Verity Close Low-Energy Retrofit

The Lancaster West Estate is undergoing a comprehensive retrofit to become a carbon-neutral model for the 21st century. As part of this transformation, a home on Verity Close was selected as a pilot to explore effective methods for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.

ECD were given the challenge of reducing the heat demand and carbon emissions, removing gas from the home, using internal wall insulation based on priorities of fire safety, energy saving and timescales. A feasibility report was produced setting out available options, their implications and the energy and cost savings they would achieve. Measures included insulated plaster, roof insulation, aerogel insulation over the existing solid floor, triple glazed windows, MVHR, PVs and ASHP.  Detailed drawings showing order of installation, combined with a toolbox talk ensured that the contractor understood the airtightness & insulation strategies.

ECD carried out an assessment of the home’s whole life carbon, demonstrating that while the works included a significant amount of embodied carbon, overall the whole life carbon would be less over time than if the building had not been retrofitted. The home is now warmer and more energy efficient and has helped residents understand what is possible across the estate.  ECD are working on a number of other areas of the estate, co-designing retrofit solutions with residents.

 “This shows that it is possible to transform existing council homes into low-carbon high-quality places to live. We will use the learning from the project to benefit the wider estate, as we deliver our vision of making Lancaster West carbon neutral by 2030”
– James Caspell, Neighbourhood Director, Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team

Click the link below to take a virtual tour of Lancaster West’s first low-energy retrofit home
Lancaster West’s first low-energy home (wearew11.org)