Keegans Appointed as Retrofit Assessors and Coordinators

Keegans appointed as the Retrofit Assessors and Coordinators for Cambridge City Council's Net Zero Retrofit Pilot project, which aims to upgrade 50 homes from the 1930s located on Ross Street and Coldhams Grove. The project aims to enhance resident wellbeing and significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, supporting the council’s target of achieving NetZero by 2030.

Key Goals of the Net Zero Retrofit Pilot

Our Retrofit Team has been working closely with ECD Architects to explore the technical and financial feasibility of achieving Net Zero Operational Energy in council homes. Which involves comprehensive upgrades, including higher insulation levels, airtightness measures, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, air source heat pumps, and photovoltaic panels. The pilot follows the principles of EnerPHit, a leading international retrofit standard that guarantees targets are achieved at both the design and construction stages.

Adhering to the PAS 2035 Process

For this pilot project for Cambridge City Council, following the PAS 2035 process was key to making sure the pilot tested out all aspects that will be needed for future roll-out of deep retrofit projects across the council’s housing stock.

Detailed Assessments and Energy Modelling

Retrofit Assessors from Keegans visited every household in the project scope, to carry out a condition survey, occupancy assessment and EPR. Using this information, the Retrofit Coordinator from Keegan carried out Full SAP energy modelling and used this information to create and improvement option evaluation (IOE) from each dwelling and Medium Term Improvement Plan (MTIP), recommending combinations of measures to meet the client’s retrofit goal of net zero operational energy.

Achieving High SAP Ratings

Working alongside the Retrofit Designer from ECD Architects, the Retrofit Coordinator carried out detailed energy modelling of the proposed measures, to provide a predicted SAP rating for each home.  In this case, all homes are predicted to reach a high EPC band A and a number have a SAP rating of 100+ which indicates that the home is generating more electricity annually than the grid electricity required for heating, hot water and ventilation.

Insights and Future Decarbonisation

Keegans is proud to be part of this significant step towards a sustainable, decarbonised future for Cambridge’s housing stock. The ongoing monitoring and evaluation of these homes will provide invaluable insights to guide future decarbonisation projects for council homes across Cambridge.

Key Project Staff:

• Ashley Simms
• Bryan Simpson
• Justyn Tiptaft