BioRegional is currently very active in implementing retrofit projects in the local community.
As part of our wider One Planet Sutton programme, BioRegional is undertaking the Zero Carbon Hackbridge project, which aims to demonstrate how a suburb can be retrofitted cost-effectively to become zero carbon. We want to adopt an area-based approach looking at the different solutions that need to be implemented for the various types of domestic and commercial buildings and the different tenures present in this community. We want to start retrofitting energy efficiency measures now and prepare for the Green Deal roll-out in 2012.
We are also currently taking part in three retrofit projects, taking place in Sutton: a Retrofit for the Future project where three different houses are monitored with different levels of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures implemented: one house is refurbished to the Decent Homes standard and another is refurbished to become a One Planet House (using the holistic 10 One Planet Living principles framework which covers everything from zero carbon and zero waste to sustainable food, transport and materials with low-embodied energy). The third house is a control house. All will also benefit from behaviour change workshops.
Another retrofit project taking place in Sutton is the Pay As You Save scheme, which is a project led by B&Q. More than 60 houses are being refurbished with different types of energy efficiency measures (from standard boiler replacement to solid wall insulation and installation or micro-renewables). The purpose of the scheme is to test some elements of the future Green Deal roll out, planned in 2012. BioRegional is in charge of monitoring and evaluation of the project. A paper on the lessons learnt so far will be issued shortly on BioRegional’s website so watch this space!
