Low Carbon Buildings

The Zero Carbon Yorkshire Buildings working group is made up of a wide range of building professionals, businesses, activists and academics from across the Yorkshire region.

It is now also affiliated to the AECB as the AECB Yorkshire group. The group meets three times a year in Leeds and has identified the following areas to work on initially:

• Promotion of Passivhaus low energy building standard (for newbuilds) to local authorities and housing associations within Yorkshire.
• Exploring solutions to the financial, political and technical challenges posed by the need to undertake radical retrofits of existing buildings within Yorkshire.
• Promote low carbon building and showcase local exemplar projects within Yorkshire through conferences and websites.
• Exploring appropriate low carbon energy sources for ultra low energy buildings

Ideas and suggestions for the group are very welcome. Contact the administrator of the group: [email protected]

 LINKEDIN Group: Zero Carbon Yorkshire BUILDINGS

January 2023: Making retrofit happen in Yorkshire

View recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdBd3ltiITg

• Retrofit our home to tackle multiple crises – Dr Kate Simpson – download pdf
• National & local government initiatives on retrofitting homes. The West Yorkshire Better Homes Hub – Nadia McPherson ([email protected]) , Programme Lead (Energy & Environment), West Yorkshire Combined Authority – download pdf
• Retrofit one-stop-shops, exemplars and Yorkshire initiatives

Matthew Tulley ([email protected])  Retrofit One Stop Shops – Ireland exemplar  – download pdf

Andy Boyle ([email protected]) Leeds Retrofit Accelerator  – download pdf

Community Energy York

Plans for a one stop shop in Kirklees: Contact: [email protected]

• Retrofit training & funding retrofit projects

Simeon Perry ([email protected]), Head of Operations EN:Able Communities CIO, Efficiency North – download pdf

John Kerr ([email protected]), Retrofit Programme Manager, Zero Carbon Harrogate – download pdf

• United for Warm Homes campaign – campaigning for more national funding for retrofit and other ways to address the energy crisis.  Contact your local Friends of the Earth group to get involved.

Notes from Zoom Chat

October 2022: Increasing the uptake of Passivhaus in Yorkshire

View recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htMoywMc1cA

• Sophie Round, Housing Delivery Programme Manager, York City Council sharing an update on its Passivhaus housing delivery programme Download pdf  Email: [email protected]
• Tim Larner, Passivhaus custom-builder and small-scale developer ‘Four years living in a Passivhaus, what we’ve learned about carbon, utilities and running costs: should the energy crisis be driving us towards Passivhaus’. Download pdf 
• Kevin Pratt, Director, Pure Haus “Our journey to Passivhaus developments in Yorkshire” Email: [email protected]

January 2022 online: The Big Retrofit Debate: Training & technical

View recording here: https://youtu.be/gPiZjnAE4qs

• An overview of typical retrofit technical issues and why retrofit is complicated 
• Some useful films on the complexity of retrofit: St Bricins Park; 
  A short guide to radical retrofit; Niddrie Road: A blueprint for energy-efficient traditional tenements?; 
• PAS 2035 – what is it? – Alex Honey,  QODA Consulting – Download pdf
• AECB CarbonLite retrofit training – Trish Andrews, AECB. Download pdf
• Retrofit training for contractors in Yorkshire – Holly Hansen-Maughan, Harrogate College & Fiona Jones Zero Carbon Harrogate. Download PowerPoint

November 2021 Online: The Big Retrofit Debate: Making it happen

View recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKOnjlPdTbY&t=23s

Changing Government retrofit policy 

• Insulate Britain’s policy demands – Matthew Tulley, Insulate Britain – Download pdf
• The Great Homes Upgrade – Aydin Dikerdem, New Economics Foundation Email: [email protected], More information: greathomesupgrade.org

• ‘The West Yorkshire Better Homes Hub and a joined-up approach to driving retrofit at scale’ Andy Boyle, Otley Energy Email: [email protected] – Download PowerPoint

• ‘Wave 1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund – West Yorkshire’s experience so far, and plans for the future’, Martyn Broadest, Connect Housing, Email: [email protected] Report: Scaling up Better Homes Yorkshire – Download PowerPoint
• ‘Low Carbon Retrofit of Craven District Council Buildings’, Marian Kempson, Eco Perspective, Email: [email protected] – download pdf

July 2021 Online meet-up ‘Training for low energy building & retrofit’

