Stuart Nicholson, Roof Systems Director at Marley, showcases how local authorities and social housing providers — and their roofing contractors — can benefit by introducing renewable technology that will help create the low carbon and energy-efficient homes of the future.
Free training advice, online CPD seminars, renewable system technical specifications, and onsite installation guidance are just some of the value-added ways Marley is already supporting the social housing sector.
Legislative mandates, changing tenant sentiment, high energy costs and the need to deliver new methods of home construction as net zero looms, are forcing local authorities to plan a more sustainable future for its housing stock.
Renewable technologies are a key route to creating low carbon, energy-efficient housing. Advances in air and ground source heat pump functionality, better household insulation, and the falling costs of proven technology such as integrated solar PV systems, mean the ability for local authorities to sustainably specify and build new optimised homes — and retrofit existing properties — is well within reach.
But during a transformative period, it can be unclear where and how to start. In-house renewable technology knowledge can be low and local authority specification and installer teams may be unsure of the individual merits of the extensive range of renewable products available on the market. Indeed, installation teams may not have any previous experience working with a renewable system such as solar.
Ensuring the correct short- and long-term specification decisions are made by local authorities and housing providers is essential so that pressurised budgets are spent wisely when it comes to enhancing low carbon building performance.
Collaborating with a trusted partner who can offer technical insight, expert product knowledge and value-added practical support can be a pivotal and positive step in this process.
Value-added support in practice — Denbighshire Council
Roof refurbishment is an important part of Denbighshire Council’s programme of external major repairs and energy efficiency improvements to its older properties. One of the biggest challenges is to bring roofs up to modern standards in a cost-effective way while retaining the original aesthetics. As well as requiring a like-for-like replacement for the old clay tiles, the council also needed a pitched roof solution that would minimise maintenance costs, reduce the likelihood of future repairs and incorporate solar PV technology to help tenants reduce energy bills.
In response, Marley’s complete pitched roof system was installed at 110 homes in the Meliden and Rhyl area. Each full roof system, which, along with Acme Single Camber Clay Plain Tiles, also included JB red battens, underlay, dry fix, fittings, and SolarTile, was further backed up with a 15-year guarantee.
The scheme demonstrates that it is possible for local authorities — with the assistance of Marley’s technical expertise and practical support — to incorporate solar technology into existing homes in a cost-effective way while also helping to safeguard residents against rising energy costs.
ADRA
The largest social housing provider in North Wales, ADRA, collaborated with Marley project to install solar PV on two new-build semi-detached properties in Bro Pedr Fardd, Gwynedd. A total of 12 Marley SolarTile panels were specified to ensure that the tenants would benefit from a renewable, sustainable, and cheaper energy source.
Conscious that this would be a first for ADRA’s installation team, Marley provided practical help and training onsite to support the installation phase, as Paul Painter, Assistant Director for Repairs and Maintenance for ADRA outlines: “Aside from the technical specification support Marley provided, the fact that their assistance also extended to having experts on site to help support our installation team was extremely beneficial.
“From establishing the correct specification for the power output required to delivering direct support when the panels were installed, the support from Marley has meant we had total confidence as the project progressed. Such has been the positive experience of the Bro Pedr Fardd installation, that we expect to install solar on our other new-build and refurbishment projects.”
And Marley’s wide-ranging support — such as face-to-face training on its products and assistance with tackling the sustainability challenges facing local authorities — is also evidenced on a major 174-property roofing refurbishment project for social housing provider, L&Q Northwest in Manchester.
L&Q
Ahead of the refurbishment of 174 of its existing social housing properties, Marley arranged an induction presentation for L&Q’s roofing contractor team to introduce the specified Edgemere tile and address any technical issues connected to its fixing onsite. This process clarified all the requirements that were needed to ensure that L&Q would benefit from the long-term warranty that comes with Marley’s full roof system.
Several additional induction training visits were undertaken with sessions addressing the correct fixing pecification standard so that L&Q had the confidence that it would be followed by its contracting team as the large-scale project progressed.
In addition to the onsite contractor support visits, Marley also committed to delivering a holistic training event for L&Q’s surveyor department with the company’s technical experts running a half-day CPD training session which covered a range of topics including the latest roofing regulations through to correct product specification and how Marley is supporting the sustainability agenda through its innovative renewables system package including the award-winning SolarTile.
For more information about Marley’s wider support available to local authorities, including a bespoke solar PV and sustainability CPD training course, visit marley.co.uk/solar
Header image: Marley’s complete pitched roof system incorporating solar PV was specified for the refurbishment of 110 Denbighshire Council properties
