Stuart Nicholson of Marley discusses some of the ways a full roof system, incorporating solar PV, can have a positive impact on rising energy prices.
The social housing whitepaper outlined the Government’s commitment to review the Decent Homes Standard to consider if it should be updated, including how it can better support the decarbonisation and energy efficiency of social housing. In February 2021, the Government announced it was commencing a two-part review of the Standard, which at the time of writing, was still ongoing.
With this in mind, local authorities and housing associations responsible for retrofitting and maintaining existing properties, are essential when it comes to transforming household energy efficiency performance and future sustainability.
Solar PV
Solar PV technology is tried and tested, readily available, and has become much more affordable in recent times. Indeed, such is the momentum behind the adoption of the technology, Solar Energy UK predicts the changes to Part L could lead to a five-fold increase in the number of new homes specified with solar technology.
Yet, when it comes to improving the efficiency of existing housing stock, solar PV can also play a significant role here too.
Within the retrofit market, housing associations will understandably be looking at a way to further maximise the benefits of solar PV. One way to do this is to take a complete view of retrofit projects, so rather than examining housing stock roofing upgrades on an incremental basis, local authorities should view property stocks holistically and collectively by age.
When retrofit, maintenance or roof replacement is required for a volume of houses, it makes both economic and resource sense to incorporate technologies such as solar PV at that stage, as opposed to taking a piecemeal and operationally inefficient approach. This approach ensures housing associations can invest primary capital expenditure as effectively as possible so the most expensive cost items such as labour and scaffolding are incurred just once.
Mitigate energy price shocks
It should also be acknowledged that solar PV solutions are more accepted now. This is helped by improvements to the final aesthetics viewed on the roofscape. Aside from better system visual appeal, local authorities and social housing providers are under pressure from tenants worried about the cost-of-living crisis and the current dramatic rise in energy prices.
The most up-to-date figures recently released on GOV.UK show that 13.2% of households in England are in fuel poverty. The spectre of even more homes adding to this figure is causing concern for many.
With tenants expecting social housing landlords to help them and tackle the energy challenge through a range of measures such as improved insulation, better build quality and the inclusion of low carbon, energy efficient technologies including solar PV, they should actively promote the message that sustainable energy generation can also lead to lower energy costs.
This will be welcomed by many tenants and can help create more solar PV advocates to support future implementation. And the effort is worth it, as the Government estimates that the inclusion of solar panels on the roof can help reduce average electricity bills by ÂŁ330 a year, helping to mitigate the cost pressures tenants will be feeling.
The benefit of the full roofing system
For ultimate peace of mind, however, housing associations should look to specify a full roof system from a single manufacturer.
By taking a considered technical view about integrated roofing solutions, housing associations can underpin their ongoing tenant duty of care and budgetary responsibilities, as well as being confident in the knowledge that the full roofing system specified will stand the test of time and deliver long-term lifecycle cost efficiencies.
Stuart Nicholson is roof systems director at Marley