Whole House Retrofit Works

About

Appointed in 2020, Sureserve Energy Services (SES) fast-tracked Exeter City Council’s ambition to achieve its decarbonisation targets by 2030 across its property stock. The contract delivered energy efficiency improvements to 920 properties, creating better lives for low-income households through the initiative to reduce fuel poverty. This project was predominantly delivered through LAD 1a and 1b, and more recently through phases of SHDF wave 2 funding, with some properties/elements delivered with Exeter’s own capital, all in alignment to PAS2035 specifications. We used the client co-funding to set higher improvement targets and push the envelope while staying within budget and delivering at scale. The project involved the installation of insulation measures and renewable technologies to improve EPC bandings and prevent damp and mould, including, but not limited to: 

• 782 Loft insulation 
• 903 Cavity wall insulation 
• 874 Solar PV arrays 
• 798 Heating controls

The Project

SES acted as a specialist subcontractor, supporting the planned maintenance contractor who retained principal contractor status. The consultant we worked with was a retrofit specialist and, as one ourselves, we provided the retrofit coordination role in partnership with other specialist consultants employed on the project. Manufacturers assisted with designs of systems, overseen by SES, and structural engineers were brought in to check the roofs as the systems were to be implemented across multiple elevations.  We collectively designed, scoped and modelled the properties on an archetype basis. The consultant created a heat map of the properties based around their current EPC performance and geographical location to assist in the identification of the most vulnerable/fuel poor properties by overlaying multiple data sets and producing a GIS traffic light process to include such indicators as: 

• Damp and mould issues 
• High repair costs 
• Poor or non-existent EPCs 
• Component replacement years 
• Off gas properties  
• Non-traditional stock 
• Most vulnerable tenants

System design and approach

Reporting to the appointed Principal Contractor, we undertook the funding elements, paperwork, and specification meetings — all of which were completed separately. Completing our own programming on this project, we collaborated with the Principal Contractor to ensure we worked in harmony.  

Resident engagement was crucial to ensuring buy in from as many residents as possible, maximising the use of the funding and removing timely exercises in finding new properties.

Prior to the surveys and retrofit assessments, we jointly produced introductory letters with our delivery partner and held resident engagement mornings for all residents. This gave us the opportunity to educate residents on all proposed measures and their benefits, the anticipated timescales of the works and what to expect. The engagement events also provided an in-person sounding board for resident feedback. Residents were provided with an informational booklet SES co-created with Scottish Power containing tips, energy saving advice and information on the works ahead. These sessions also provided us with insight into residents’ lives, which made it easier for us to make the retrofit journey as comfortable for them as possible. We overcame initial scepticism of residents via this early communication and engagement, on-going consultation, useful handover literature and interactive tenant services.

Results

Following surveys, SES devised the most cost effective and best performing measures for all elements of the properties requiring upgrades.  

• Roofs had solar designs completed based around 3 hipped roof styles for maximisation of PV benefits 
• We looked specifically at the smart heating controls smart route devised by Exeter and SES jointly 
• Boroscope checks were also carried out to ensure the properties cavities were as expected  
• We took the lead on delivering wall tie replacement and repairs during cavity works, repointing and making good 

The principal contractor completed roofing, windows and doors for the client. All handover and commissioning paperwork to include Trustmark lodgement was completed by SES.  

Our project managers and site teams were backed by a directly employed back-of-house support function which included a project administration team who supported from an evidencing and compliancy perspective, collating photos, certification, and approvals from any relevant bodies to ensure the project stayed on schedule. We appointed administration and resident liaison officers to support projects in sending out communication to residents, instrumental in managing phonelines for residents to contact our site teams. Project management and site teams were allocated to deliver the works in line with the programme, ensuring our quality management processes were observed and delivered.  

Since appointment, we instilled a safe site policy and ensured safety instructions were visible across the site for residents and visitors ensuring a consistent level of safety. SES contact details were visible across the site and in all key communal areas. Early stages of the project required additional safeguards be put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including: 

• Strict adherence to social distancing rules. 
• Phased working to minimise the number of attending operatives to a property at any one time. 
• Extensive PPE and safety protocols, including pre-attendance screening – contacting residents to verify no occupants were shielding, self-isolating, or symptomatic. 
• Enhanced support for vulnerable residents providing additional check-ins both over the phone and at the doorstep to provide extra reassurance.  

Throughout the programme, client meetings held both virtually and in-person when appropriate documented progress, next steps and covered all resident/client issues and feedback.  

Throughout the process, our project administration team worked closely with several governing bodies to ensure the works progressed compliantly. Notifications were also sent to the DNO to ensure solar PV could be fitted; however, restrictions were put in place on all installations. We worked with the national grid to have these restrictions removed over a long period of time to eventually achieve optimal outcomes.  

Upon identification, snagging was rectified alongside our client, our site teams arranged handover with the client present to handover the properties ensuring all relevant documentation and requirements for funding were fulfilled. To ensure residents understood how their new systems worked, we conducted resident education sessions and provided them with a bespoke resident handover booklet summarising how to use and live with the new equipment. Post works, several residents signed up to a 360-degree review process, to verify that the designed outcomes had no unintended consequences. 

In conclusion

The council are now working with their local DNO to explore potential options to export surplus solar energy into battery storage or develop an aggregated surplus into a district city wide EV charging network.   

Some of the headline achievements from this scheme were: 

• Average RdSAP/EPC pre works - 55 (Low Band D) 
• Average RdSAP/EPC post works - 90 (Very High B and B) 
• Highest rated property - SAP 105 (-0.5 CO2) 34A Russet Avenue 
• Compared to CCA 1990 baseline - 93% (2050 original target 80%) 
• Energy consumption reduction - 360 degree review (Est up to 50%) 
• Early indications from the resident 360 reviews have revealed a reduction on energy consumption by up to 50% with the overriding comment that residents felt warmer within their homes and more confident to use the energy when they needed it.   

Following this scheme, we have recently been awarded Exeter’s next phase of works to improve their housing stock. Delivering these self-funded installations, we will be maintaining the high level of quality and value delivered over the past 6 years to both Exeter City Council and its residents.  

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