Finalists in the Net Zero Awards 2024

The Southfield Court retrofit was a collaborative project led by the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The local authority’s ambition was to convert a four-storey, 40-flat hostel into sustainable and comfortable housing for vulnerable individuals. Originally identified for its need for significant building and fabric upgrades, the project aimed to address key shortcomings in insulation and energy provision.

A feasibility study uncovered the building's poor performance, with Energy Performance Certificate ratings for its flats ranging from acceptable to poor, averaging a band D. It was also found that the combined heat and power unit for the building was creeping towards the end of its life and the existing night storage heater was not only inefficient but difficult to control. This meant that there was little incentive for behaviour change when it came to saving energy.

In response, Waltham Forest Council seized the opportunity to improve Southfield Court’s fabric further and install more efficient and sustainable energy sources. This aligned with their work towards reducing emissions and enabled them to take advantage of funding from the first wave of the Social Housing Decarbonation Fund (SHDF).

Southfield Court is now a hostel where vulnerable residents are proud to live.

Not only are the residents safer after new windows and doors and a new sprinkler system were installed but they are warmer, thanks to new EWI (external wall insulation) and new roof insulation. They have also benefitted from the extra energy that is provided by the Solar PV. The residents have felt a noticeable difference in temperature of the building thanks to the air source heat pump and better ventilation to compliment the system.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 26 June in Manchester taking place alongside #Housing24

Congratulations to all finalists! #UnlockNetZeroLiveAwards