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Rhys Owen

About Rhys Owen

Posts by Rhys Owen:

Livv Housing Group Customers

Flutter Shutter – Innovation in Retrofit

Our Story

Established by 3 sisters: Rechelle Davis, Nadine Griffin and Rhianne Griffin, Flutter Shutter has been in operation within the energy sector since 2012. The business prides itself on having a range of key skills important in creating a flourishing energy efficiency initiative designed to cut carbon emissions as well as ease the financial burden on customers. Richelle is characterised as the ‘speaker’ of the company, Nadine as the brains behind the structure and organisational aspects and Rhianne as the creative force and energy to increase the appeal of their products on the younger generations.

As women in a predominantly male STEM industry, the sisters have faced many challenges over the years, from being domestic and commercial energy assessors and being taken seriously within the industry to winning contracts up and down the UK and carrying out assessments for social housing providers. However, as this story demonstrates, they have overcome the odds and proved to be successful in the industry.

 

The Challenge

Current statistics show that 82% of total waste from PVC windows currently goes directly to landfill. Many residents are encouraged to take up PVC as part of the installation of triple glazing into their homes. These issues are exacerbated where the windows cannot be replaced or are high rise buildings which would require the installation of scaffolding pre-installation. Flutter Shutter is offered as a product to alleviate such headaches.

Although triple glazing is seen as part of the solution, Flutter Shutter identified it as an area within energy efficiency within homes which could be improved. The concept identified and the product developed has been done so with the intention of being installed without the need to rip out windows and with the certainty that it will increase the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) of the building.

“(Flutter Shutter) is the only internal shutter system in the world that doubles up as a fully independent window system and officially increases EPC ratings.”  Director of Flutter Shutter, Nadine Griffin.

The process has proved long, and the company have had to wait 9 years for patent having finally had one issued in January 2023.

 

The Solution

Key solutions in creating a product which is easy to install, but also highly practical for the user meant finding solutions in key areas.

Designing a product which can be installed within a day in an average domestic home. The uniqueness of the product meant that it has undergone 9 years of vigorous testing by Liverpool John Mours University (LJMU) and the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE). Although the journey has been long and arduous, the company has seen an acceleration over the past 3 years having joined up with Centrica as a partner and funder which has been praised as a game changer in their development:

“the knowledge and expertise they have within the business and their staff who we have been able to have access to, wouldn’t have been possible without their backing, and so for that we are extremely grateful and proud to be partnered with them.”

As a route to market, Flutter Shutter are currently going through an application process with Ofgem to become approved under ECO4 with British Gas as the sponsor. Ensuring that opportunities to include the product as part of essential funding streams for fuel poor households is an avenue that any aspiring innovative retrofit measure entrepreneurs must maximise as part of their business plan.

Additionally, Flutter Shutter have worked closely to test and pilot the product. LJMU have tested the product in their exemplar houses on site at their Byrom Street Campus in Liverpool. LJMU also carried out a full working pilot scheme with us during 2021 – 2022, where we installed Flutter Shutter™ into 5 properties that belong to Livv Housing Group. The pilot scheme run for 9 months, and we installed sensors in two rooms within the property 3 months prior to installation and then installed Flutter Shutter™ in every room apart from one for the remaining 6 months. This allowed us to compare the heat loss in the properties prior to and post installation of Flutter Shutter™, which showed a retention in heat loss post installation. It is hoped that the company can begin to deliver the product to 15,660 properties per year.

Having the correct support from academia that have suitable programmes to ensure that no stone is unturned in discovering whether an idea is viable or not is essential to the success of products in this sector. There is so much red tape and every step to mitigate any future issues is part of the solution. It goes without saying that financial backing is a must with an innovative product and equally as important is finding the right funder/investors for your business.

Read more HERE.

