, but as we have advocated for years, this is a sticking plaster approach, not a policy. It is now time to get serious and recognise that we need to improve our existing building stock as well as setting world leading standards in our new build sector. This leads me nicely on to say that I really am looking forward to our own England and Wales Conference on 23rd November at the Leicester Tigers Ground, where there is sure to be some great debate about these topics. We have some first class speakers from industry and Government, debating hot topics such as electrification of heating, gas and hydrogen, embodied carbon, green retrofit and measured
Not forgetting that we have members all over the UK, we will repeat regional events in Scotland and Northern Ireland; and continue to host numerous online and in-person events for all our members throughout the year. I want to mention that we recently sent out our annual members’ survey and were delighted that a significant number of people responded. Rest assured that we welcome all feedback whether positive or negative, with an aim for continuous improvement. The aim of Elmhurst continues to be about providing excellence and we can only do that if we all keep striving to improve together. As always, we continue to respond to the plethora of consultations, and these past few months have been no different. If you don’t already, please follow us on LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook, where we regularly post updates and news stories. I have attempted to list just some of the exciting matters that are coming up in 2021/22, many of which are included in this edition. This includes: new building regulations for energy efficiency; ventilation, a new requirement for overheating assessments; lenders’ involvement in EPCs; ECO4 updates; air conditioning; constant improvements §to retrofit; PAS 2038 for non-domestic buildings retrofit; and PRS(MEES) in Scotland, to name but a few! I’ll wrap this up by saying that I hope that you enjoy all the articles in this edition and you all stay well. I truly believe that the future is
indeed bright for all of us in the energy efficiency sector.
Stuart Fairlie Managing Director Elmhurst Energy
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Contents F E AT U R E
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05 Stagnating Air Conditioning sector given new lease of life 06 The Future of Energy Efficiency 08 Building Regulations across the UK: where are we? 10 Scottish Government publishes Heat in Buildings Strategy
14 Life as a Retrofit Assessor 16 Competency schemes: a major feature of the future 18 Training update 20 Why carry out retrofit evaluation? 22 Market data
12 Retrofitting NonDomestic Buildings for Improved Energy Efficiency
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Scottish Government publishes Heat in Buildings Strategy
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Stagnating Air Conditioning sector given new lease of life Over the past few months there have been many exciting developments in the Air Conditioning sector. As of the 9th November, we now have a Government approved software, Air Con Online, which can be used to produce Air Conditioning Inspection Certificates and Reports. Air Con Online signifies Elmhurst’s initial foray into the Air Con sector, one which has stagnated over recent years. Air Con Online is a completely online software, meaning there are no computer requirements except access to the internet. As we look towards 2022, there are many changes that the scheme and software will
undergo. We have Level 3 Inspector training coming in the new year, which will be available to book shortly, so do keep an eye out for updates. If you have any questions regarding training to be an Air Conditioning Inspector, please contact our support team. The software will also continue to be developed to improve the efficiency of data entry. The current software provides a firm baseline, with improvements being implemented in the coming months to ensure that Air Con Online is a market leading software. We welcome feedback from Inspectors regarding the software, as they are our main consideration in relation to any developments made. All of these developments are coupled with Elmhurst’s
continuing push to improve compliance in buildings which meet the criteria of Air Conditioning Inspection requirements. We at Elmhurst are committed to ensuring that compliance is driven upwards, and with our long term commitment to our software and scheme as well as the sector, we are in a prime position to drive long term innovation in the Air Con Inspection sector. Do keep an eye out for updates on the scheme and software, and if you would like any further information please contact the Non-Domestic Support Team.
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F E AT U R E www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
The Future of Energy Efficiency Stuart Fairlie, Managing Director
When coming up with the title for this year’s conference, the team at Elmhurst quickly identified the ‘Future of Energy Efficiency’ as a very appropriate name. Carbon emissions, fuel prices, net zero, heat pumps, hydrogen, carbon capture, fuel security and energy efficiency are seemingly never ‘not’ in the news. To me, times have changed and ‘energy efficiency’ is central to all ambitions whether at the global scale, as at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, and at the national, regional and local level of governments.
The clamour for ways to measure performance of buildings and their occupants' behaviour is absolutely front and centre of the debate. The great news that people often misunderstand is that the UK is blessed with all of the answers. We know how to measure the buildings as we have the relevant methodologies. Many ‘experts’ will argue over the way to do things and in our opinion this doesn’t always help. We always advocate that you can’t criticise a model for failing to deliver the exact fuel bill of the family or business running the building when it is based on ‘average’ occupancy patterns and standard times and temperatures. This is why after understanding the ‘asset’, we always need to
provide the occupants with an ‘occupational’ assessment of the buildings, to predict what the fuel bill/emissions/energy use will be, whilst also being aware that this will not be correct either! But fear not, says I. We then need to use the metered data to help understand where any issues lie. It could simply be that we had an exceptionally cold winter, or that the occupants’ patterns changed, for example during COVID restrictions. If the underlying reason can’t be understood, experts can start diving into the detail: was a rogue immersion left on? Are heating programmers working correctly? Has some insulation been missed? etc.
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This exploration into how to do this properly leads me nicely to our conference; we have some amazing speakers lined up who will cover all sorts of topics that will help us all achieve more energy efficient buildings. The morning session is really set up around the fuel supply to people’s homes and businesses and how a push is being made use to greener forms of energy. We are delighted to have Jan Rosenow (Regulatory Assistance Project) who will give his expert opinion on the Electrification of Heating, and to give balance we also have Martyn Bridges (Worcester Bosch) who will take us through the future of heating from the point of hydrogen and gas. Another part of the building process there is embodied carbon, and we are lucky to have Tom Scott (Construction Carbon) who will explain why it is vital that we understand that when we build or refurbish buildings, we will use products and materials and use a set amount of carbon. This particular topic is also hot on the political agenda, and an area that needs addressing.
We have Chris Ricketts (Elmhurst Consultancy), who will highlight how to use measured energy performance to understand the building and its occupants, taking exciting new tools from academic research and using in real homes around the country. We are also excited to see John Palmer, a representative of DLUHC, deliver an update on the EPC Action Plan, which aims to build upon and improve all aspects of energy certificates. Liz Male, a very wellknown figure in our industry, is taking us through her vision of ‘how to build a sustainable market for green retrofit in 5 easy steps’, which I am sure will be incredibly insightful. The final session will be an update across the built environment focussing on the year ahead for non-domestic buildings, new build and retrofit of existing buildings headed up by the excellent managers from the relevant support teams here at Elmhurst. If you're not coming to the conference, don't worry. These are the sorts of topics we will be
talking about next year where you will be able to learn more about them. So the scene is set; and it is vital that we now use the data from the energy assessments of buildings, to do something with it, so a neat connection is made between asset, occupation, measured energy and embodied carbon. As we have long stated, we need to use all these for all buildings, get the methodologies updated to be as accurate as we can, and then we can start to make good decisions. Also, Government targets and polices need to be joined up and not sit in silos. The measurement and success needs to be clear. If fuel poverty is the KPI then use a cost based metric, if it’s net zero use carbon, and if it’s low energy then use these as the KPIs. The future of energy efficiency is indeed very bright and this is only looking at 2022! We have a long way to go to net zero, but Elmhurst members remain central to the way to achieve this.
...we have some amazing speakers lined up who will cover all sorts of topics that will help us all achieve more energy efficient buildings.
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F E AT U R E www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Building Regulations across the UK. Where are we? Jason Hewins, New Build Dwellings Manager and Josh Wakeling, Head of Operations
this year. They confirmed that for new homes, Part L 2021 would achieve a 31% reduction in carbon over the current regulations, see a tightening of fabric and service standards, introduce mandatory air tightness testing and more stringent transitional arrangements. The Future Building Standards consultation proposed changes to energy and ventilation standards for work to existing homes, new and existing non-domestic buildings and mitigation of overheating in new homes. Although we still await the responses to the Future Building Standards consultation it is the intention of DLUHC to publish the Part L 2021 Approved Documents, SAP 10 and SBEM v6 methodologies in December 2021, with regulations coming into force in June 2022.
Wales Over the past few years there has been an increased pressure on governments to revise the energy efficiency requirements in Building Regulations as part of the move towards our net zero obligations. This has seen a raft of consultations across all regions of the UK and we wanted to give a brief recap of where all regions currently stand and the expected milestones over the next year.
England So far, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has completed two consultations on changes to Part F and L; the Future Homes Standard and Future Building Standard consultations. These consultations set out the vision for energy efficiency standards in Building Regulations to be introduced in 2025 and also confirmed an interim step will be issued, now known as Part L 2021. The responses to the Future Homes Standard consultation were published by DLUHC earlier
Welsh Government has so far issued three consultations in regards to changes to their Building Regulations. Like England, the Stage 1 consultation set out the intended direction for Part L 2025 and confirmed an interim uplift to Part L, known as Part L 2021. The responses to the Stage 1 consultation show for new homes a 37% reduction in carbon over current regulations will be implemented, as well as a tightening of fabric and service standards, introduction of mandatory air tightness testing and more stringent transitional arrangements. The Stage 2A consultation, which covered standards for existing domestic buildings and overheating regulations, has been completed and responses published. It was confirmed that
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Part L 2021 will see a tightening of fabric standards in work to existing homes, and overheating will be tackled by a new regulation and Part S of the Building Regulations. A Stage 2B consultation was recently launched covering standards for new non-domestic buildings, closing in January 2022. Two options of uplift over current regulations were proposed; an 18% or 28% reduction in carbon emissions. The Stage 2B consultation confirmed the intention of Welsh Government to publish the Approved Documents relating to domestic buildings early in 2022, with implementation into regulations in Summer 2022. For non-domestic buildings, Approved Documents are intended to be published in Spring 2022 with implementation into regulations in Autumn 2022.
Scotland The Scottish Government is currently consulting on changes to energy efficiency standards of the Building Standards known as Section 6. The consultation was due to close on 15th October but has since been extended until 26th November 2021. The consultation proposed publication of the new standards in ‘early 2022’ with implementation of the standards starting ‘mid 2022’. For new homes it was proposed that either a 32% or 57% reduction in carbon over current standards would be implemented. For new non-domestic buildings either a 16% or 25% uplift over current standards was proposed. Other changes included mandatory air tightness testing and changes to the assessment of overheating risk in new homes.
It is expected that a further uplift of the standards would be released in 2024 in line with the New Build Heat Standard.
Northern Ireland The Department of Finance (DoF) recently launched a consultation on changes to Technical Booklets F1 and F2 with the intention of implementing changes within a short 3-month period from publication of the Booklets in 2022. For new buildings two options of uplift over current regulations were proposed. Option 1 requires new domestic buildings to achieve an improvement of 25% and new non-domestic buildings a 15% reduction over current regulations. Option 2 requires new domestic buildings to achieve an improvement of 40% (25% for flats) and new non-domestic buildings a 15% reduction over current regulations. In order to facilitate the implementation of new standards
as quickly as possible it has been proposed to retain the use of the SAP 2009 and SBEM v4 methodologies. Following implementation of these changes a further uplift is then planned to utilise the new national calculation methodologies of SAP 10 and SBEM v6.
Conclusion 2022 looks like it could be a very exciting time for the industry with potentially all four regions of the UK implementing new energy efficiency standards into Building Regulations. Elmhurst will keep all members fully updated with developments and we are already planning our training events for all regions to ensure our members are fully prepared prior to the changes come into force.
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F E AT U R E www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Scottish Government publishes Heat in Buildings Strategy Jonathan Bourke, Scotland & Northern Ireland Manager
In early October, I was delighted to see that the Scottish Government had published its “Heat in Buildings Strategy” which sets out Scotland’s vision for achieving net zero emissions in our buildings. This strategy was consulted on earlier in the year, with the intention to gather evidence and views on the Government’s proposed actions in the buildings sector for meeting climate change targets, maximising economic opportunities, ensuring a just transition, and addressing fuel poverty. I am extremely grateful to all those Elmhurst members who contributed to the discussion and helped shape our formal Response. We now have a strategy which establishes a clearer pathway to zero emissions buildings by 2045 and which details a series of short-term actions and long-term commitments to accelerate the transformation of the country’s building stock.
This pathway is set to receive investment of at least £1.8 billion over the course of this Parliament to reduce emissions in Scotland’s homes and buildings by more than two thirds by 2030.
Existing Homes It is estimated that 45% of Scotland’s homes have a good level of energy performance, equivalent to EPC rating band C. However, to meet net zero targets, there is a need to upgrade Scotland’s homes to make them more energy efficient. It is estimated that over a million homes will need to convert to zero emission heating by 2030.
Summary: n
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All homes should meet EPC band C by 2033 (there should be a good level of energy efficiency within homes by 2030) New Minimum energy efficiency standards Regulations to be introduced imminently in the Private Rented Sector by 2025, requiring all private rented properties to meet EPC band C by 2028 It is proposed that new regulations will be introduced between 2023-2025 which will establish a minimum energy efficiency standard of EPC
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band C for owner-occupied homes, which will need to be met by 2033 We will advise all Elmhurst member firms when a formal response is released regarding the Domestic EPC Reform Consultation - which has gathered views on the introduction of a new metric to EPCs. We’ll also inform members when Phase 2 is being consulted upon (reviewing the content under the “Recommend measures” section).
Regulations for heat in existing non-domestic buildings.
New Buildings (Domestic and Non-Domestic)
Non-Domestic Buildings (Existing)
The Government is currently developing regulations which will require all new buildings, for which a building warrant is applied for from 2024, to use zero emissions heating. This will likely be informed by the analysis published as a result of the “New Build Heat Standard: Scoping Consultation” and we will publish our Response to the current live Consultation on Energy Standards in due course.
Summary:
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By 2030 the Scottish Government aims to convert 50,000 non-domestic properties to use zero emission heating. Scottish Government intends to consult on the regulatory approach for heating nondomestic premises in 2022 and introduce regulations by 2025 to require owners to reduce demand for heat through energy efficiency improvements where feasible An aim to develop and agree (through Consultation) a series of phased targets starting in 2024, with the most difficult buildings (such as hospitals) being decarbonised by 2038, and for all publicly-owned buildings to meet zero emission heating requirements, with a backstop of 2038.
Elmhurst currently represents the energy efficiency sector as the sole Approved Organisation which sits on the working group advising Government on
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Introduction of a new energy target - but will this be primary or delivered energy? Uplift to 2015 standards for both domestic and nondomestic premises Mandatory air tightness testing of all new dwellings Introduction of the Pulse method as an alternative to conventional air tightness testing Mitigation of overheating risk to both new domestic and new non-domestic premises.
Whole House Retrofit (PAS 2035/30) It was heartening to read that the Scottish Government has agreed to adopt the UK PAS 2035/30
Quality Standards for all future delivery programmes and will also consider the use of the UK Government-endorsed TrustMark Quality Assurance Framework to ensure compliance with these Standards. It’s my mission to ensure Elmhurst member firms maximise all opportunities this represents to their businesses and I will continue to represent your interests in my dealings with key stakeholders and Social Housing providers. In summary: The release of this strategy represents an important step from the Scottish Government in addressing both our climate change & net zero obligations and eradicating the scourge of fuel poverty from our society. I welcome both the short and long-term actions outlined within the document, which should see carbon emissions within Scotland's building stock significantly reduced over the next decade. We now await the Regulations and follow-up consultations which will ensure that the Strategy results in clear action; I look forward to the various briefing sessions I will arrange for Elmhurst members over the coming months.
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Retrofitting Non-Domestic Buildings for Improved Energy Efficiency Josh Wakeling, Head of Operations
Now highly publicised, national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in response to the threat of climate change require significant improvements to the energy efficiency of the UK’s building stock, including nearly all of its two million non-domestic buildings.
As those of you involved in the industry will already be aware, the British Standards Institution (BSI) published the domestic retrofit specification PAS 2035 in 2019. Following on from this, the obvious next step was for BSI to consider commercial buildings. In August this year, PAS 2038:2021 “Retrofitting nondomestic buildings for improved energy efficiency - Specification” was released.
Non-domestic buildings accommodate a huge variety of activities, and range in size from simple chip shops to large multistorey mixed-use buildings, shopping centres, hospitals, factories, offices and universities. Some buildings are owneroccupied, while others are let to single tenants or accommodate multiple tenants. Some buildings are managed and maintained by their occupants (who may have little knowledge of buildings, or how to improve them), but many are managed and maintained by building professionals, e.g. energy assessors, surveyors, commercial agents or facilities managers. PAS 2038 is aimed at providing a “whole-building” retrofit process that meets key objectives, promoting and defining technical robust and responsible outcomes. These key objectives are: n
Improved comfort, well-being, health and safety (including
fire safety) and productivity of building occupants and visitors n
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Improved functionality, usability and durability of buildings Enabling buildings to use low or zero carbon energy supplies; Minimization of the “performance gap” that occurs when reductions in fuel use, fuel cost and carbon dioxide emissions are not as large as intended or predicted. Improved energy efficiency, leading to reduced fuel use, fuel costs and pollution (especially greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use) Protection and enhancement of the architectural and cultural heritage as represented by the building stock Reduced environmental impacts of buildings Avoidance of unintended consequences related to any of the above
PAS 2038 will revolutionise the
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non-domestic retrofit market with likely backing from government departments such as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and also private backing from the likes of banks and investors that are looking for a reliable, industry defined, quality process they can rely on.
The Retrofit Process The stages required for the retrofit process for non-domestic buildings are very similar to the domestic PAS 2035 requirements. The main stages that are reflected in the PAS include assessment of the building, evaluation of improvement options, agreement of intended outcomes, preparation of an improvement plan, design and specification and installation. There are a few further additional options and routes depending on the building size and complexity however the key requirement is to ensure that the Retrofit Team includes all of the relevant, competent persons for completing this project. For smaller “domestic” like buildings, PAS 2038 provides an alternative route to follow PAS 2035. This alternative route requires the project to be managed by a Retrofit Coordinator who is also a qualified and accredited NonDomestic Energy Assessor (NDEA). The PAS 2035 route would be used for these “domestic” like building with RdSAP being replaced with SBEM when completing the energy assessment stage. We believe there is an excellent opportunity for Elmhurst members to be a major part of the assessment process. Specifically, around the context, condition, occupancy and energy performance assessment
requirements for the building with the PAS specifying the use of SBEM, DSM and DECs.
