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RETROFITTING
Retrofitting private housing stock NI NEEDS ENABLING STRUCTURES, A VALUE CHAIN OF SUPPLIERS AND SPECIFIC TIMELINES FOR FISCAL INCENTIVES SUPPORTING GREEN RETROFITTING, SAYS ULSTER UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR MARTIN HARAN…
Northern Ireland’s private housing stock remains the complex strand of the retrofit challenge. Unlike the Republic of Ireland and GB, Northern Ireland remains devoid of financial packages to support green retrofitting. Specific timelines for the administration of grants or other fiscal incentives to support green retrofit remain devoid of detail. This hiatus has created an impasse amongst homeowners, with policymakers needing to prioritise guidance around the types of support measures, qualifying criteria and operational timelines*.
Fundamentally, the enabling structures to support an orderly, evidence- based approach to retrofitting across the private housing sector need put in place prior to any funding being released. Limited public resources
“Northern Ireland must absorb the lessons from other jurisdictions safeguarding against costly, poorly-designed retrofit solutions.”
works will be professionally managed and certified. Northern Ireland must absorb the lessons from other jurisdictions safeguarding against costly, poorly-designed retrofit solutions which not only underperform but also undermine homeowner confidence. Getting the value chain in place provides the basis upon which the upscaling
Retrofitting enhances property values whilst simultaneously reducing energy costs at household level. Disproportionate numbers of households in NI continue to be dependent on fossil fuels as their primary energy source. Many households are susceptible to the volatility in global pricing structures. With heightened energy prices looming, the case for retrofitting will become topical once again amongst homeowners. The regularity of such discussions in recent years is noteworthy with the contraction in ‘payback’ period for the installation of PV panels now calculated at 7.2 years***. Conversely, the case for retrofitting can be argued on both financial and environmental grounds. Martin Haran is a Professor of Real Estate and Urban Studies at the Built Environment Research Institute of Ulster University. * In 2020, Arup reported that NI must dramatically upscale domestic retrofits from 16,500 to 30,000 per year. ** A key directive of the NI Housing Supply Strategy (2022-2027) is a ‘just transition’ to net zero homes. *** Based on June 2024 calculations by Ulster University.
must be utilised to optimise value for money and deliver optimal retrofit solutions for homeowners.
of retrofitting solutions can be brought forward, starting with the proposed Heat Pump Grant Scheme in 2027. Additionally, there needs to be more robust data analysis to support the roll-out and deployment of resources aligned to the ‘just transition’**. The current void in data provision will serve to undermine timely, impactful intervention in the most vulnerable households and those most susceptible to fuel poverty. Mortgage providers must also do more to support homeowners. Retrofitting is capital intensive, even with grant support and this often serves as a barrier.
Northern Ireland needs to create a value chain of suppliers, but for such a vision to be viable there needs to be a guaranteed pipeline of work to merit such investment by contractors and associated service providers. An accredited supplier framework must also be put in place. This would provide assurances to homeowners that they are getting credible advice on their retrofit solutions and that installation
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