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Episode 31 - Part 3 - Retrofit - what is the opportunity for surveyors? with Steve Lees
59 Plays1 year ago
In this episode, Steve Lees from RICS, discusses the importance of retrofitting existing homes to meet future energy standards. We cover the new RICS retrofit standard and the opportunities and challenges faced by surveyors in this evolving field.
Key Points
Understanding Retrofit: The concept of retrofitting existing housing stock to achieve energy efficiency and meet current and future requirements.
Government Targets: Discussion on emission targets set for 2050 in the UK and earlier in Scotland, and the role residential properties play in achieving these targets.
RICS Retrofit Standard: Introduction of the new retrofit standard by RICS, effective from October, aimed at helping surveyors advise on energy-efficient measures.
Training and CPD: Highlighting the continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities available for surveyors to upskill and stay updated with new technologies in retrofit.
Evaluating Risks: Addressing the potential risks with new materials and technologies and the importance of competency and continuous learning to ensure safe and efficient retrofitting.
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Transcript
Introduction to Retrofit Opportunities
00:00:00
Speaker
For our final part of this episode of part three with with Steve Lees from the RCS, we're looking at ah retrofit and what was the opportunity around the retrofit side of things. And I think we touched quite nicely on this in part two. where I think we mentioned about you know net zero and and the challenges for the for the property sector. And I think it's been well reported that potentially in the UK, we've got you know an aging housing stock. and And so compared to other countries like you know with across the EU, um yeah potential houses are ah more inefficient as a result. but There's obviously historical factors behind that. um I suppose but
Understanding Retrofit and RCS's Role
00:00:34
Speaker
there's a starting point. Should we cover what retrofit is and I suppose what what you're doing at the RCS around retrofit? Yeah, thanks Matt. So I think i think in its broadest sense, retrofit is looking at how we can enable existing housing stock to meet with current and future requirements in terms of energy efficiency. um As is your listeners are probably aware that emission targets are are set for
00:00:59
Speaker
2015 in the UK and and earlier than that in Scotland where emission targets need to to be met and there's ah there's a government commitment. So residential properties play a ah big part in that. So I think we can all think of properties either that we live in or locally that need to be upgraded to to to meet these future targets. And the amount of work required in terms of retrofitting the property to using energy efficient measures could vary um significantly. So people are are aware of this. Schemes are in place, particularly in the in the private sector, sorry, in the public sector, so but it's going to affect all of us at some point in time. So our ICIS have looked at whole carbon assessments of properties, which that there's a second version of that. So that's the whole of the built environment to look at how carbon is consumed during small to large scale infrastructure project
00:01:59
Speaker
projects. The residential section sector also consumes carbon during construction but it's what we can do with our existing housing stop moving forward.
RICS and Retrofit Standards
00:02:08
Speaker
So in our sector and hopefully the members are aware we've produced a retrofit standard that becomes effective in October of this year. And the idea is that surveyors have got a real opportunity to play their part in this journey to provide advice to customers homeowners in situ at the moment and about how they can take their existing property and ah move it into a more energy efficient setting. So again, I like to use examples. You can probably tell, you know, my mom has owned a property since the 1980s. It's got a limited amount of insulation. um Probably got an n energy performance certificate of of a D, but she wants to to make it carbon neutral. Let's just say she's inherited some money and she's she really wants to get the property up to speed. um She needs advice.
00:02:57
Speaker
This is I think where our members come can fit in to that to that journey to provide advice on the existing property, on the potentially on the um energy efficient measures that would fit with her property, but then also at the end of the journey, how how have they performed? So the way I see it's sort of secular that we we look at the property, will the energy efficient measures compromise that particular property? Yes or no? they get installed, they get reviewed. We learn, we iterate. I think we we talked about um the advancement of technology in the in the last session. I think that's definitely going to be a part in the retrofit world. And it's really important that our members look to upskill if they're not already, but can they actually provide ah advice in part of that journey? So the retrofit standard is an enabler for people to start to change their mindset around property and assessing property and and what what's going to be required in the future. Definitely. is it Imagine it's quite a ah ah big opportunity. I think you mentioned, um I don't know if it was off the call or or just now, but around 29 million properties that are affected. So it's quite a big opportunity for affairs to get involved in potentially.