Competency PAS 2038 relies on the project team to have all of the relevant competent persons for the project. If the project is a complex building such as The Shard, then a number of competent persons would be required and the reliance is on the Retrofit Lead Professional to identify when they need more competency on the Retrofit Team.
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Energy performance estimations or simulations using the NCM (SBEM and DSM)
g) Radon exposure assessments We are already seeing an increase in demand for our existing competency scheme training and accreditations on these subjects.
PAS 2038 Awareness Course
d) Thermal capacity assessments
We have now released our market leading PAS 2038 Awareness course for anyone interested in understanding the potential opportunities and requirements from the PAS. The course is highly recommended for Retrofit Coordinators in the existing PAS 2035 following the alternative “domestic” like approach details in this article. The course will also provide further details on how NDEAs and DEC assessors will be part of the PAS 2038 process.
e) Whole-life greenhouse gas emissions assessment
Please visit the training calendar to view course dates.
At least one member of the project team shall be competent to provide, where necessary: a) Thermal transmissivity (U Value) calculations b) Condensation Risk Assessment c) Thermal bridging calculations
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MEMBER’S CORNER www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Life as a Retrofit Assessor I found it very easy because I did it with Elmhurst! Also I’ve been an assessor for 10 years which definitely helped.
What makes someone qualify as a DEA, NDEA, OCDEA, Retrofit Assessor, and Retrofit Coordinator? The Elmhurst team recently caught up with Jarrod Green from EQUANS to find out what motivated him, and explore what it's like working as a Retrofit Assessor. When/why did you decide to get into Retrofit Assessment?
Can you describe a general day in your life as a Retrofit Assessor?
Just through natural career progression really. Since our clients are mainly housing associations, councils, and schools, Retrofit and PAS 2035 is very big at the moment and it made sense to train up in the area.
I start off by doing the Energy Report first and ensuring it’s accurate, and once this is completed I’ll generally be at the top of the house which is where I start the condition report. I’ll do the assessments in the loft, then work down the house, doing the ventilation strategies as I go, conditions of each of the rooms, heating, and everything else that needs to go in the report, and then I end up back on the ground floor again. Then I’ll do the outside of the house, such as the elevations. There’s also the occupancy assessment to complete whilst I’m on site.
Why did you decide to get qualified in all strands? I came to the company as a DEA and OCDEA, then progressed with the commercial side. Following that, Retrofit Assessment and Retrofit Coordination are things our clients are going to need in the future so it was just the natural next step.
It usually takes me around 2 hours to complete a Retrofit
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Assessment, depending on the house type, and I’ll do about 4 or 5 a day. When you’ve completed assessments for numerous houses of the same archetype, you have an idea of what to look for. However, when you start a new project and the houses are different archetypes, it can take longer to ensure that everything is completed accurately. With the new PAS 2035 regulations, the Retrofit Assessment is the start of everything, so it’s really important that it’s completed correctly. After completing a Retrofit Assessment you go back to wherever you’re working - either the office or home - to collate information gathered for the assessment, and get the energy reports sorted. We do a 3D model, which makes it easier to convert the RdSAP to SAP, and we can put in some figures relating to the property.
Have you got any advice for anyone looking to enter the Retrofit Assessment industry?
Want to become a Retrofit Assessor? Book one of Elmhurst's classroom or online Retrofit Assessor training courses (available to book on the training calendar or Elmhurst Marketplace).
Just get into it! If you want to be doing this kind of work (PAS 2035), you need to be a Retrofit Assessor. There’s things we have to look out for to ensure the house is ventilated and heated correctly, and implementing the right measures at the right times. There’s also the element of communicating with everyone in the process, such as the coordinator and the designer. As part of EQUANS, I get to communicate with them throughout, however I’m unsure if independent assessors have that much involvement in the Retrofit Assessment. I’m fortunate that I get to see it all the way through.
Are there any exciting opportunities in Retrofit coming up right now?
How did you find the Retrofit Assessor training?
You should definitely consider doing the course if you’re a DEA as it’s more interesting than doing a standard EPC for an estate agent - you’re getting involved in trying to improve someone’s property to help them have a more comfortable living environment. It’s always good to see the end result and to see that the improvements I’ve suggested have been implemented.
I found it very easy because I did it with Elmhurst! Also, I’ve been an assessor for 10 years, which definitely helped. Even before the assessments we were doing similar things for clients, such as condition reports, which again, made the training simpler to understand.
There’s always opportunities in Retrofit - and with the introduction of PAS 2035, it’s meant big things for the industry. EQUANS has successfully secured a place on the GLA’s retrofit accelerator framework which aims to transform the way London retrofits its ageing and energy-inefficient housing to create warm, affordable and ultra-low carbon homes in addition to being involved with a third of all the demonstrator SHDF schemes, so we are going to be busy for a while!
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Competency schemes: a major feature of the future “There is no doubt at all that competence and accreditation is going to be a major feature of the future.”
This is something Elmhurst has advocated for some time; we believe that gaining additional competencies is a natural part of an assessor’s professional development as they look to gain additional skills and specialize in certain areas. However, just as energy assessors must undergo regular Quality Assurance audits, so must those who provide additional services to ensure they still adhere to best practices.
Dame Judith Hackitt, (BESA Webinar, essential industry changes needed post-Grenfell).
So why join a competency scheme?
Strong words from Dame Judith Hackitt, who undertook the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety after the Grenfell fire tragedy, and who is uncompromising in her view that the industry must change. And although the majority of her report focused on fire safety and unsafe building practices, it stressed the need for those providing services to be trained and competent.
Becoming a member of a competency scheme demonstrates quality and competence to clients and helps assessors to ‘stand out from the crowd’.
As mentioned before, regular checks, either through auditing or completing annual test cases, demonstrate that members are both trained and capable. Elmhurst operates a number of competency schemes and competent person schemes, many of which are currently free to join. In most cases, in order to join a competency scheme you will need to complete a training course and successfully complete a number of test cases. If you have already completed a training course (even with another provider), you can go right ahead and apply for membership of an Elmhurst scheme. To apply to join iATS, new entrants must attend a training course at an approved centre and pass the exams, practical assessments and subsequent review of 3 unpaid tests.
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Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)
Do you have two years’ experience as a Non-Domestic Assessor? If so you should consider training to become an ESOS Lead Assessor where you will carry out ESOS audits for eligible companies every 4 years. It’s a potentially lucrative area of work with exciting new possibilities!
iATS
iATS is a recognised competent persons scheme that is dedicated to ensuring that Air Testers provide quality and accurate air tightness testing certificates for developers and building control bodies.
Inventory
Do you carry out onsite property assessments? If so, Inventory reports could be the perfect additional service to start offering clients! Our Inventory Competency Scheme has been created for property professionals looking to produce inventory reports as part of a recognised competency scheme.
Legionella
Learn how to carry out Legionella inspections for domestic and simple commercial buildings. This will be of particular interest to assessors in Scotland where landlords are required to have a Legionella assessment before they can let out their properties.
Overheating
As buildings become more insulated and airtight, overheating is becoming more of a problem in the UK, which is why from June 2022 it will become a legal requirement for developers to provide Building Control Bodies with evidence that shows they have mitigated the risk of overheating. This area of work will be of particular interest to SAP assessors looking to provide a comprehensive service and NonDomestic Assessors looking to offer additional services.
Psi-Value
The introduction of strict new targets and removal of Accredited Construction Details means it will become harder to comply with building regulations without using calculated Psi-Values. Model your own bespoke junctions as a recognised Psi-Value Modeller with Elmhurst’s scheme.
Section 63
Do you work in Scotland? If you're not accredited to carry out Section 63 reports, you could be missing out! Start producing professional Action Plans as an accredited Section 63 Adviser.
Thermography
Thermography is a discipline in its own right, but many air tightness testers learn how to carry out thermography inspections to identify areas of high leakage.
U-Value
Want to be a U-Value specialist? Increase your chance of winning corporate contracts and accurately model energy improvements with your enhanced knowledge of U-Values.
Ventilation
A good knowledge of ventilation is becoming increasingly important as the subject gains more focus PAS 2035, Part F of Building Regulations and even the mainstream news. As a ventilation inspector you will commission and test fixed ventilation systems to ensure that they are compliant with relevant rules and regulations.
Visit the website to find out more about Elmhurst’s competency schemes and associated training courses.
www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk
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Energy Matters | Issue 8 | 2021
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As we come to the final months of 2021, most of us are thinking: where has the year gone? That said, we have been extremely busy this year. It demonstrates that there are many energy and retrofit professionals who are ready and waiting to learn new things and top up their technical knowledge.
Training update
Mitesh Nathwani, Training Manager
Launch of Overheating training and scheme We were pleased to launch our Overheating course and competency scheme in September. This will be of particular interest to OCDEAs as overheating will be taken out of Part L and SAP assessments when the new Building Regulations come into force in June 2022. Instead a new Building Regulation will be created and supported by a new Approved Document. Therefore, those looking to provide Overheating assessments will need to gain the relevant competence by attending an Overheating course.
