Green Alliance has recently published Reinventing Retrofit, a new report as part of a three-year strategy to decarbonise the heating and transport sectors. The report takes a closer look at a new and innovative approach to improving home energy efficiency called ‘Energiesprong’ (Dutch for ‘energy leap’). It’s a one-step approach to retrofitting homes, resulting in a home that’s virtually net zero.
The authors argue that adopting this approach could cut domestic peak heat demand in the UK by forty per cent and help decarbonise the heating system at a lower cost than current options. They recommend to the government a ‘commit and review’ approach to Energiesprong, offering innovation support on the condition that the cost per retrofit comes down over time, removing the need for subsidy.
The report was funded by the Zero Energy Buildings Catalyst (ZEBCat) project, with support from the European Regional Development Fund.