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Thursday, Feb 23, 2012
guest author
Q: Are solar P.V. systems still a viable investment for the affordable housing sector with the Government now cutting the feed in tariff after 3 rd March 2012?
A: "Yes".
Even though the opportunity to install “retrofit P.V.” on affordable housing and public sector buildings to make the 13-15% financial return may now have ended with the Governments' “fast track... Read More
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Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012
Richard Lupo
Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard for new dwellings
On one level, wherever the FEES level is set is academic, because the target carbon reduction will have to be met whether builders chose to do this by improving the fabric or by installing other carbon reduction measures such as photovoltaics. It should be noted that it is recognised that certain build types will be harder to achieve a... Read More
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Tuesday, Feb 21, 2012
Richard Lupo
Last week I provided a summary of how measurement has been conducted in the past and the context of building regulations.
This week I am going to talk you through the proposed new proposed measurements and carbon compliance levels.
Proposed metrics for new dwellings
The consultation revolves around how the 2013 regulations should be a stepping stone towards the expected 2016... Read More
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Wednesday, Feb 15, 2012
Richard Lupo
The Government proposals for the 2013 Building Regulations are now available from the Department of Communities and Local Government website.
We like to keep our community informed of important updates. These are significant. They have implications for how we measure the energy efficiency of new build homes. They also have implications for organisations making improvements to existing... Read More
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Tuesday, Feb 14, 2012
Lisa Taylor
Congratulations to Macclesfield's Transition Town group, Macc 2020, for winning major Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) funding to develop a 'Green Deal Masterplan.' The project, conceived under the Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF) banner, will involve community engagement, research, and planning for green growth. You can read the press release here . "This is a really... Read More
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Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012
Richard Lupo
Sustainable Homes have branched out! More of our clients are asking for more help. We are doing some great things to help organisations reduce their impacts.
Take Thrive Homes for instance. The Herts-based housing association approached us for help with measuring their carbon and reducing their wider environmental impacts. What happened then? Following detailed conversations with their... Read More
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Wednesday, Feb 1, 2012
guest author
Jenny Smith Andrews at H+H, offers her views on why getting a home’s envelope built as airtight and thermally efficient as possible is the best foundation for building to high levels of the CfSH.
Using the correct methods, we believe it is more than possible to build cost effectively to level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) with minimal or even no use of renewable... Read More
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Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012
Allan Guy
Gentoo is celebrating after Sally Hancox, Director of Gentoo Green, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for services to reducing carbon emissions and fuel poverty in social housing.
An MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) is an order of chivalry started in 1917 by George V. The MBE has been used to honour various individuals in non-military... Read More
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Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012
Andrew Eagles
A ground breaking eco-refurbishment of two Victorian, ‘hard-to-treat’ homes is being undertaken in Reading by Catalyst Housing Group. Catalyst is part of the Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow the national sustainability best practise group.
Buildings account for approximately 40% of UK carbon emissions, and the majority of this comes from domestic buildings.... Read More
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Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012
guest author
Mears is the UK’s largest provider of social housing maintenance and domiciliary care services. Every year we repair and maintain over 500,000 social homes and provide home care to over 20,000 people. We also run 18 Home Improvement Agencies which give advice and support to older private home owners.
SHIFT allows us to actively engage a range of policy makers and housing... Read More
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Friday, Jan 20, 2012
Lisa Taylor
The names may be similar, but what these two finance streams for energy-efficient retrofit really have in common is providing a welcome injection of funding for sustainability programmes – and while one is winding down, the other is still going strong.
LEAF
The Department for Energy and Climate Change’s Local Energy Assessment Fund was announced in December 2011 and offered... Read More
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Wednesday, Jan 18, 2012
Allan Guy
CityWest Homes, one of London’s largest Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO), has joined the nationwide sustainability initiative, SHIFT.
SHIFT is the environmental benchmark methodology used to assess an organisation’s sustainability credentials. Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow (SHIFT) counts the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), WWF, the Mayor of London and UK... Read More
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Tuesday, Jan 17, 2012
Andrew Eagles
Well the title of this story could perhaps be ch-ch-ch-changes. Apologies for the David Bowie reference in the subject line, thought an update might be of use.
