Gentoo survey uncovers new problems for retrofit
One of the country’s leading sustainable housing associations has discovered it can cost-effectively retrofit less than 3 per cent of its properties.
A study by Sunderland-based landlord Gentoo found only 40 out of 1,500 homes could be fully retrofitted cost-effectively with insulation and microgeneration technology.
Gentoo had selected around 1,500 homes which were due for refurbishment under the housing association’s decent homes plus scheme. The study aimed to discover how difficult it was to install solar thermal panels, A-rated condensing combination boilers, energy-efficient showers and double-glazing into social homes at a relatively low cost. The target was less than £10,000 per house.
Staff studying the research at Gentoo were astonished to discover that such a small number of the homes were eligible for full retrofits.
Sally Hancox, director of Gentoo Green, said: ‘The number of properties we ended up with was just a fraction of what we had started with.’
Some of the properties did not use enough hot water to justify installing solar panels. Elsewhere it was found that other homes would not get sufficient sunlight to heat the water in the solar thermal panels, either because they did not have south-facing roof space, or because the roof was shaded by trees covered by preservation orders.
Many of those homes that were able to use solar thermal panels could not store the cylinders without affecting their tenants’ lives, Ms Hancox said. ‘And if we were able to go into the loft, the roof would need strengthening. We do not have enough money in the budget for roof-strengthening work.’
The housing association was still able to complete basic retrofit work, such as installing new heating systems, showers and double glazing into the homes, but Ms Hancox said staff would need to look again at the stock to find a better way of making the majority of Gentoo’s homes sustainable.
John Doggart, chair of the Sustainable Energy Academy, said: ‘I suspect they need to be more imaginative about the solutions that they find.’
The retrofit dilemma: measuring viability
£10,000
Budget per home for retrofit in Gentoo study
1,500
Homes surveyed
40
Number of homes that could be fully retrofitted cost-effectively
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Readers' comments (7)
gordon thompson | 04/06/2010 10:02 am
I am surprised at this....not!
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Anonymous | 04/06/2010 10:44 am
Why was all this discovered only now? Surely any responsible Social Landlord, respecting their tenants, their money and public funding, would have all this data at its finger tips and updated all the time. But there seems not to be many RLS out there capable of thinking this way - now how much is the Ceo's of Gentoo getting, please?...
I am sure they will never discover that h/she is paid too much to keep this data.
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Anonymous | 04/06/2010 10:50 am
What constitute a 'retrofit'?
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Anonymous | 04/06/2010 3:06 pm
Re: Anonymous | 04/06/2010 10:44 am
It seems to me that the best way for RSLs to get information to their fingertips is by carrying out studies precisely like this. It is an eminently sensible way to go about things.
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Anonymous | 04/06/2010 3:18 pm
Peter Walls, CEO of Gentoo, earnt £214,625 in 2008/09 according to the IH salary survey. That was a 3% increase from £208,885 in 2007/08, which was itself a mighty 29.7% increase from £161,082 in 2006/07.
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Anonymous | 06/06/2010 10:07 am
Anonymous | 04/06/2010 3:06 pm
"Re: Anonymous | 04/06/2010 10:44 am
It seems to me that the best way for RSLs to get information to their fingertips is by carrying out studies precisely like this. It is an eminently sensible way to go about things."
Carrying out surveys after schemes or projects have already been undertaken does not sound to me very sensible.
I always thought a survey about decent homes conditions should be carried out before even embarking on any project and not after... Unless of course an excuse is needed not to carry out any decent homes work.
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Anonymous | 06/06/2010 10:11 am
"Anonymous | 04/06/2010 3:18 pm
Peter Walls, CEO of Gentoo, earnt £214,625 in 2008/09 according to the IH salary survey. That was a 3% increase from £208,885 in 2007/08, which was itself a mighty 29.7% increase from £161,082 in 2006/07."
I am sure many underpaid staff at Gentoo are very proud to be working for a boss who has the intelligence and cleverness to manage to get so much money for himself out of tenants and public susbsidy... Maybe they all think, "one day I will be the Ceo here, and earn as much as him."
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