• Fiona Jones, Zero Carbon Harrogate ‘Retrofitting Training and Engagement Project between Zero Carbon Harrogate and Harrogate College’  Email: [email protected] & [email protected] 
• Trish Andrews Overview of the AECB CarbonLite Retrofit courses. Email: [email protected]
• Dr Jenny Brierley: ‘Low-carbon and fresh air for life: a missing link?’ Email: [email protected]
• Dr Kate Simpson, School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London ‘Builders engagement with energy retrofit and training: Capabilities, Opportunities and Motivation‘ (presenting research undertaken with Dr Niamh Murtagh , The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London and Prof Alice Owen , Sustainability Research Institute, University of Leeds) Email: [email protected]
• Toby Putnam, Project Officer/Researcher, Otley Energy ‘Community retrofit schemes & the supply chain’. Email: [email protected]
• Chelsie Naylor, Programme Leader at the Climate Challenge College in Todmorden ‘Climate Challenge College: natural building training for young people’. Email: [email protected]

Ask Mayor Tracy Brabin to launch Green Jobs Task Force – send a letter using Friends of the Earth’s template email

January 2021 Online meet-up ‘Building Passivhaus & retrofit at scale’

• Andrew Cooper ([email protected]), West Yorkshire Mayoral Green Party candidate, speaking on proposed ‘Green Building Fund’
• Russell Smith ([email protected]), Managing Director of Parity Projects, speaking on ‘The National Retrofit Strategy campaign’
• Jim Wild ([email protected]), Director and Senior Engineer at LEDA, speaking on ‘Engineering Zero Carbon for York’ in LEDA’s role as the Building Services Engineers in the York Passivhaus scheme.

VIEW RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR (you will need to register to view)

October 2020 Online meet-up ‘Building Passivhaus at scale’

• Kevin Pratt ([email protected]) & David Bradley ([email protected]) Pure Haus Development
• Ben Burton ([email protected]) City of York Passivhaus programme

VIEW RECORDING OF THE WEBINAR  (you will need to register to view)

September 2020 Online meet-up ‘Community retrofit’

July 2020 Online meet-up ‘Build Back Better/ Green Recovery’

• ‘Accelerator Cities – The role of West Yorkshire, Leeds and Otley in UKGBC programme for city-led retrofit’: James Brass, Policy Officer, West Yorkshire Combined Authority. More information: https://www.ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/accelerator-cities/ – Powerpoint
•  ‘Connecting communities: The role of communities in the  UKGBC Accelerator Cities Programme’ Andy Boyle , Otley Energy – Powerpoint
•  ‘Climate action at Neighbourhood Level’, Phil Bixby, My Future York & Passivhaus designer/ Architect at Constructive Individuals – Powerpoint
• ‘The renovation of Ravine House’: Howard Evans, Director at Chiles Evans + Care Architects & Director of Architecture and Landscape Architecture Dual Courses at the Sheffield School of Architecture, University of Sheffield – Powerpoint
•  ‘Kingswood Estate, London – independent review of a 700-unit, mixed-construction retrofit scheme’, Nicholas Heath, Director, NDM Heath Ltd: Sustainable Energy Services & Associate Director, Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance – Powerpoint coming soon

WATCH WEBINAR RECORDING (You will have to register to view)

March 2020 Online meet-up

• Professor Fionn Stevenson, Sheffield University  ‘Housing Fit for Purpose: Performance, Feedback & Learning’ – and the importance of effective Building Performance Evaluation/ Post Occupancy Evaluation for NZEB housing’. Powerpoint  Link to Book
• Dr Martin Fletcher, Research Fellow, Leeds Sustainability Institute: ‘Evaluating the Performance of Passivhaus Dwellings Pre and Post Occupancy’. Powerpoint

WATCH WEBINAR RECORDING (You will have to register to view)

November 2019 Meet-up Presentations & Links

• James Newton, Yorspace ([email protected]): ‘YorSpace – developing a fairer kind of housing: Is it possible to make housing both economically & environmentally fair?’ Powerpoint
• Cllr Denise Craghill ([email protected]): ‘City of York Council’s new building Design Manual and plans for 100% certified Passivhaus’ Powerpoint
• Holmfirth Parish Council ([email protected]): ‘Holme Valley Climate Emergency Plan for buildings’ Powerpoint
• Toby Coke, Toby Coke Development Planning ([email protected]): ‘Government legislation and policy – how can we campaign for change’ Powerpoint
• Matthew Tulley ([email protected]): ‘Installation pitfalls of solar PV – photos of problems and why they happened’ Powerpoint
• – Adele Carey & Natasha Connolly, Arup ([email protected] & [email protected]): ‘Arup’s response to the Climate Emergency’ Powerpoint Powerpoint

July 2019 Meet-up Presentations & Links

• Jenny Brierley, PhD Researcher, University of Sheffield ([email protected]) ‘Scaling up fresh air as well as zero carbon: the challenge of ventilation in practice’ Powerpoint
• Nigel Banks, Product & Marketing Director, Ilke Homes ([email protected]) ‘How offsite construction can help deliver low energy homes at scale’  Watch video here
• Claire Jamieson, Phi Architecture ([email protected]) ‘Case study of a Yorkshire EnerPHit project and lessons for ‘scaling up’ low energy retrofits’ Powerpoint
• Tom de Simone & Jonny Stokeld, members of York Community Energy’s new Warmer York working group, which is aiming to establish a market for home retrofit in York. ([email protected]) ‘Kickstarting a retrofit revolution in York’ Powerpoint 
• Robin Miller, BecoWallform ([email protected]) ‘ICF construction as a practical option for economic low energy buildings on a large scale’ Powerpoint
• David Bradley & Kevin Pratt, PureHaus ( [email protected] & [email protected]) ‘A developer’s view of building Passivhaus at scale’ –   Watch video here

January 2019 Meet-up Presentations & Links

• – Dr Rafael Espinosa from University of Sheffield ([email protected]) The Hidden Energy of Buildings and Construction Materials Powerpoint
• – David Garlovsky, Inno-Therm ([email protected])  Environmental impact associated with the supply chains of insulation materials with focus on specifying a low carbon insulation Powerpoint
• – Matthew Tulley ([email protected]) “The Generation Carbon Game: Interactive Quiz tests your knowledge of homes and transport for you, your grandparents and before”. [No powerpoint]

October 2018 Meet-up Presentations & Links

• – Matthew Hill ([email protected]), Consulting Engineer and Company Director, Leeds Environmental Design Associates (LEDA) “Should we stop installing gas boilers ?” With the 2030 target for a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions creeping up on us, we have to decide when to stop using fossil fuels. Read more on this: https://www.cibsejournal.com/opinion/should-we-stop-specifying-gas-boilers/
• – Dr Claude Saint-Arroman ([email protected]), Architecture Lecturer,on the findings of her PHD, “Architectural boundary designs: a Journey towards Resilience” Powerpoint
  
• – Phil Bixby ([email protected]), Architect, Constructive Individuals ‘Overview of 3 Passivhaus newbuild projects in York’ Powerpoint
  
• – Richard Spencer ([email protected]), LEDA ‘Building Physics & construction at the Roundhay Passivhaus’ Powerpoint
  
• – Eric Parks ([email protected]), Buckrose Ecological Architects ‘Trans-Pennine Passivhaus Design: Experience and Lessons Learned?’ Powerpoint
  

June 2018 Meet-up Presentations & Links

• – Martin Rinvolucri ([email protected]) Beattie Passive on ‘Passivhaus Manufacturing Hubs: for Housing Associations & Local Authorities’. Powerpoint 
• 7-mins video of the Beattie Passive build process: https://youtu.be/0Ro9aSjVedE
• – Jonathan Wilson, CITU ([email protected]) on ‘Citu Works Manufacturing facility in Leeds Climate Innovation District’
• – Dr Alice Owen & Dr Kate Simpson, Sustainability Research Institute, Leeds University  ([email protected]/ [email protected]) ‘Skills and Knowledge for Sustainable Construction in ʟeeds’ – Powerpoint
• Briefing: Equipping construction workers with sustainable building skills: A focus on Leeds

January 2018 Meet-up Presentations & Links

• – Martyn Broadest ([email protected]), Director of Home, Connect Housing: Connect Housing & Passivhaus Powerpoint
  
• – Nicholas Heath ([email protected]), Associate Director, Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance (STBA): The work of the STBA Powerpoint
• – Nicola O’Connor ([email protected]), Mandarin Research: Overview of Frontier Economics ‘Affordable Warmth, Clean Growth’ report for EEIG  Powerpoint
  
• – Richard Spencer ([email protected]), Passivhaus Consultant & Selfbuilder: Report back on Zero Carbon Yorkshire Make it Happen weekend. Powerpoint
  
• – Andy Walker ([email protected]), SURE Insulation, Super-insulation Designer and Author : Inspiring Communities to Insulate Homes: View film