'Deep Retrofits' Required to Meet Zero Carbon Homes

Experts have said that major energy efficiency refurbishment of millions of homes are required in order to cut carbon emissions. This comes following the news of keeping the world below 1.5C warming.

A national program of “deep” retrofits to make homes zero carbon would see them fitted with highly-insulated cladding and new roofs with integrated solar panels, double or triple glazing and clean renewable heat pumps replacing polluting boilers.

A pilot scheme has suggested the whole retrofit could take just 15 days, with people able to stay in their homes during the process.

A nationwide strategy to roll out deep retrofits can help the UK meet its legal targets to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, a report from the Institute of Engineering and Technology and Nottingham Trent University said.

Energy used in homes accounts for around 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, with heating and hot water accounting for three quarters of that.

All housing in the UK must be transformed to zero carbon emissions to meet the 2050 goal, the report said.

Much of the existing housing stock is insufficiently insulated and has heating and hot water supplied by polluting gas-fired boilers that will have to go in order to meet the target.

Current efforts to upgrade energy efficiency, such as loft insulation and more efficient gas boilers are “incremental” changes that will not do enough.

Heat Pumps for Homeowners

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Alto Energy have all the relevant tools and knowledge to make sure that the right heat pump is designed for your project in hand, be it a new build or retrofit.

Zero ON-SITE EMISSIONS

Heat Pumps run off electricity, and so they produce zero on-site emissions. Furthermore, as the UK’s electricity network becomes greener - through the increasing production of wind, solar and nuclear - so too the emissions produced from heat and hot water in the home reduce in carbon too.

Reduced Heating Costs

Savings versus traditional electric, oil and LPG heating systems can be as high as a 60% reduction in running costs.

Government Grants

The purpose of the Domestic RHI is to support and reward those households who move away from traditional fossil fuels for heating their homes, which helps towards the Government's renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.