The improvements we make when retrofitting homes to Net Zero mean far more than reducing the carbon emissions we produce from our homes. When done well they can positively impact the residents who live within them, improving their health and well-being, and providing a more cost-effective home to heat and a comfortable living environment.
Making sure every home has the right combination of measures, and they are installed to a high standard, is vital to ensuring that there are no unintended consequences such as damp and mould or overheating from the improvements.
The “Each Home Counts” review in 2017, was carried out to address some of the unintended consequences that occurred from previous energy improvement schemes. As a result of the findings, the PAS 2035 standard was implemented. Its key aim was to establish a robust standards framework for the end-to-end delivery of retrofit works.
We won’t dig into the standard in this blog, but we are going to highlight the several key positions that have been created as part of the standard to ensure competency, transparency, and accountability.
Let’s start with the Retrofit Co-ordinator…
The Retrofit Coordinator (RC), is key to making sure the improvements made to a home are the right ones and don’t deliver any unintended consequences. They are responsible for providing end-to-end project oversight (including for any monitoring work). The RC assesses the building and suitability of measures, oversees the design of measures, reviews the installer’s work, and acts as the landlord’s advocate for any issues. A key responsibility is to confirm that the rest of the project is delivered in line with PAS2035, relevant regulations, and the landlord’s intended outcomes. The RC can be employed by the landlord, or any other party involved but is ultimately responsible for protecting the landlord and the resident’s interest.
A key responsibility of the RC is the production of the Improvement Options Evaluation and Medium Term Improvement Plan for each property. This bespoke plan is developed after agreeing on the Intended Outcomes with the landlord, and the evaluation of the Retrofit Assessments, completed by the Retrofit Assessor.
Given the pivotal role the RC plays in these projects, whilst it is not a regulatory requirement to keep these roles separate, it is important to put clear divisions between the RC and the other roles to ensure professional integrity is retained. Without that divide, avoiding any potential conflicts could be problematic. For example, should the RC be contracted to the Retrofit Installer (commonly called a main or principal contractor) and therefore paid by them, it’s difficult to see how the position of the RC cannot be compromised should they wish to challenge something that the installer has done. When the RC is contracted directly to the landlord, it provides the landlord with the necessary reassurance and independence to achieve a compliant outcome.
Now let’s look at the rest of the PAS2035 team…
Retrofit Advisor: The Advisor is not a required role but is sometimes appointed to give additional advice to the landlord on the process of delivering a PAS2035 retrofit project.
Retrofit Assessor: Your Retrofit Assessor needs to be a PAS2035 qualified surveyor, and they are responsible for completing the whole-dwelling assessment. This includes making a record of the homes condition, construction, services, defects, fabric build-up, and suitability for improvement. The survey also includes an updated EPC. The quality of the assessment is crucial to making sure the right measures are applied to each individual home. Read our other blog here to understand a bit more as to why.
Retrofit Designer: A PAS2035 qualified designer takes the performance recommendations in the Medium Term Improvement Plan, and translates these into a specific, detailed design for each home.
Retrofit Installer: The Installer is responsible for the PAS2030 compliant installation of the measures in line with the Retrofit Design. The Installer is often the same organisation as the Retrofit Designer, which can bring efficiencies and quality benefits in the design and installation process but is not a necessity.
Retrofit Evaluator: Is responsible for conducting a qualitative evaluation of the project, by issuing and reviewing surveys to the resident. Suppose a retrofit is found to have not achieved its Intended Outcomes. In that case, it is referred for Intermediate Evaluation, which must be undertaken by a Retrofit Evaluator who is not and has not been a part of the retrofit team.
Apart from the Intermediate Evaluator role, there are no restrictions on what roles can be undertaken by one or more organisations, as long as they are appropriately qualified. However, as explained, it can be beneficial to keep some of these activities separate, to ensure corners are not cut and standards are kept high throughout.
Having the right team in place is more than just meeting the requirements of the PAS 2035 standard.
Getting the right team in place to meet the PAS 2035 standard may feel onerous and more expensive, however, given the significant investment landlords will be making and the disruption the improvements can bring to a resident’s home, it’s well worth the investment.
The right team will ensure what is delivered at the end of the project, remains in line with the intended outcomes set at the start. They will also effectively manage any issues or challenges that occur during the project.
Getting retrofit right requires careful planning and design, and the installation needs to be managed thoroughly and independently. Understanding how homes work, and the dangers of getting it wrong, so that the measures installed work effectively for every individual home, is vital to improving the lives of the residents that live within them.