Our Overheating course will also be of interest to NDEAs who deal with new-build commercial properties or want to expand their services. The course is delivered in conjunction with DesignBuilder where there are two training routes: n
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Overheating Training (those with DSM experience). Overheating Training with DesignBuilder Dynamic Simulation Training.
More details can be found on the training calendar, and if you require more information we are always happy to advise.
Securing subsidized training for members We were delighted to be chosen by government to deliver training for the Green Homes Grant skills training competition. Training for Elmhurst DEAs wanting to upskill to become Retrofit Assessors was provided at a subsidized rate, which allowed many members to gain new skills, expand their businesses and generate new sources of income.
Competency and qualification courses Since the start of the year there has been a move towards
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qualification and competency based courses. Although the stamp duty holiday is now over, the demand for the courses has not reduced and to ensure we meet demand we are planning to put on more Domestic Energy Assessor courses than ever before, even taking our courses back out to other parts of the country like we used to prior to Covid-19 (i.e. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland). The next year promises to be extremely busy for different reasons. Where we had the Government funded Retrofit Assessor courses keeping us busy through most of 2021, next year we will have over 20 new courses coming your way. This coupled
with the significant increase in frequency to our qualification courses, will see us using more external venues and experienced trainers than ever before. To ensure this can happen, we are streamlining our training processes. Our On-construction strand has recently moved over to the OneFile online portfolio system. The Non-domestic strand will be moving over in the next month or so and then in the first quarter of 2022 we will move our Domestic Energy Assessor course over to OneFile as well. As you can see, we have been extremely busy lately and I can see it remaining this way for a long time to come. To help us remain the number one training
provider in the industry we will need more trainers to help meet the growing demand. Therefore, if you have experience in either the On-Construction (new builds) strand or the Non-Domestic (commercial property) strands and have some training, teaching or coaching experience, we would love to hear from you. Finally, I would just like to say here’s to 2021, and let’s look forward to 2022 and all the opportunities that will bring. Have a great end to the year and festive season to all celebrating and I look forward to seeing or speaking to you soon, stay safe and take care.
Energy Matters | Issue 8 | 2021
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Why carry out retrofit evaluation? Retrofitting our existing buildings to reduce their energy usage and improve the quality of life for their occupants is a key area to target if the UK is to reach its target of net zero carbon by 2050, which was enshrined in law in 2019. In 2019, buildings accounted for 30% of the UK’s emissions, with 23% of this produced by heating buildings.
James Brooman, Technical Consultant for Elmhurst Energy Consultancy
Building new homes to higher standards will be set out in the upcoming interim update to Part L of the Building Regulations, intended to be released in December 2021 and come into force in June 2022. Ensuring newly built homes meet higher standards is an important step in minimising emissions from future
homes, particularly with a commitment to building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid2020s set out in the last conservative manifesto . Whilst minimising the energy usage of new homes is clearly important, addressing our existing housing stock is also a key area. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) notes that “the 29 million existing homes across the UK must be made low-carbon, low-energy and resilient to a changing climate”, and it is clear that retrofitting our existing homes to reduce their energy usage will be a key area to address to allow the UK to achieve its target of net zero by 2050.
Retrofit evaluation Retrofitting existing homes to reduce their energy consumption can be done in a number of ways, with a fabric first approach being widely favoured. Fabric first
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involves upgrading the performance of the existing building fabric (through installation of better performing, and often thicker levels of insulation) before looking at other areas to address, such as lowcarbon heating. Discussing the merits of different approaches is beyond the scope of this article; however, it is essential that the impact that retrofit measures have are recorded, both in qualitative assessments (such as occupant questionnaires) and quantitative measures (such as measuring energy usage or thermal performance of a property). You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so implementing evaluative assessments of retrofitting measures is crucial in proving their effectiveness and, crucially, developing a cycle of improvement to fine-tune the building and inform future retrofit projects. PAS 2035, the over-arching document in the retrofit standards framework which was introduced following the
recommendations of the Each Home Counts review, requires that evaluation of the retrofitting process is carried out as part of its process. The Retrofit Coordinator has to ensure that every retrofit project is subject to monitoring and evaluation, with monitoring and evaluation carried out by a Retrofit Evaluator. Basic monitoring and evaluation (using occupant questionnaires) is to be carried out for every completed domestic retrofit, whilst intermediate is to be applied to projects for which the basic assessments indicate that the outcomes are different from those originally intended, or there are unintended consequences of the retrofit work. Advanced monitoring and evaluation is reserved for those retrofits where intermediate methods indicate that further investigation is required to resolve any discrepancy between predicted performance and outcome performance. Only once sufficient evaluation has been undertaken can a retrofit project claim PAS 2035 compliance, required under government scheme initiatives such as ECO.
