There are lots of different approaches to greening a building — reskinning, retrofits, rebuilds, and behavioural change. Many of these approaches are costly, and one has to ask, are they the best approach? A new UK study is looking for the answer.

UK environmental charity BioRegional and its partners have been given the go-ahead for an eco-retrofit project that will inform government policy for the rest of the UK. As part of the government’s Retrofit for the Future competition, three homes in the London Borough of Sutton will get the green treatment. One will be transformed into a super eco-home and see energy use slashed by 80%, one gets improved to the national decent homes standard, while all three will have expert advice on adopting eco-behaviours from a ‘green coach’. The households will be monitored over two years and the results will inform local and national housing policy.

The Sutton project is part of a national UK programme from the government’s Technology Strategy Board which is funding 87 low-carbon social housing projects around the country that have a wide scope for replication. Sutton’s project partnership is made up of BioRegional, Sutton Council, the borough’s social housing delivery organisation — Sutton Housing Partnership and eco-construction experts — Parity Projects.

Sue Riddlestone, Director of BioRegional said: “Behaviour change is an essential part of the eco-puzzle. This innovative project will add a useful contribution to the field by looking at people and technology in tandem.”

For details on the three households, visit www.bioregional.co.uk/news-views/news/retrofitforthefuture/.

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