Smart Retrofit of 34 Social Houses - Old Trafford, UK

This Smart Retrofit Project in Old Trafford was developed to cut the energy costs for tenants living in electrically heated homes built between the 1970's - 1980's. What made the project special was that these homes already had insulation and the interventions should not have made a difference according to the UK Energy Performance Certificates. The reality was that the project delivered an average real performance saving of 31%.

A group of 34 social housing units, owned by Great Places in Manchester, underwent a renovation, with the aim of improving energy efficiency through targeted measures. The project involved the removal and reinstallation of cavity wall insulation, insulating party walls (the empty cavity between attached houses), and removing and reinstalling loft insulation.

KES provided design and purchasing advice, conducted construction and thermal analysis and carried out intensive quality control during the execution phase. Knauf Insulation, who were a partner in this project, provided their premium loft and cavity wall solutions as well as their proprietary party wall solution.

This project served as an excellent example of the importance of real performance approaches. Whilst the Energy Performance Certificates suggesting that these measures should deliver little or no change in energy demand, the reality was that replacing defective measures and filling the party wall made significant improvements. In fact, through a comprehensive approach that includes design, analysis, and quality control, the energy performance of these housing units experienced and average improvement of 31%.

Key Facts:

• Location: Old Trafford, UK

• Building Type: 1970's to 1980's Electrically Heated Houses

• Size of Project: 34 Houses

• Measures: Cavity Wall Insulation (remove existing and reinstall), Loft Insulation (remove existing and reinstall), Party Wall Insulation

• Savings Delivered: 31% Average Improvement