SHIFT is growing and changing. The last year saw two national awards, events opened by the Chief Scientific Adviser to Communities and Local Government, visits to leading environmental projects and an increase of over... Read More
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Tuesday, Jan 17, 2012
Allan Guy
We like to keep you informed of changes to funding streams. As part of this we stay in touch with energy companies, Government and other funders.
Recently a contact at an energy company has informed us of a significant change to the multi million pound funding available through the Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP).
Generally this funding is provided on a match funding... Read More
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Wednesday, Jan 11, 2012
Andrew Eagles
Claire and Andrew are very happy to announce that Ava Eagles swam into the world 9 50am on the 3rd of January 2012. A wonderful start to the new year. Some clients and colleagues have asked for quite few details. I thought I would set these out here. We were instructed by the midwife to go to the hospital at midnight for a check on the progress of the labour. Claire... Read More
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Tuesday, Dec 20, 2011
Allan Guy
Devonshires Solicitors, a long established city law firm with an outstanding track record in the social housing and projects sector, is proud to become the first legal advisors to sponsor Sustainable Homes’ nationwide initiative, Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow (SHIFT).
The only initiative to provide a comprehensive environmental benchmark for affordable housing providers.... Read More
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Tuesday, Dec 20, 2011
Richard Lupo
The Sustainable Homes team would like to wish you a great Christmas. We hope you enjoy a tonne of delicious food and some good relaxing time with your families.
Most people already use leftovers from Christmas dinner for the next day, rather than throwing them away. This is a great start to an eco-Christmas, but why not continue by trying some of these Christmas tips?
Turn off... Read More
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Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011
Lisa Taylor
Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF) is designed to support community action on energy efficiency and renewable energy. At a glance:
Which projects qualify? Building energy surveys; surveys on the potential for energy saving in homes; demonstration projects; resident energy-saving workshops and public engagement events; renewable energy studies and events.
Who can apply... Read More
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Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011
Allan Guy
As of April 2011 there were less than 40 code level six homes built in the UK. Wakefield and District Housing wanted to raise the bar. On Wednesday 2 November 2011 in Castleford a further 91 Code for Sustainable Homes level six properties were opened, more than tripling the number of Code for Sustainable Homes level six properties in the country.
Wakefield and District and... Read More
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Wednesday, Dec 7, 2011
Rachel Walls
Sustainable Homes travel into the depths of Somerset to give energy saving tips to Hastoe residents.
Last month I travelled to some of Hastoe Housing’s rural schemes in Essex, Dorset and Somerset. Hastoe wanted to reach residents in some of their rural schemes and asked Sustainable Homes to assist by providing energy saving advice. Travelling in the Hastoe mini bus, we... Read More
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Tuesday, Nov 29, 2011
guest author
North West housing provider, The Regenda Group, has been awarded a score of 43%, the equivalent of a bronze award, by the Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow (SHIFT), which provides an independent benchmark of the environmental sustainability of an organisation.
Sarah Thomas, Regenda’s Environmental Officer explained, “We’ve been striving to improve the sustainability of... Read More
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Wednesday, Nov 23, 2011
Andrew Eagles
The consultation on the Green Deal was launched at 12:30pm today by Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The scheme will drive £14bn of investment in energy efficiency measures.
Approximately 30% of the country's CO 2 emissions come from homes with another 10% coming from buildings. The proposed Green Deal is expected to help protect property owners from... Read More
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Wednesday, Nov 23, 2011
Andrew Eagles
Sustainable Homes has won a coveted Green Apple Environment Award in the national campaign to find Britain’s greenest organisations. We competed against 183 applicants and won Gold. We were presented with our award at a ceremony in the House of Commons on Friday 14 November 2011.
As a result of this success Sustainable Homes will be representing the UK in the European Business Awards... Read More
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Tuesday, Nov 22, 2011
Andrew Eagles
Instalment two – Technology – and what it means
Earlier in the year I lived in a zero carbon house for a week . Zero carbon is frequently referred to as the panacea. The great hope that will assist us to get to our Government mandated carbon reduction targets. I thought I would write up a summary about how it was to live in one of these homes that are so talked... Read More
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Tuesday, Nov 22, 2011
Andrew Eagles
The team at Sustainable Homes have been a bit frustrated lately. They have received a few calls from perfectly speaking English speakers wanting help understanding uncouth twangy antipodeans.
We thought a useful reference list would assist. We have compiled a list of words that often come up in our work. For all those that work in construction - Please print off and secure to your... Read More
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