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Bee Net Zero: Greater Manchester’s Rooftop Revolution

Our Story

The Bee Net Zero partnership is a cross-sector partnership bringing together networks, organisations and support programmes from across Greater Manchester. The region has set an ambitious, science-based target to be net zero by 2038. With business activity accounting for roughly a third of the region’s carbon emissions, the group understands the necessity for collaboration with other businesses to reach this target.

One of the key areas of focus for the partnership has been solar. As part of the mission to make Greater Manchester the easiest place to become a net zero business, the partnership has pushed for an uptake in the take-up of solar PV installations by encouraging businesses to join them on the ‘Rooftop Revolution’.

 

The Challenge

Historically, the main hurdle facing the transition to solar PV for businesses in Greater Manchester, and more widely across the UK, has been the financial aspect to acquiring and installing the technology onsite. Businesses in Greater Manchester were sceptical of the future financial and environmental benefits due to the lack of a trusted voice within the regional business community to demystify and state the facts about solar.

With the payback time for solar PV at a record low with a payback time between 5 and 6 years due to the 40%-80% saved in electricity, the rise in energy bills was seen as an opportunity to take advantage of businesses turning to on-site renewable energy sources as a means of reducing their reliance on the grid and unreliable energy prices. Depending on the size of the business, it could prove to be a lifeline.

 

The Solution

The Rooftop Revolution campaign aims to simplify the switch to solar by helping businesses to connect with local suppliers, understand the business case, learn about potential barriers, and gain the confidence to invest in solar.

By bringing together the advice from trusted partners from across Greater Manchester including Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Green Economy, Electricity Northwest, Manchester Climate Change Agency, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP), the partnership hopes to become a trusted voice in the transition to solar and provide businesses of all shapes and sizes across Greater Manchester with the guidance they need to adopt green tech.

Bee Net Zero’s solar landing page provides resources and information on everything businesses need to know about installing solar, including information on finance, suppliers, and case studies from businesses that have recently made the switch.

This includes a guide created by Bee Net Zero partner Green Economy to help businesses understand how solar can be a part of their net zero action plan, especially considering its ability to cut CO2 emissions by between 3 to 5 tonnes per year. It aims to demystify some of the technical aspects of installing solar while matching businesses with the right installer and helping them how to overcome common barriers.

Steve Connor, Green Lead for Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP), said:

“For businesses considering installing solar on their premises – the time is now. It has enormous potential to help businesses save thousands on their energy bills while bringing down carbon emissions. Greater Manchester gets much more sunlight than people realise, and this offers businesses a low-cost, low-carbon source of electricity which can help them save money and become more sustainable from the day of installation.

The benefits are now too good to ignore – join the Rooftop Revolution and contact Bee Net Zero to explore how we can help.”

1 and 3 Osborne Place

Home Group: Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 1

Our Story

Home Group is a Housing Association, social enterprise, and charity with a turnover of £420m and one of the UK’s largest providers of high-quality housing and integrated housing, health and social care. Founded in 1935, Home Group has grown into an organisation which houses over 120,000 people in 55,000 homes across England and Scotland.

Home Group are committed to doing the right thing for their customers, communities, and the planet. In doing so, Home Group are acting on decarbonising four key areas: new and existing homes, offices and operations. This case study explores Home Group’s existing homes and supply chains.

 

The Challenge

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) project is the first of its kind to be completed by Home Group. Home Group looked at targeting 90 of their lowest performing off-gas properties in rural Cumbria to complete a whole house retrofit following a fabric first, low carbon technology approach. With the nature of this project, there has been many challenges and learnings faced along the way.

Before the project took place, resident engagement was a challenge. Reasons for this included access to lower cost fuels, not wanting the upheaval of works, not wanting change, concerns about air source heat pumps and little understanding of what these projects would involve and how it would benefit customers. Additionally, there have been many challenges surrounding large scale retrofit works being carried out in Cumbria including local supply chain to complete PAS2030/35 works and ability to target rural, pepper potted housing stock.

