Social housing goes to the CoRE for specialist retrofit expertise

A focus on neighbourhood scale refurbishment by local authorities and housing associations is the first topic in a series of specialist retrofit events for the social housing sector being organised by the Centre of Refurbishment Excellence (CoRE).

Social housing often takes the lead on new opportunities for neighbourhood scale retrofit. CoRE’s six social housing events are designed to provide RSLs with the tools, knowledge and a roadmap to achieve the best results for their housing stock under the new ECO (Energy Company Obligation) regime.

The first event on ‘Taking the Lead on Neighbourhood Scale Refurbishment’ on 24 October provides the foundation for the next five seminars:

• ECO Procurement: How to Secure the Best Deal – 13 November 2013
• ECO Measures: Non-Traditional and Solid Wall Properties – 3 December 2013
• Social Housing: Renewable Heat Incentive Opportunity – 23 January 2014
• District Heating Schemes: Worth Considering? – 26 February 2014
• The Near Future: Low Carbon Properties and Alternative Fuel Technologies – 26 March 2014.

This month’s event will provide an explanation of the streams that make up ECO and which apply to social housing.  It will highlight the differences between the previous CERT scheme, including the major divergence in funding levels between properties.  

It will explore the key social housing funding streams and the associated measures they cover, with special emphasis on new opportunities for previously problematic property types.  It will also outline other major funding streams that may be open to social housing providers that can be tied in to an ECO based scheme – whether under current programmes or to form the basis of new projects.

CoRE is the not for profit, national centre of excellence for green building retrofit. Its mission is to transfer practical retrofit knowledge to support excellence in retrofit products and projects across the domestic and non-domestic sectors.

Based in Stoke-on-Trent, CoRE is itself an example of refurbishment excellence, an international standard conference and training venue.