The Roadmap To Zero Carbon Housing

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Two big sustainability milestones are looming for social housing providers. The first is to bring all stock up to at least ECP Level ‘C’ by 2030. The route to achieving this must keep in mind the even bigger goal of net zero carbon performance by 2050.

This is an enormously complex undertaking. It will involve coordinating many organisations and work streams. Here are the main considerations.

Stock Condition

Few, if any, social housing providers currently have comprehensive stock condition data with the level of detail needed to plan for 2030 or 2050. This substantial task is complicated by the fact that even identical looking homes will have unique maintenance histories and could have heating systems of different types or age.

If properties haven’t changed hands for many years there may not even be a current EPC certificate. According to the 2019 English House Condition Survey 44% of dwellings have an energy efficiency rating below EPC C. And can we really rely on standardised assessments as a basis for zero carbon planning?

Scoping

Once there’s a detailed picture of the current stock condition it’s then possible to carry out a meaningful scoping exercise. This could identify properties that wouldn’t be technically or economically viable to upgrade to zero carbon and need to be disposed of.

Options Analysis

There are many insulation, heating and renewable energy options available. The optimum combination based on cost and effectiveness will vary according to property type, age and construction method, among other factors.

In some cases, achieving the first goal of an EPC rating of C could be achieved more quickly and efficiently by focusing initially on installing renewable energy systems. In other cases, improved insulation, low energy lighting and modernised heating systems will be a more effective route. So much depends on the individual property.

Sustainable Procurement

Zero carbon housing will mean a long-term purchasing programme for specialist services, materials and equipment. Supply chain management protocols to ensure quality, continuity and sustainability performance will need to be established early on.

External Funding

Financial and cash flow management will be critical. Processes must be set up to maximise access to grant funding and to deal with power purchasing agreements and assignment rights related to Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments.