Welsh government launches roadmap for decarbonising homes

Questions around the funding of retrofit and decarbonisation have been raised in recent months, with housing associations and industry organisations expressing concerns over how the new Welsh Housing Quality Standard will be financed.

The Welsh government also recently confirmed that it does not have a target for social housing to reach Energy Performance Certificate Band A by 2030.

The new strategy will include ensuring the planning system is set up to enable people to easily install green technology such as heat pumps.

Inside Housing understands that permitted development rights will be reviewed over the coming year, including the rule in Wales that requires air source heat pumps to be three metres away from a property’s boundary.

The Welsh government is also formally launching its publicly owned renewable energy developer, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru.

The company, first announced in 2022, has been set up to develop large-scale renewable energy projects – particularly onshore wind – on land owned by the Welsh government.

It has a target of developing a minimum of 250 megawatts of new renewable energy generation capacity by 2030 and an additional 750MW of new capacity by 2040, subject to grid capacity being available.

Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru will also face the challenge of securing enough capacity in the grid as the demand for electricity increases.

“Owning our own renewables company on behalf of Wales will allow us not only to develop renewables in ways that fit with the natural environment but most importantly to provide us, and the people of Wales, with the ability to own the returns on what will be a significant investment,” Mr Miles said.

“We have a long road ahead and we will not start generating income for Wales for some years – but the work to better secure our energy future starts today.”

Inside Housing understands that the government is opting primarily for electricity in its decarbonisation plans, with some use of hydrogen in limited cases where industries are already using it.

One source of energy being considered is the use of warm water in old mine workings to heat homes in former mining communities, although this is at a very early stage, the Welsh government said.

The sector in Wales is also waiting for the outcome of a hearing this week that will give housing associations clarity over their duties under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act.

The issue centres on whether tenants should be refunded rent because of landlords’ failure to provide them with a physical confirmation of electrical safety certificates.

If the court decides that landlords are in breach of the regulation, it could cost the sector a significant sum.