ESG and Government Schemes: Impact on Energy Efficiency
00:04:13
Speaker
g I suppose, I don't know if you've heard much from, um in terms of the residential side, consumer interest. um Are there schemes available to help people do this, or are are they required to self-fund it? Because obviously, I imagine that would then quite heavily impact how many people could go ahead of. I think ESG is on ah on everybody's lips, in definitely and in in the corporate world. um Everything we do is is now and um underlined by by the green agenda, and there are various schemes and government-funded schemes. so
00:04:45
Speaker
people that potentially aren't able to pay can still be involved with that journey. that There's lots of information online and without calling out individual bodies, but the and Energy Savings Trust is a really good starting point that then um signpost people to um what they practically can do. So I think people's, ethically people are looking at things slightly differently. I think there's a debate about what it's already started around um do energy efficient measures and the cost reduced cost of wholesale energy prices, does is that starting to play out in terms of what people are prepared to pay for properties and property values? Could it could could there be a delineation between a poorly performing property to something that's zero or or net cost to produce or actually contributes back to the grid? So you know this these ah aren't new, but it's becoming absolutely
00:05:44
Speaker
more real every, every, every day.
Energy Efficiency Challenges in UK Housing
00:05:47
Speaker
And as I say, the targets to get to, or as you've rightly pointed out, I've heard reports of around 29 million properties need to be inspected, improved, upgraded. ah When you work out how many properties need to be done per year, I think ballpark 600,000 homes need to be upgraded starting now to meet these targets. So yeah, it's it's either going to be a carrot or a stick or a combination of both. But I think it's definitely going to rise in terms of people's considerations when buying and selling properties. so
00:06:17
Speaker
Definitely. I suppose one thing around this, then, is it in order to get involved in this side of the um yeah the market in terms of advice to consumers as a surveyor, um you're going to have to build up the you know the knowledge and competency, et cetera, to be able to advise on this. Are there, um I suppose, sort of training in CPD options available to to help hope you start moving into this area? Yeah, there is. So RICS is producing various CPD which are due later on this year before the standard becomes effective. So our own retrofit stance, we've got retrofit courses around building knowledge and practical application. um There are also organizations such as trust Trustmark that provide um structured courses and and and a qualification which allows um surveyors or non surveyors or people in the built environment to be able to undertake government funded works.
00:07:14
Speaker
um this theres a past schemes that are are available that need people to be suitably qualified. But again, if there's a shrinking mortgage market or people have got particular specialisms, I definitely recommend that they start to look at this. This is potentially unethical, but also um a new business opportunity for for many people. Our members have got a really good sound knowledge of building pathology and how buildings perform. um But again, as we mentioned earlier, to understanding the new technology, understanding the consequences of introducing this technology, but definitely a really good opportunity for for all of us to play a part in in the sort of retrofit journey. and Interesting. It's a question that, to to be fair, we didn't discuss beforehand, so it might not be something you can answer, um ah but it popped into my head and I suppose
00:08:11
Speaker
One of the, it's an opportunity, absolutely an opportunity with opportunities potentially come risk.
The Impact of New Materials on Building Performance
00:08:15
Speaker
So it's a very good point that you made, which is actually as valuation work potentially is dropping in terms of mortgage valuations. Actually, this is a new a new opportunity that opens up to um counter out that and make, you know, get balanced again. I suppose on the flip side, you see with different new materials that come out, we don't necessarily know long-term impacts. and And one of the sort of, I suppose, insulation materials that have come up recently and in review has been spray foam and it's had different um yeah opinions as to whether it's a good thing and mortgageable or un-mortgable. Is there a risk where we're advising on new materials that that could be appropriate to to fit and we don't necessarily know you know how that affects the ventilation and condensation and various different bits in the building?
00:09:00
Speaker
that that could open up claims later or is it accepted that the device is based on knowledge at the time? and Yeah, it is based on knowledge at the time and also um the agreement certificates for products and understanding the products that are out there and the products of the future. And this is why the retrofit standard that we've produced goes into quite a a lot of detail around competency and understanding. I think you've made a really relevant point that just because you understand building pathology now, you really need to understand the performance in the future. So structured and tailored CPD because our members may play a part throughout the retrofit journey. So that might be, they do the initial assessments, they might be providing advice, might be liaising with the coordinator through and through the retrofit journey. But yeah, I think the clear message is we do need to upskill. If you're going into this work, you can't just assume that your current um skills and education
00:09:58
Speaker
ah are adequate. There's there's a considerable amount of CPD training, understanding products, understanding the consequences of the products, understanding cold bridging and ventilation rates, as as you quite say. We need to build confidence in the market that by doing this work, it's not going to have an adverse effect on on our property.
Sector Collaboration for Effective Retrofit
00:10:20
Speaker
When anything's new, there's always a degree of skepticism, but we've got to work collaboratively, not just surveys the whole built-in environment to make sure this is a really smooth
00:10:29
Speaker
um process and with with a consumer at heart as well. Yeah, it wasn't the other that makes complete sense, and yeah provided do you go and do and the yeah the training and get your knowledge up then, the advice you're giving at the time is correct based on current knowledge. ja yeah we We shouldn't discourage people from doing it. you know It's an inevitability that people will want to do it or may have to do it in the future, but it's ensuring that there's the right skills and expertise that that that go around that. So working with with with the people that provide the energy efficient products, um with our members, with other areas of the built environment. This is a real collective um to make sure that this this happens and happens efficiently and and mitigates risks. There'll always be issues where where things go wrong or things are incorrectly installed, but again,
00:11:17
Speaker
we need to learn and iterate and keep pushing this agenda forward. Awesome.
Retrofit in Home Survey Standards
00:11:22
Speaker
Okay. So my my final question I think for this topic is um if we sort of think back to ah topic one where we discussed the home survey standards, I believe there's obviously an aspect of talking about um climate and energy and stuff like that in the in the report. it With retrofit, obviously this is something that relates to the energy aspect of a a property. Is this something that should already be included in and reports or might potentially be included in future? Yeah, it's a really good point, Matt. So the current standard has got a section on energy matters. And I'm going to read this a little bit verbatim, if that's OK. But it says, at all levels of the service, our ISS members and regulated firms must be able to identify and advise on defects and deficiencies caused by inappropriate energy efficiency measures implemented at at the property. So ah going back to the section one,
00:12:13
Speaker
This was the the real starting point now. there There's further conversation and and detail within the home survey standard, but it's one of the agenda items for us to review. um And I'd imagine the customer questionnaire will play into this as well. you know what what What does the consumer need within surveys of the future? Are our members but ah ah providing appropriate advice? I think at the moment, I don't want to preempt the review, but I'd imagine it'd be very topical. subject matter experts as well on the working group that are going to try, well, not try, they will link the home survey standard of the future to other documentation with it with the view on everything and green that underpents underpins ah our life. So yeah, one that's subject to review, but one that's very much on the radar.
00:13:06
Speaker
Interesting. and I think you're right, it could be an opportunity to either um have that as an additional, yeah much more detailed product afterwards if someone wants to know about that, but at least something you can include in your reports to make them more beneficial to consumers, at least at yeah at the moment until until um we progress more with it, I think. ah Overall, a really interesting episode, at least but for me. I enjoyed going through it. So thank you for coming on today. Appreciate
Contact Information for Further Inquiries
00:13:31
Speaker
it. um If anyone wants to get in touch just about ah general queries are around home standards and bits and pieces, is there a best contact sort of personal place to go to? Yeah, I'm more than happy to give my email address out, Matt. um Again, reiterate, if you didn't listen to the first section, which I would encourage you to do, we are going to be putting a questionnaire out to all of our members in the residential sector.
00:13:54
Speaker
So that's a really good structured way to provide comments on the current standard. um My personal email address is sleas.org. um there are The RICS website has also got other contact points for anything RICS related, but yeah, happy to share my email and hopefully I can help her any of our members or anybody listening to your podcast. Definitely. Well, good luck with the review and then hopefully we can catch up in ah and a year or so and see yeah what the outcome was and and that'd be really good where we move from there. Thank you, Matt. Appreciate your time. Thanks for coming on.