Sustainability

What do the pioneering ReFLEX Orkney project, the unique ‘Solopower’ solution, and the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator all have in common? They are either led by or partnering with one innovative energy services company, SMS plc, which is on a mission to support housing organisations with long-term sustainability and fuel poverty targets.
The intelligent application of distributed green energy technologies – in tandem with new financing solutions that aim to make mass rollout across UK homes realistically deliverable and widely affordable – has potential not only to help Britain fully decarbonise, but also dramatically reduce rates of fuel poverty in the process.

On Thursday 1st July, Bath-based Consultancy Nine Feet Tall will be hosting a Virtual Round Table Event aimed at business and transformation leaders in the Housing sector.

•    Kingspan achieved its Net Zero Energy target in 2020
•    Next ambitious target is net zero carbon manufacturing by 2030
•    Additional key target to halve carbon intensity of primary raw materials by 2030
•    Significant progress made across the 12 ‘Planet Passionate’ commitments to reduce environmental impact by 2030

Global building industry leader Kingspan has published its inaugural “Planet Passionate” Sustainability Report, reviewing the first year of progress in the 10-year strategy it launched in December 2019.

For over 25 years, global company Premier Tech Water and Environment has been protecting our properties and our environment with sustainable local solutions. With over 100,000 installations already across the globe, the Ecoflo Coco Filter is a proven system for enhancing wastewater effluent quality for a variety of applications. Now, Premier Tech Water and Environment has brought the Ecoflo Coco Filter to the UK market, to further improve the effluent quality for both residential and commercial projects that require off-mains wastewater treatment.

100% natural, organic and renewable, the Ecoflo coconut-husk fragments are produced by cutting up the husk that surrounds the fruit of the coconut. This mechanical process ensures complete control over the size of each fragment and overall porosity, guaranteeing a uniform filtering medium that delivers a consistently high wastewater treatment performance over time.

By partnering with social housing landlords to deliver a fully-financed and intelligently operated solar PV and battery storage solution, Solopower aims to support local authorities in reaching their net zero and fuel poverty targets.

Addressing the existential threat of climate change is unquestionably the major driver for decarbonisation efforts globally and is consequently something the whole of society can recognise and rally behind. However, as social housing landlords are all too aware, there is another important stimulus for carbon reduction that is seldom talked about in comparison: the growing issue of fuel poverty.

In response to increasing focus on sustainable solutions to support the UK target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Marley has launched its Marley SolarTile® range. The integrated photovoltaics (PV) system offers sleek aesthetics, design flexibility, easy installation, industry leading weather and fire performance and energy cost savings, all covered by a 15-year guarantee.

There has never been more pressure on local authorities to provide more housing for our growing population, while at the same time preserving the natural beauty of our countryside. The tide of public opinion is now also turning on sustainability, and government and public alike are demanding that sustainably-built, low-impact eco-homes now need to be prioritised. 
Despite genuine enthusiasm about sustainable building within local authorities, as well as amongst developers, there is often a huge knowledge gap about how low-impact eco-homes can actually be developed. In my work as a low-energy consultant, I often come across people who desperately want to be able to build ‘greenly’ but don’t have the first idea about where to start. 
So, I have made a list of some of the key ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for local authorities looking to lead the way in sustainable development.