When PA Housing decided to refurbish an ageing development of 12 homes, it was a natural decision to include solar technology into the new roof design. However, the logistics around sourcing, storing and delivering to a site with little space proved challenging. Working in partnership with the supplier turned out to provide the answers, as LABM finds out.
Tree Close in Richmond, Surrey, is an age-exclusive community of 12 homes, built in 1975 by PA Housing. The homes, which are solely powered by electricity, struggled to retain warmth and were costly to heat due to a low EPC rating. Housing association PA Housing identified them as ideal for solar panels to bring down the cost of heating. Such an installation would also contribute to the association’s longer-term objective to make its homes more sustainable. The end result is 12 new roofs, completed with Marley SolarTile.
Ken Lee, Senior Project Manager at PA Housing said: “Many of the tenants of Tree Close are retirees living on a fixed income. Rising heating costs are taken very seriously. To help address this, it was important that we thoroughly investigated ways we could make these homes more efficient. This included adding to the level of insulation in the walls and in the loft where possible, and installing solar panels.”
Contactor Kingsley Roofing was enlisted for the job, and relied on the support of supplier SIG Roofing for supply, warehousing and stock control of products. These particular solar panels were specified as they are supplied as a complete kit, with no need for extra battens, adhesive flashing or fireproofing materials, and they were readily available through SIG Roofing.
However, when it came to the rest of the roof, the initial specification insulation and roof tiles were unavailable due to product shortages. Fortunately, SIG Roofing was able to source and specify suitable alternative roofing products that matched the brief, and worked with Kingsley Roofing to supply them as needed.
Establishing good relationships
“Firstly, we needed a supplier who could fulfil a large order of solar panels and hold them in stock to be delivered to site in batches,” explained Dan Martin, Contract Manager at Kingsley Roofing. “SIG Roofing provided this for us by warehousing our PA Housing specified the Marley SolarTile for the refurbishment of properties on Tree Close in Richmond stock at their Leatherhead facility and working with us on deadlines.
“When we realised that we also needed to source alternative branded products to complete the installation, SIG Roofing had the right people with the knowledge and expertise on hand to specify suitable insulation and tiles, and supply them within the ideal timescale.”
As the construction materials shortage continues across the UK, flexibility and good relationships between contractors, suppliers and manufacturers are more important than ever, to ensure that alternatives can be found if necessary.
“We have a long relationship with SIG Roofing, and working with them as a supplier is always fantastic,” said Dan. “They will go the extra mile for you. It was a large order and they helped us immensely.”
Material specification
Each 1,000 by 1,686mm monocrystalline-black Marley SolarTile has an output of 335Wp and is suitable for new-build and retrofit projects alike. Easy to fit, they average an installation time of 45 minutes per panel, and can enhance any roof system with design flexibility, sleek aesthetics, industry leading wind and fire performance, and are backed by a 10-year manufacturers guarantee.
The alternative products that were specified included Knauf Earthwool and Kingspan Thermapitch TP10 insulation, specified to compliment the project’s overall sustainability and energy saving agenda, and Crest Double Roman roof tiles.
Knauf Earthwool is an eco-friendly, green building material that offers superior sound deadening, for a more peaceful living environment. Made from recycled glass bottles, it keeps homes at the ideal temperature by regulating humidity and moisture levels, which means less
fluctuation in energy bills.
Kingspan Thermapitch TP10 is a high performance insulation with a fibre-free rigid thermoset polyisocyanurate (PIR) core. It is certified ‘Excellent’ to BES 6001, the Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products.
Crest Double Roman roof tiles feature a timeless shape, enhanced by a smoother rounded edge, which enhances the finished roof. They have a covering capacity of just 9.7 tiles per square metre, allowing for a roof that is both economical and attractive.
“We were very excited to have the opportunity to work on this project,” said Dan Anstey, Divisional Sales Director at SIG. “It was made possible through our great relationship with Kingsley Roofing. We were happy to support throughout the project with technical advice too.”
Sustainability in construction
SIG, recently appointed CO2nstructZero Business Champion by the Construction Leadership Council, and a Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS) partner, takes sustainability in the construction industry very seriously.
“This opportunity to ensure energy saving equipment was supplied to a social housing development was extremely important to us, especially in the midst of energy shortages, and rising fuel poverty,” commented Mark Clark, Director of Sustainable and Renewable Sales at SIG. “Any initiative to make housing more efficient, both in terms of energy and cost, is critical.”
Ken at PA Housing concluded: “This is the first of many developments that we hope to make improvements at, with the view to both helping our tenants live more comfortably and to help us in our sustainability goal of reaching net zero by 2050 over all of our 24,000 homes.”