 

The Solution

Working in partnership with Home Group, Pro-Cast, a contractor with values built on honesty, safety and responsibility. With previous experience in delivering full house retrofit projects in rural locations across Scotland, Pro-Cast has been paramount to the success of the project through their wealth of knowledge delivering a high standard of works across all properties. At a time where there is so much worry with the cost of living and energy crisis, being able to deliver homes of high quality, low running costs and fit for the future is something to really be proud of. This mutual view of both Home Group and Pro-Cast has allowed us to work closely together to achieve an end result of residents who are proud of where they live and are in better financial situation.

One happy resident noted that their energy bills have decreased from £7 a day to 70p a day.

One reason for the success of this project has been the resident engagement strategy. This included resident engagement days, show homes and contracts onsite, surveys, information booklets, meetings with contractors, manufactures and energy advisers. As a result, there has been excellent customer buy-in with the Home Group and Pro-Cast on track to deliver retrofit to 100% of homes funding was applied for.

The SHDF Wave 1 project has also exceeded funding requirements. One bungalow has gone from an EPC of 58D to 94A seeing a total estimated energy use decrease from 10,888kWh/yr to 5,564kWh/yr. This reduction (nearly half) does not take into consideration the further energy savings the resident will expect to see through the solar panels and battery. This is providing warmer, better internal air quality and affordable to run homes and a better quality of life.

Due to exceeding PAS2035 requirements, both the Retrofit Coordinator and Home Group have been awarded ‘Retrofit Coordinator of the Year 2023’ through the retrofit academy and ‘North East Landlord of the Year 2023’ through the Energy Efficiency Awards.

This project has not just focused on completing the works to achieve funding and government statistical targets, it has really focused on education and bringing the residents on the journey to net zero. SHDF Wave 1 is a fantastic example of what good practice is and what you can achieve from a group of likeminded people wanting to achieve something better for local communities and the industry.

Read more here.

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Charge My Street

Our Story

Launched in 2018, Charge My Street is a pioneering initiative aimed at promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption by expanding the charging infrastructure in residential areas and community settings.

We are community benefit society with a team of part time staff and 70 volunteers which installs and operates over 150 community EV chargepoints, raising money through community shares & public funding. Our vision is for every home to be within a 5-minute walk of a chargepoint, giving residents without off-street parking the opportunity to switch to an electric vehicle, lowing CO2e & improving air quality across the North West of England, and beyond.

 

The Challenge

The key challenges and barriers to success of a street charging infrastructure depends on several factors. Here are some key challenges that we have encountered:

  • Location and Coverage: The placement of charging stations is crucial as it is essential to have a well-distributed network of charging stations. Streets with high traffic volumes, both residential and commercial, are ideal candidates.
  • Charging Speed and Capacity: The charging infrastructure should support various charging speeds to cater to different types of EVs and user needs. Networks must also be able to handle multiple vehicles charging simultaneously, especially in areas with high EV adoption.
  • Reliability and Availability: Reliability is crucial for a successful street charging system.
  • User-Friendly Experience: Providing a seamless experience encourages more people to adopt EVs and use the street charging infrastructure.
  • Pricing and Payment: The pricing structure should be transparent, reasonable, and competitive with other charging options.
  • Integration with Other Services: Integration with navigation systems, mobile apps, and other services can enhance the overall experience.
  • Scalability and Future-Proofing: A successful street charging infrastructure should have the ability to scale up as EV adoption increases.
  • Collaboration and Partnerships: Collaboration among various stakeholders, including local governments, utility companies, private businesses, and EV manufacturers, can help ensure the success of street charging.

 

Our Solution

Charge My Street works to ensure that the above challenges constantly frame the context in which we create our solutions. However, there is no such thing as a standard installation within this industry and all locations have their quirks, it is therefore important to work proactively with local stakeholders to achieve a successful installation. We focus on establishing community-based charging networks. By partnering with local communities, residents, and businesses, the initiative aims to install EV charging points in strategic locations that are easily accessible to residents and visitors. These charging points are strategically placed in residential streets, community centres, workplaces, and other public areas.

