ClwydAlyn welcomes Cabinet Secretary to innovative retrofit and new build projects
Housing association ClwydAlyn has this week welcomed Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant MS, to view innovative new technology that is making homes more efficient and affordable to heat in St Asaph, and a new build development built to the highest energy efficiency standards in Ruthin.
In St Asaph, the Cabinet Secretary visited Llys Esgob Morgan to view a project delivered alongside NexGen Heating with funding from Welsh Government’s Optimised Retrofit Programme (ORP), with works to install NexGen infrared panels in 28 homes as part of ClwydAlyn’s retrofit programme.
The innovative technology installs infrared radiant heating into thin sheets of lining paper which is then fixed to ceilings in each room of a home. Unlike a conventional heating system, the technology heats objects in the room rather than the air to enable residents to feel the heat quicker and save money on their energy bills.
A further benefit of the technology is that it can help to reduce the risk of damp and mould with the infrared being absorbed by walls, ceilings and other surfaces, drying out damp areas if they arise.
In addition to the upgrade to the heating systems, the homes are also having solar panels fitted and some will have batteries installed as part of the ORP grant.
The Cabinet Secretary toured the scheme with ClywdAlyn’s Chair, Cris McGuinness, Chief Executive, Clare Budden, Craig Sparrow, Executive Director of Development, and Tom Boome, Head of Technical Innovation and Climate, who is leading the retrofit programme.
Cris McGuinness, Chair of ClwydAlyn, said: “We were delighted to welcome Jayne Bryant MS to visit some of the technologies that we’ve been able to retrofit into existing homes through the Optimised Retrofit Programme.
“This work is a vital part of our mission to beat poverty at ClwydAlyn by improving the energy efficiency of our homes, making them more affordable to heat for residents and importantly, supporting good health and wellbeing by reducing the risk of damp and mould.
“We are looking forward to better understanding how residents are benefitting from these technologies and the difference they are making to their energy use and wellbeing so that we can use this insight to share learning across the sector to enable everyone in North Wales to live in safe, warm homes that they can afford to heat and live well in.”
One of the residents to benefit from the new technology, Mary Peers, said: “Me and my husband are so pleased to be able to have this new technology fitted in our home. Up until now our home has been heated by electric storage heaters and our bills have been incredibly high.
“We reached a point where we were only able to heat one room during the day and the bedroom for an hour each night to try and manage the cost. We’re hoping that once we get underway with using the radiant heating system that we’ll see our bills reduce and that we’ll find it easier to keep our home warm without worrying as much about our energy bill. The team at ClwydAlyn have done a really great job fitting the system, not only is it going to help us heat our home better but it’s really improved the look and feel of our rooms too!”
Tom Boome, Head of Technical Innovation and Climate at ClwydAlyn, added: “The Optimised Retrofit Programme funding has been transformational, enabling us to scale up these works, engage the supply chain and invest in people and processes so that we are better set up to deliver on further plans in the future.
“Through encouraging the sector to test, learn and innovate, housing associations in Wales have really embraced the opportunity to work together to share lessons and innovations so that we can deliver the best possible solutions for residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.”
As part of her visit to North Wales, the Cabinet Secretary also visited ClwydAlyn’s Glasdir development in Ruthin of 63 homes built in partnership with Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Government, with partial funding through the Innovative Housing Programme.
The homes were designed with a range of energy efficient features including air source heat pumps, solar electricity panels, solar electric storage batteries and electric car charging facilities. The scheme was also built with the help of prisoners at HMP Berwyn, where a factory unit was set up, with 25 inmates making the timber frames, and has seen tenants reporting up to a £10-£15 a week reduction in their energy bills depending on their usage.