WORK has begun to make Solihull homes more energy efficient and help residents save on bills.
Properties in Alston Road are being fitted with external wall insulation (EWI), a layer of insulation that’s fixed onto an existing external wall, as part of plans to become carbon neutral.
Solihull Council has joined forces with Solihull Community Housing to retrofit the insulation on 50 homes – 45 are Solihull Community Housing properties.
According to Solihull Council EWI can significantly reduce heat loss from a building, which means that less energy is required to maintain a comfortable temperature with it retaining heat in the summer and keep heat out during the summer.
The improvement works are being part funded by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) for social housing and the Sustainable Warmth programme for private homes.
The scheme aims to improve the energy performance of social rented and private owner occupier homes, on the pathway towards reaching net zero emissions.
The scheme is helping to support green jobs and the emerging retrofit sector. For this project, Solihull Council has partnered with Sustainable Building Services (SBS) to implement the improvement works.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, cabinet member for Climate Change, Planning and Housing, said: “Tackling emissions from buildings is one of our top priorities given that 56 per cent of all emissions come from buildings in Solihull.
“We’re in no doubt of the immensity of the task at hand, but this is another positive step we’re taking.
“Installing external wall insulation is one of the most efficient ways to improve the energy efficiency in domestic properties. I’m looking forward to seeing the results and getting feedback from residents once the work has been completed later in the year.”
