Connaught wins pilot low-carbon retrofits

4 November 2009

Connaught has won a series of contracts to retrofit low-carbon energy systems to social housing under a government-backed study on efficiency upgrading.

Each contract in the Technology Strategy Board's (TSB) Retrofit For The Future competition is worth £20,000 and looks at how carbon emissions can be reduced and energy efficiency increased in the existing housing stock.

Each project will consider if the technology is a potential scalable and affordable solution for the next generation of planned maintenance.

With a government target of 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in existing properties, finding innovative sustainable solutions is a priority, Connaught said.

Steve Sheldon, head of Connaught’s low carbon technologies, said that winning a number of contracts means they can take a “whole-house approach” to introducing new technology. “Our challenge is to find the most appropriate solutions in each case. We’re working closely with our clients and their residents to provide a variety of carbon reduction initiatives, that ultimately will help take people out of fuel poverty”.

Ian Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said the social housing sector includes over 4.5 million homes and the challenge is to come up with innovative and well tested solutions.

"This is an opportunity to kick-start the social housing retrofit market by connecting the organisations that will be refitting housing, such as social landlords and local councils, with innovative and capable suppliers so that together they can develop a range of high performance and cost effective solutions."

Connaught also reported that it has become the first national support services provider within the social housing sector to achieve Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation in two carbon reducing technologies - solar thermal Installations and heat pump installations.