Carbon Portal Project Back to Take the Heat Out of Housing Emissions Across Scotland

is set to turn up the heat on efforts to tackle emissions from thousands of homes in Scotland, with infra-red technology being used to ‘photograph' thousands of homes nationwide.

After a hugely successful pilot, the project is being rolled out across Scotland, with 30,000 housing association and co-operative homes being scanned over the winter (1), using groundbreaking thermal imaging software to pinpoint where precious heat is being lost (2).

The images pinpoint exactly where heat is escaping and recommend where insulation can best be placed, and what type should be used, to preserve heat, cut energy bills, and tackle climate change. The homes will all be scanned by February 2012.

With the issues of fuel poverty and climate change becoming ever more important for tenants and landlords, over 60 social landlords from Shetland to Stranraer have expressed interest in the project.

The successful pilot, led by SFHA and funded by the Scottish Government, took place in 2010 and included Dunedin Canmore, Cairn and Clyde Valley housing associations and Riverclyde Homes. 10,000 homes were scanned using the innovative thermal imaging software, with the results analysed and published online.

A second phase is now being rolled out by SFHA, funded largely by SIG Energy Management. The housing associations will pay £5 per home towards the thermal imaging, which will be carried out by IRT Surveys Ltd. The images will identify which properties require insulation and includes "hard to treat" homes.

Funding to carry out work on the homes will come from UK government CERT and CESP (3) funds, and from the housing associations themselves.

Once the properties have been insulated, a second thermal image will be taken between November 2012 and February 2013. The results will then be published online on the Carbon Portal.

Mary Taylor, CEO of the SFHA said:

"I'm delighted that SFHA is again spearheading innovation in energy efficiency. The Carbon Portal project is a cost-effective way of assessing what work needs to be done on Scotland's existing homes, to prevent valuable heat being lost.

""This project once again demonstrates that Scotland's housing associations and co-operatives, who are part-funding the thermal imaging and the insulation work, are at the forefront of initiatives to tackle fuel poverty and climate change.

"Many of our tenants are on low incomes and likely to experience fuel poverty, while Scotland's existing housing stock is responsible for around a quarter of all Scotland's carbon emissions. It's therefore a no-brainer for SFHA to take forward a project like this and I look forward to seeing the results on our Carbon Portal website."

Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys Ltd, said:

"IRT are very excited to be involved in such a unique and prestigious project which allows us to showcase our latest software and infra-red technology. Through our network of surveyors, IRT are looking to deliver within 12 weeks. It is great to see so many housing associations being pro-active and getting on board this pioneering scheme.

"IRT Envision, our latest development is the world's first software which allows the housing associations to see exactly how much CO² is leaving their properties and how much they can save in terms of cost if the defects were corrected.

"By working with the Carbon Portal we can now publish these results online allowing the housing association to rank and rate each property, giving priority to those which are of most concern. We are looking forward to the feedback and hope that this will be the start of even greater things in the future."

Neil Donald, Managing Director, SIG Energy Management, said:

"Our Insight programme is designed to not only help housing associations improve the efficiency of their housing stock, but to help them to gain a greater understanding of how the houses in their portfolio perform, and the impact this has on their financial and environmental sustainability."

"Credit has to go to SFHA for taking this innovative step to improve the energy efficiency of housing stock across Scotland," added Neil, "and we are very happy to be working alongside Scottish housing associations to deliver these important improvements."

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NOTES:

1) A full list of the housing associations and co-operatives whose properties are being scanned over the winter is attached to this press release.

2) Images of a "well" and "badly" insulated home are attached to this press release.

3) The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is a legal obligation on the six largest energy suppliers to achieve carbon dioxide emissions reductions from domestic buildings in Great Britain. Local authorities and Registered Social Landlord's (RSL) can utilise the funding that will be available from the energy suppliers to fund carbon reduction measures in their own housing stock.

4) Find out more about the Carbon Portal here http://www.sfha.co.uk/sfha/hsse/sfha-carbon-portal-a-home-insulation-pilot/menu-id-60.html

5) The SFHA was established in 1975 and has around 170 members providing affordable housing and wider community services in Scotland, as well as a further 200 commercial members. The SFHA is owned by its membership and exists to support the work of housing associations and co-operatives in Scotland by providing services, advice and good practice guidance.

6) The SFHA is the voice of the principal builders and managers of new affordable housing for rent in Scotland. Housing Associations own and manage around 40% of the country's affordable rented housing stock, over a quarter of a million homes across Scotland.

7) Housing associations and co-operatives are not-for-profit bodies regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator.