roof tiles

With solar PV installations continuing to accelerate, Kevin Taylor, Training and Technical Support Manager 
at Marley, says that tenant safety is the key factor for every social housing solar PV project.

The UK construction industry is under mounting pressure to meet stringent net zero carbon targets. Driven by frameworks such as the Future Homes Standard, regulations now increasingly require builders and developers to provide evidence that their materials and practices genuinely contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects.

This puts the onus on specifiers and sustainability leads to verify claims of carbon neutrality, while also seeing manufacturers use innovative materials and production methods which genuinely lower emissions.

In a first for UK roofing, Edgemere 2.0 combines Marley’s familiar concrete roof tile specification with carbon-capture cement technology and Carbon Bank evidence supplied for every order.

The carbon reduction story behind Edgemere 2.0* begins with the cement. CO₂ from cement production is captured at source, before it enters the atmosphere, and permanently stored beneath the seabed. The carbon reduction is then recorded in the publicly available Carbon Bank, which allocates captured and stored CO₂ reductions to specific Edgemere 2.0 orders, with full end-to-end traceability through an Environmental Attribute Certificate (EAC).

The recently announced Warm Homes Plan represents a major opportunity to accelerate improvements in the energy efficiency of UK homes, including across the social housing sector.

With significant funding now confirmed, housing associations have the financial firepower to fast-track retrofit programmes that support tenants, cut carbon and deliver long-term value through solutions such as heat pumps, insulation and solar PV.

Roofing, and particularly the installation of solar panels, has been highlighted as a key contributor to effective energy-efficiency upgrades. As Daniel Redfern, Head of Marketing Communications at Marley, explains, success will depend not only on funding, but on selecting quality products and building a skilled, resilient workforce capable of delivering at scale.

Housing associations can strengthen their supply chain by partnering with roof system manufacturers who go further.

The provision of proven product systems, a wide-ranging product portfolio and accessible technical support are roof manufacturing ‘must haves’. It helps the housing association sector balance cost, efficiency and sustainability considerations when it comes to developing low carbon, energy efficient homes for tenants.

Imparting best practice specification, encouraging design skills and sharing essential product knowledge so the next generation of professionals deliver well designed, warm and sustainable future homes for the housing association sector, highlights the importance of manufacturers taking a wider view.

The new Government is committed to delivering 1.5 million homes (during this Parliament) including the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation, therefore speed of construction is a priority.

That makes a revolutionary new roof tile, from pioneering manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles perfect, as the tile is 33 per cent quicker to install than other thinner leading-edge interlocking tiles. 

As the transformative journey to delivering more sustainable homes of the future, including local authority properties, continues to gather pace, those charged with its delivery will be turning to their supply chains for added value support.

To help guide local authorities to navigate these changes, Marley has bought together its industry leading expertise to launch its More than a Roof campaign.

From cross collaboration, access to robust product selection, which includes solar PV, to peace of mind through its extended system guarantee, Marley is on hand to support local authorities at every stage of their project.