Conclusion Evaluating the performance of any retrofit project is key to understanding how the methods implemented interact with that particular building, and to develop a continuous cycle of improvement that benefits both the project in question and future retrofit projects. Going to the lengths to reduce the energy usage of a building, but then not accurately determining whether the measures have actually made a difference is a nonsensical move, thus the requirement for monitoring and evaluation detailed in PAS 2035. Retrofit evaluation and post-occupancy evaluation of new buildings are key tools that must be utilised correctly to realise a reduction in energy usage, and thus carbon emissions, from buildings. Successful implementation will go a long way in helping the UK tackle its carbon footprint, and ultimately in its target of net zero by 2050.
Find out more Elmhurst Energy Consultancy has developed a new service whereby those involved in the retrofit process can accurately measure the energy performance of their properties before and after retrofit improvements. It’s non-invasive, affordable and scalable over hundreds of properties! To find out more about Retrofit Evaluation, get in touch: Consultancy@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
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Energy Matters | Issue 8 | 2021
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Market data
Existing Dwellings Volume of EPC lodgements and residential house sales on a rolling 12 month basis (by quarter).
Amo Sihra, Head of Commercial
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Volume of EPC lodgements on a 12 month rolling basis
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Volume of Residential housesales on a 12 month rolling basis
Commentary
Here at Elmhurst we collect and analyse data from many sources in the belief that it helps us make better business decisions. Turning this data into a digestible form takes time and requires a detailed understanding of context. In each edition of Energy Matters we provide you with a snapshot of this data, with a brief commentary, which we hope you find of interest, and can help you prepare for the future. COVID-19 has obviously had a major impact on the construction, housing and energy assessment markets which is reflected in each of the charts. Some of the data related to new build homes within the devolved authorities has not been updated since December 2020 and estimates have been used.
For the last five years house sales have been relatively consistent at around 1.19 million per year. Due to Covid the market fell away in March, but had recovered by July and has continued to grow dramatically ever since. Volumes in the 12 months to June 2021 are hitting 1.55M (17% higher than the previous peak in March 2016, and 30% up on normal). The volume of EPCs peaked in the 12 months to May 2014, driven in a large part by ECO. This fell back sharply to a low of 1.2 Million in March 2018. Two years of recovery peaked again in February 2020 with year on year growth of 11%, largely due to minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rental sector. Since March 2021 the volume have dropped significantly but on a level with pre-Covid times.
Outlook With the stamp duty discount behind us, the recent drop in EPCs suggest that the volume of house sales will also drop. As lockdown restrictions are eased, other reasons to do an EPC, such as those for social housing as well as ECO4, Local Authority Deliver and work funded by the decarbonisation fund, are likely to boost demand. Government initiatives, such as MEES, should also keep demand high..
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New Build / On Construction
Outlook
Volume of residential house starts and completions on a rolling 12 month basis (by quarter).
It is good to see that building starts have recovered well but they still lag behind completions and therefore work-in-progress is, presumably, reducing. Despite the recovery in starts we are barely at 2/3rds of the government’s 300,000 per annum target. As the demand for homes continues to grow, and housebuilders are starting work on many new sites, it is likely to remain a busy time for on-construction assessors.
Non-Domestic/Commercial buildings Non residential (commercial) property sales in the UK on a 12 month rolling basis Volume of Commercial property EPCs in the UK on a rolling 12 month basis n
Volume of residential house starts on a rolling 12 month basis
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Volume of residential house completion on a rolling 12 month basis
Data for Scotland and Wales is estimated since December 2020.
Volume of on-construction (new build residential) EPCs in the UK issued on a rolling 12 month basis.
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Volume of Commercial property EPCs in the UK on a rolling 12 month basis Non residential (commercial) property sales in the UK on a 12 month rolling basis
Commentary n
Volume of on-construction (new build residential) EPCs in the UK issued on a rolling 12 month basis
Commentary Since COVID-19, house starts have recovered quickly and are now just 3% behind their 204,000 peak in December 2018 and 30% up on the low of September 2020. The volume of EPCs in the last twelve months has recovered to 292,000, from its low of 246,000 (up 19%) but still 3.7% down from its peak of 302,000 in Feb 2020. The volumes over the last three months have been very consistent with the same months in 2020.
Continuing from the summer’s report, commercial sales have recovered well and are now 24% above the lows of January 2021 but still 7% down from its recent peak of October 2017. Whilst EPCs are issued for reasons other than property sales they have faithfully tracked the sales market i.e. 23% above the low of January 2021 and 9% down from its peak.
Outlook The market has recovered well and although that has slowed slightly in the last couple of months there is still more to come. With the economy appearing to recover, and support being made available for retail and hospitality sector, it could suggest that energy assessors will soon to become very busy again.
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