Notting Hill Housing Group

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PROJECT NAME: Notting Hill Low Carbon Refurbishment Initiative
PROJECT START DATE:
Stage 1 – July 2009
Stage 2 – January 2010
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE:
Stage 1 - March 2010
Stage 2 – March 2011

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Over 2 ½ years ago, we began to look at our approach to managing our assets beyond the (“then”) immediate goal of meeting Decent Homes Standard.

Our consultants, Baily Garner were well adversed with energy saving approaches to large scale estates, but were keen to translate this to a typical multi-tenure urban street scene. More specifically, we agreed to concentrate on Victorian and Edwardian stock. These hard to treat buildings account for approximately 7 million homes throughout the UK, many of which have been converted to provide self-contained flats in the past. Our strategy was to look beyond DHS and demonstrate through research and development the approach which can be taken to managing our assets in the most cost effective and practical way.

The initiative has been developed through workshops led by Baily Garner, involving ourselves, residents and during the latter stages the partner Contractor, United House. The initiative is in two parts.

Stage 1 – Exemplar

Full refurbishment of 6 bed mid-terrace Victorian dwelling. The property is over four storeys and is of solid wall construction. The emphasis of our approach was to consider the use of materials and components that would improve overall thermal performance, lowering fuel costs and carbon emissions whilst adding to the overall sustainability credentials.

We set out to avoid “Eco bling”, but were able to introduce a number of “eco treats” which we felt may become more desirable or cost effective as technologies catch up in the future.

Acknowledging that the Exemplar is not representative of our mainstream asset management activities, we identified Stage 2.

Stage 2 – Pilot Property Refurbishments

The majority of our stock is contained within previously converted Victorian/Edwardian properties. Usually, a full refurbishment approach is not appropriate or possible. Consequently the pilot units sub divide as follows:
(a) Void Units – to be brought back into use as swiftly as possible.
(b) Works in occupied units – This represents the majority of works. Clearly disruptions must be kept to a minimum.

Through workshops, we identified 8 no. shortlisted pilots which are listed below:
Pilot 1: fabric insulation only. (Includes air permeability and damp proofing – existing windows and doors)
Pilot 2: Heating (no insulation upgrade)
Pilot 2A: Fabric insulation and heating plus water saving measures.
Pilot 3: Water saving only (lower flow rate appliances than 2A)
Pilot 4: Renewable energy
Pilot 5: Management – no fabric upgrade – this Pilot relies on education of residents.
Pilot 6A: *recycling, low pollution, low embodied energy.
Pilot 9A: * treatment of external spaces
*these are likely to be incorporated into one of the other pilots.

The Pilots are currently underway; however the scope has had to be amended slightly to suit actual situations.

The monitoring period for both pilots and exemplar is over 2 years and extensive monitoring equipment has been installed (exemplar) which is being monitored, analysed and reported upon by the University of Brighton.

There are a number of key objectives, but the overriding aim is to inform Notting Hill Housing’s design brief both after and during the monitoring period, and already informs our Asset management strategy.

We have modelled the anticipated results which are shown below. Immediately, it becomes apparently that significant improvements are achieved through a sensible approach under Pilot 2A. Whilst the best results are being achieved at the exemplar the additional over Pilot 2A is disproportionate in relation to results.

Selecting components and materials; you will appreciate there is a vast pallet to choose from. Through the workshops decisions were made by reviewing each category under the following criteria.

Performance: The impact it will have on reducing the energy requirements.
Availability: The time needed for the material to arrive on site.
Maintenance/Cost in Use: The operational cost of each option.
Installation: How easy is it for the builder to use/install?
Desirability: Ease of operation and what impact does it have on the enjoyment of the property.
Environmental Impact: How the material affects the climate (manufacturer to disposal).

The exploded diagram summarises the materials installed at the exemplar house and indicates the materials that would ordinarily have been selected.

Whilst the emphasis is on practical cost effective measures, the availability of some LDA funding has enabled us to carry out an element of research development. Areas of innovation we are currently looking at include:

• Recycled glass kitchen worktop
• V phase linear unit – tackling over voltage
• Photovoltaic and solar panels
• Under floor heating to the basement area
• Spacetherm dry lining systems
• Pilkington energikare vacuum glass

COST EFFICIENCY:

All parties involved in this research/development initiative have invested their time at cost, for this reason, we have operated a fully open book approach to the costs. This includes fully engaging with the supply chain.

With United House and Baily Garner, we are developing the concept of Value Carbon, which takes the average spend on materials and labour per kg of C02 saved. This can then be prioritised to establish where the optimum benefit is achieved for the money spent, as indicated below. This concept has been developed further in terms of analysing different property archetypes and published in Baily Garner’s “An alarm call – low carbon refurbishment toolkit.

What we have established is that the law of diminishing returns applies. Quite clearly, there are optimum levels of investment which will result in the greatest level of C02 saving. In approximate terms, spending £15,000 on improving a building’s performance can achieve a 60% saving in C02 emissions; thereafter the cost of achieving say 80% C02 reductions is currently disproportionate.

The Centre for Sustainability for the Build Environment at the University of Brighton have been commissioned to monitor, analyse and report on the performance of the refurbished exemplar property. The monitoring equipment which can be read remotely was designed and installed by Parity Projects. These results will again feed into overall conclusions to be drawn in relation to cost efficiency.

At the Exemplar at this stage we anticipate fuel bills savings in the region of £2658 per annum.

HOW DOES THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATE CO2 REDUCTION?

CO2 emissions from buildings account for almost half the C02 emissions in the UK, hence it is important to measure and reduce them.

The calculation method for measuring CO2 emissions for domestic buildings is called Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). This is the method that was used for this project to measure the total CO2 emission from space and water heating, lighting, fans and pumps. The anticipated CO2 emissions were compared with the CO2 of the existing buildings and the CO2 emissions of a typical Building Regulations compliant refurbishment.

From the outset we have modeled the anticipated reduction in C02 emissions for both exemplar and pilots (see graphs below). At the exemplar unit a 84% of the reduction of the CO2 emissions is anticipated. The first five pilots which are close to completion will have CO2 reduction between 15 and 59%.

Upon completion of the works these will be reviewed and reissued. One example of where this has changed relates to the exemplar project, whereby we have recently received the air tightness results.

The unrefurbished exemplar dwelling gave a result of 17.4 m3/m2.h and this (post refurbishment) has now improved to 5.9 m3/m2.h, which will have an impact on the C02 emissions over and above that originally modeled.

In addition, the University of Brighton will be publishing results on the operational C02 emissions as well as a range of other areas.

HOW COULD THIS PROJECT BE REPLICATED BY OTHER LANDLORDS?

• This project is already part of a wider initiative with Hammersmith and Fulham Homes, which are also recipients of the LDA grant.
• We held a successful mid construction open week (150+) visitors predominantly from other RSLs and LA’s, (refer to booklet on website)
• Undertaken and planned seminars at the National Federation of Housing Conference at Warwick, Housing Forum specialist workshops and Baily Garner seminars directly to RSLs.
• 600 invites have been sent out to RSLs and local authorities for a further open week, (w/c 22/03/10). Visits can be made via Olena Tsikalovska – otsikalovska@nhhg.org.uk. We have published details of this initiative on our website: http://sterndale.nottinghillhousing.org.uk/news.php#open-week-2-the-eco-house-iscompleted

University of Brighton – students (the future housing professionals) have visited the property. The University’s monitoring results will inform our new asset management and development design brief.

• Private sector – We have had owner occupiers and private landlords take a lot of interest and attended the open week visits.
• Articles have been written for Building Magazine, Construction News and the Sunday Telegraph.
• United House has promoted the Sterndale project at EcoBuild.
• Results have been used to inform the Toolkit referred to earlier. Baily Garner are discussing with Nat Fed how RSL’s may use this to inform their Asset Management strategies.
• Through our early pursuit of European funding, we met social landlords from Holland, Germany and France whom we have shared knowledge with.
• Notting Hill/Hammersmith & Fulham have published Newsletters and included information on their website.

HOW HAVE RESIDENTS BEEN INVOLVED?

A recent questionnaire to our tenants revealed that a high proportion were concerned with the comfort of their environment, lowering of fuel costs and becoming more sustainable. We place emphasis on resident involvement and consultation.

At Notting Hill there is a body known as the Residents Repairs Working Party (RRWP) who are consulted on issues relating to the Trust’s activities. The RRWP have been involved in this project, two members have sat on various workshops for the past 2 years, prior to the works starting on the exemplar project.

They have taken part in setting the vision, objectives/monitoring strategies and have been involved in interviewing and selecting the partner contractors.

One of the RRWP members attends the site weekly suggesting ideas which have resulted in specification changes, e.g. introduction of under floor heating within the floating floor to the basement.

As part of the ongoing decent homes maintenance works, tenants are being identified and approached with regard to taking part in the Pilot Units, with works in occupation.

At the Exemplar and pilots wherever possible historical bills have been made available. Residents have agreed post completion to make fuel bills available for a period of 2 years to help with monitoring.

Residents of Notting Hill (the wider community) have been kept up to date via Notting Hill newsletters, Hammersmith & Fulham news articles/websites, together with attendance at the open weeks.

The result will enable us to generate a “menu” which can be discussed with the tenants to establish preferences/priorities.

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