Abstract |
This project looked at designing a supply chain solution to improve the energy efficiency of the vast majority of the 26 million UK homes which will still be in use by 2050.It looked to identify ways in which the refurbishment and retrofitting of existing residential properties can be accelerated by industrialising the processes of design, supply and implementation, while stimulating demand from householders by exploiting additional opportunities that come with extensive building refurbishment.The project developed a top-to-bottom process, using a method of analysing the most cost-effective package of measures suitable for a particular property, through to how these will be installed with the minimum disruption to the householder. This includes identifying the skills required of the people on the ground as well as the optimum material distribution networks to supply them with exactly what is required and when
This deliverable is number 3 of 5 in Work Package 5. The aim of work package 5 is to ensure that any mass scale retrofit mechanism designed by the consortium addresses the key needs of the end customer, the building occupant.
This deliverable is the first of 2 customer engagement exercises, and covers:- a summary of 52 semi-structured interviews with householders who have experienced a building retrofit
- interviews were held with both owner occupiers and with tenants of social housing
- key conclusions from the interviews include
- need to design out delays from the retrofit process,
- provide suitable advice as and when the householder wants it,
- consider the reduction of VAT from retrofit works and
- design solutions which allow for the use of local tradesmen
- minimal levels of maintenancegoing forwards.
The findings will be built upon in deliverable D5.4, a large scale customer engagement with UK householders who have not yet been through a buildings retrofit experience |