LeedsACTS! is excited to share GIPSIL and Leeds Sustainability Institute’s case study on the benefits of retrofitting older properties.

LeedsACTS! (Academic Collaboration with third sector) aims to bring together expertise and skills of the local community, academia and third sector across Leeds to better make sense of local societal challenges and develop innovative solutions to address them. This cross-sectoral collaboration is key for finding solutions and ways to mitigate the impact of the climate emergency while bringing benefit to local communities.

The following case demonstrates how research into retrofitting older properties reduces heat loss, making housing cheaper to heat for people on low incomes.

GIPSIL partner with the Leeds Sustainability Institute on sustainable retrofit project

GIPSIL’S property maintenance and construction social enterprise Elevate recently took part in an 11-month study led by Dr David Glew at the Leeds Sustainability Institute (Leeds Beckett University). The study focused on ‘retrofitting’ older properties with the aim of reducing their negative environmental impact by lowering their heating demand.

The property, supplied by Elevate, is one of several properties undergoing sustainable retrofit as part of the Government-funded DEEP retrofit project. In the last 2 years, Dr Glew and his team have delivered over 20 retrofits in 10 different houses owned by 8 different landlords across the North of England.

What is retrofitting?

Retrofitting is where the performance of a system is improved by adding new technology or features. For buildings, this typically means upgrading the existing building or heating system to reduce energy demand. A common example is adding insulation to help retain heat in winter and reduce the demand for space heating (a heating system either within the space or external to it). Retrofitting a property has many benefits, including a reduction of carbon emissions, long-term monetary savings, and improved comfort for the occupant.

How was the GIPSIL property improved?

To improve the energy performance of the house, multiple upgrades were applied to the building. This included adding new insulation to the loft, floor, and external walls, in addition to installing new double-glazed windows and doors. By taking this thorough approach to retrofit and insulating several key areas of heat loss in the building, the energy demand for space heating is greatly reduced and building is more environmentally friendly as a result.

Preliminary result from the study suggest that because of the retrofits, heat loss from the house was reduced by around 60%.

Future Opportunities

Danny Dickinson, Operations Manager Engage, says

“This has been a great example of strong partnership working between us and the Leeds Sustainability Institute. Retrofitting properties makes them not only more sustainable but also more cost efficient so it’s a win-win situation that we would love to build on further in future”.

In the future, GIPSIL and Elevate are keen to take part in more studies and to continue looking at how they can make their existing properties as sustainable as possible.

Julia Preston, GIPSIL’s CEO added,

“This is a great piece of partnership work, particularly as the property will be used to house someone who is homeless and on a low income so they will benefit from the lower heating costs too. We hope it is something we can continue to learn from as we develop further properties for those that need them most in Leeds”.

Photo by Gary Butterfield on Unsplash

What is Leeds ACTS?

Leeds ACTS! is a partnership between the city’s three Universities (the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Trinity University), and the many voluntary and community organisations in Leeds. Leeds ACTS! supports the building of closer collaborative relationships between researchers, students, charities, and voluntary and community organisations to support joint work that benefits the communities of Leeds and shapes how the higher education sector engages with the city.

Leeds ACTS!