Narec - Businesses across the North East will receive help to address the growing demand for low carbon products through a project aimed at improving thermal efficiency in 322...

North East Businesses benefit from unique housing energy improvement scheme

By Sheena McGeorge | 30/06/11 | In Distributed Energy

Businesses across the North East will receive help to address the growing demand for low carbon products through a project aimed at improving thermal efficiency in 322 homes.

South Tyneside Homes and Homes for Northumberland have joined forces with National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in Blyth, Northumberland, to launch a unique housing energy improvement scheme which is also aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

The project will make improvements to homes in the Cowpen area of Blyth as well as Jarrow Town Centre and Tarran Newland homes in Marsden, South Shields.

Over 80 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the North East will benefit by receiving help to expand or diversify their business in recognition of the growing demand for low carbon and renewable products.

The consortium has received the backing of the European Union through £1.9m investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013, managed by One North East.  Match funding for the project is being provided by the two social landlords involved.

Mark Pearson, Energy and Environment Manager at One North East, said: “This ERDF supported project is one of many backed by the Agency over the years to support the development and delivery of low carbon technologies.

“This project is unique and will undoubtedly attract interest for the North East.  We are the first region in the country to take on such an ambitious project, giving our construction and installation sector a competitive advantage which will be beneficial in the short, medium and long term.

”The social landlords have selected properties within their portfolio known as ‘hard to treat’, which is defined as being off-gas or of non-traditional construction.Companies procured by the social landlords to carry out the work will work with a number of regional companies as part of their contract to install the measures.

The social housing partners will progress their own individual project with Narec responsible for the project management of the whole programme. This includes delivery of testing activity as well as running a SME capacity building programme to help them improve their knowledge of working with social landlords and provide support to improve skills, related to low carbon and renewable technologies.

Steven Caseley, Commercial Director at Narec, said: “Narec is now working with a number of local authorities and social housing providers to help them to make a real difference to the built environment in which we live and work.  This project will deliver housing improvements to address fuel poverty for some of those who are most vulnerable and is also providing important research on the impact of new technologies on such hard to treat properties.

“Additionally, through the delivery of this project, over 80 SMEs in the North East will receive bespoke assistance to expand and even diversify their business to take advantage of new opportunities from the growing demand for low carbon and renewable products.

”Northumberland County Council’s housing company Homes for Northumberland will use £300,000 of this funding to insulate 54 homes in the Cowpen area of Blyth.

Ray Boycott, managing director at Homes for Northumberland, which manages and maintains the Council’s housing stock, said: “Securing this funding will make a real difference for a number of the council’s tenants as it allows us to insulate a number of properties to make them more energy efficient. We will also be installing better heating controls and providing tenants with Smart Meters, which allow them to monitor the electricity usage in their home. This will help tenants to cut their fuel bills while making a positive contribution to the environment.

”Isobel Riley, Chief Executive for South Tyneside Homes said: “We were delighted to receive the news that this ERDF funding had been granted to the partnership.  This will be combined with match funding by ourselves and a combination of external funders.“The £1.35m from the ERDF will help to enable external cladding and insulation works to be carried out to the tower blocks in Jarrow Town Centre and Tarran Newland homes in Marsden, South Shields.

“We have no doubt that this work will make a significant improvement to the energy efficiency of these homes and help the tenants to make savings in their fuel bills in the future.

”The ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-13 managed by One North East is bringing over £300m into North East England.For information on the wider range of support available to businesses, please contact Business Link on 0845 600 9006 or visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast