In the press: Reaching net zero carbon on residential blocks

Claire Brown, Associate Director at SRVO, shared her thoughts with News on the Block, read the whole article here

Reaching a net zero carbon target for owners of multi-occupied residential buildings is a looming challenge, with the added problem of keeping homes cool and comfortable during hot summers.

While much of the policy focus, including the Future Homes Standard, is geared towards new build, the reality for many existing residential blocks is that decarbonisation will need to be delivered through retrofit.

In multi-occupancy buildings, major works can’t be done piecemeal as agreement from multiple stakeholders is usually required, and any changes to the building envelope must be carefully considered to meet Building Regulations requirements.

In this piece, Claire explores the ways in which a whole building approach can help freeholders, RMCs and managing agents deliver low-carbon solutions across residential blocks while offering potential economies of scale

• More efficient heating and lighting can reduce energy costs
• The large roof spaces of some apartment buildings often offer great opportunities for solar PV
• For heating and hot water, communal low-carbon systems that have a central plant, can be more cost effective.
• Combining centralised plant with solar PV can offset the electricity used and further enhance long-term resilience.
• High-performance triple glazing or vacuum glass in window replacement projects will improve thermal performance
• Low emissivity or solar-reflecting coating on windows can help keep homes more comfortable and reduce power demands.
• Low-energy lighting in common parts, better controls for heating, changing the heating cycle or simply draft-proofing main entry doors
• EV charging installed collectively rather than ad hoc will be cheaper, will almost certainly look better and will be easier to maintain.

The challenge for freeholders and landlords is not just technical but strategic.

Sequencing and viability require a deep understanding of the physical building and the long-term asset plan, with trusted advice to help make the right decisions at the right times.

Work with specialist property advisors to understand how sustainable measures could be accommodated into long-term maintenance plans (CapEx or PPMs).

Securing agreement from all stakeholders, including individual leaseholders, can often be one of the most complex aspects for managing agents and RMCs to navigate. Communicating the benefits well is important; identify, prioritise and package retrofit measures so that leaseholders can clearly see the financial benefits.

To meet the government’s 2050 net zero target, low-carbon retrofit is increasingly a necessity for those responsible for managing residential blocks.

Get in touch with Claire Brown to find out how SRVO Property can help you plan and navigate a whole building approach to low-carbon retrofitting – Email Claire.Brown@srvoproperty.com