By Euan Durston, Regional Director and Passivhaus Designer at ECD Architects
The UK government’s commitment to improving energy efficiency in social housing has taken a significant step forward with the recent announcement of substantial financial support through the National Wealth Fund (NWF) and The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC). This initiative, which provides £150 million in debt facilities for retrofitting, with plans to expand to £250 million in the coming months, represents a watershed moment for local authorities and housing associations striving to meet sustainability targets, while addressing fuel poverty among residents.
As specialists in low environmental impact architecture and retrofit design, our team has identified three crucial pillars that underpin successful social housing retrofits: People, Performance, and Passivhaus principles. Understanding how these elements interconnect can help public sector organisations maximise the potential of these new funding opportunities.
Putting Residents at the Centre of Retrofit Strategies
Retrofitting occupied homes presents unique challenges, requiring thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation. Unlike new builds, these projects must balance technical requirements with the daily needs of residents who cannot be easily relocated during works.
Our recent collaboration with Cambridge City Council to deliver a Net Zero Retrofit for 50 homes, demonstrates the effectiveness of resident-centred approaches. Working with poorly insulated 1930s housing stock, we developed strategies that minimised disruption, while implementing energy performance improvements. Keeping residents informed and involved throughout the process proved essential to project success.
When undertaking deep retrofits in occupied homes, the focus must shift to external interventions wherever possible. For example, insulating at roof rafter level, rather than loft level, and applying external floor insulation rather than removing internal kitchen floors, allows residents to maintain their living spaces with minimal disruption.
Regular consultation between residents, council representatives, and our technical team ensured clear communication about work schedules and expected outcomes. This transparency helped residents understand how improvements would directly benefit them through increased comfort and reduced energy bills.
Evidence-Based Performance Assessment
The new government-backed loans require evidence of how retrofit measures will improve energy efficiency and reduce heating emissions. This makes comprehensive pre-retrofit performance assessment invaluable.
In our Cambridge project, we conducted thorough baseline assessments, including energy bill analysis, EPC certification, and air-tightness testing. Specialist monitoring determined heat loss rates and analysed temperature and humidity profiles to identify condensation and mould risks. This detailed understanding of building performance informed our selection of appropriate technologies and materials.
Post-completion monitoring is equally important, creating a complete picture of performance improvements that can be used for reporting outcomes to providers of funds. This evidence-based approach also identifies components of existing houses that remain serviceable, supporting circular economy principles and reducing project costs.
Understanding the starting point is critical for designing effective interventions. Data-backed designs not only deliver better outcomes, but also strengthen funding applications by demonstrating clear pathways to improvement.
Leveraging Passivhaus Standards for Quality Assurance
The Passivhaus Standard and its retrofit counterpart, EnerPhit, provide internationally recognised frameworks for delivering high-performance, comfortable, and energy-efficient buildings. These standards are increasingly adopted in the public sector because they address multiple challenges simultaneously: improving comfort, reducing energy consumption, minimising carbon emissions, and eliminating common building problems like condensation and mould.
As certified Passivhaus designers, we utilise the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) to model energy performance at each project stage. This iterative process informed our Cambridge retrofit specifications, including external wall insulation, triple-glazed windows, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and air-source heat pumps.
The independent certification process inherent in Passivhaus standards helps close the performance gap between design intentions and built reality. This delivers housing that performs as predicted – a crucial factor when applying for government-backed retrofit loans that require demonstrated improvements.
In essence, the rigour of Passivhaus principles ensures that investments in retrofit deliver genuine, long-term benefits. The focus on building physics and quality assurance throughout construction means these homes will maintain their performance for decades.
Meeting Government Targets Through Strategic Retrofits
With the government targeting Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of Band C as a minimum for social housing, strategic retrofit programmes are becoming essential for local authorities and housing associations, and the new loan facilities from the NWF provide competitive, unsecured lending that can finance comprehensive improvements, including:
- Low carbon heating systems
- Enhanced insulation packages
- Mechanical ventilation systems
- Renewable energy installations
- Smart heating controls
These interventions, when approached through our three-pillar framework, deliver homes that are more comfortable, healthier, and significantly less expensive to heat – directly addressing fuel poverty concerns, while meeting carbon reduction targets.
Looking Forward
The expansion of government-backed retrofit funding to potentially £1 billion represents a significant opportunity for the public sector. By focusing on people-centred approaches, evidence-based performance assessment, and trusted standards like Passivhaus, local authorities can make the most of these financial resources.
Our experience with Cambridge City Council demonstrates that even challenging 1930s housing stock can be transformed with the right approach. As the government continues to support social housing improvements, we remain committed to helping public sector clients navigate the technical and practical challenges of large-scale retrofit programmes.
Public sector organisations interested in exploring retrofit options that align with new funding opportunities are encouraged to consider how these three pillars might shape their approach to housing improvement programmes.
For more information please visit: www.ecda.co.uk
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