Moreover, Charge My Street emphasises the use of renewable energy sources to power the charging infrastructure. This commitment to sustainability sets the initiative apart by promoting clean energy usage throughout the EV charging process. By leveraging renewable sources such as solar and wind power, Charge My Street reduces the environmental impact associated with electric vehicle charging, making it an even more eco-friendly choice for transportation.

To fund these initiatives, Charge My Street employs a combination of government grants, private investments, and community fundraising. The financial model ensures that the charging infrastructure is economically viable and sustainable in the long term. By involving local communities and businesses in the fundraising process, the initiative fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, making it a truly community-driven endeavour.

Charge My Street also prioritizes user experience and convenience. It provides an intuitive and user-friendly mobile application, Fuuse, that allows EV drivers to check availability, monitor charging progress, and make payments seamlessly. This digital platform ensures a hassle-free charging experience, empowering EV users with real-time information and control over their charging needs.

The implementation of our solution has meant that to date, Charge My Street has contributed to 110,509 tonnes of CO2 saving, spanning 2,426 drivers that use the service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CLICK HERE.

FOLLOW OUR TWITTER HERE.

 

Norwood 3

Plus Dane Housing: Norwood & Gordon Court

Our Story

We are a housing association with a strong social purpose. We employ almost 600 people and have more than 13,500 homes across Merseyside and Cheshire, and are passionate about the positive impact that we can have on the communities our customers live in. 

The Challenge

The way we do things in the housing sector is changing rapidly to meet looming decarbonisation targets across the industry. There is a major focus now on making our homes as energy efficient as they can be – for the environment and our customers dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.

The work at Norwood and Gordon Court is our first major retrofit project, involving the installation of a ground source heat pump and major refurbishment of existing apartment blocks – which we had identified as among our least energy efficient homes.

It is a pilot project that has great potential to shape the way we work in future as we head towards becoming a carbon neutral organisation.

As such, it was an unknown for us, and required extensive planning and preparation.

It was a big ask of our customers in these schemes to effectively live on a building site for six months. We are grateful for their patience and understanding as we underwent such a major transformation of their homes, and hope they see the benefits now the work is done. Customer engagement needs to be a priority in these situations – they need to be involved from the start and be part of the decision-making process, as well as being kept informed of progress or any setbacks.

Our Solution

We were successful in securing £2m of grant funding through the first wave of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, supported by Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

The work involved boring two 140m holes underground, to install a ground source heat pump to provide heating and hot water to more than 40 flats. In addition, the blocks have undergone a refurbishment of communal areas, and the most noticeable change is the installing of external insulation, which has seen the three buildings in the complex transformed with a white render that has covered the brick work. Cavity insulation, new windows and new patio doors in some ground floor flats are among the other retrofit works carried out at the scheme to improve energy efficiency throughout the buildings.

The flats previously relied on inefficient and costly storage heaters, which have been completely replaced with the new system. Almost all of the residents agreed to have the new system installed in their homes, and those who did not will still be able to connect to it in future.

Barry Callow, director of repairs, said: “We identified Norwood Court and Gordon Court as some of our poorest performing homes with regards to energy efficiency, so they were ideal for undertaking this pilot scheme. Storage heaters are not only inefficient but expensive for customers to run, and we are delighted to have been able to offer a sustainable alternative in the form of a ground source heat pump.

“Sustainability is a massive priority for the housing sector, and we are pleased that is also the first major project that sees us moving away from gas central heating to offer low carbon technology in our homes going forward.”
We worked with designers and retrofit specialists Constructive Thinking and contractors SBS on the project.

Want to find out more?

To find out more about Plus Dane Housing, follow the link below:

www.plusdane.co.uk

Get in contact with us here

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North West Route to Net Zero was funded with the support of the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.

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