RP3044: Mainstreaming Low Carbon Retrofits in Community Housing:

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RP3044: Mainstreaming Low Carbon Retrofits in Social Housing - Final Report

This report provides a summary of activities completed under the CRC for Low Carbon Living RP3044 ‘Mainstreaming Low Carbon Retrofits in Social Housing’.

This two-year project provided real world evaluation of a range of energy efficiency upgrades undertaken in Social Housing properties around NSW, considering changes in energy consumption, thermal conditions, and tenant perceptions of the upgrade.

RP3044: Mainstreaming Low Carbon Retrofits in Social Housing - Final Report (999168 PDF)

RP 3044: Summary of Existing Processes for Upgrading and Maintenance of Social Housing Properties

This interim report provides an overview of the system in which Social Housing Providers currently operate in NSW plus the processes and practices employed to meet maintenance requirements.

This report was developed from a review of relevant literature and a series of interviews with stakeholders in the Social Housing sector. It presents information on the Social Housing sector, regulatory and other maintenance obligations, and options available for external funding. Preliminary recommendations are also presented on the best ways to utilise outcomes from the project (RP3044) to influence the uptake of low carbon upgrades in this sector.

rp3044 deliverable a upgrad main social housing 6 2 2018 (1305943 PDF)

RP3044: Targeted review of evidence of direct and co-benefits of energy efficiency upgrades in low income dwellings in Australia

This targeted review considered the evidence of direct benefits from different energy efficiency measures in Australia; the evidence for health impacts from improved winter heating, improved resilience to summer heat wave events; and measures to minimise mould and dust mite risk.

The review found there is some evidence that low income tenants in social housing in Australia may realise health benefits as a result of energy efficiency interventions, plus some evidence from international studies that financial benefits may be substantial. The strongest evidence relates to benefits from increasing winter warmth above identified risk threshold temperatures plus some evidence for reducing internal temperatures during summer heat events and reducing the mould occurrence in homes.

However, the link between health outcomes and energy efficiency interventions is exceedingly complex, with numerous confounding factors affecting any study in this space. Therefore, the understanding of the exact causal pathways linking energy efficiency interventions with health outcomes, and the relative importance of those pathways is still limited. Further, there is currently insufficient evidence to make an estimate of the actual financial impact from co-benefits resulting from a specific energy efficiency intervention or package of interventions.

20180515 rev dir co benefits low income dwellings (1128660 PDF)

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RP3044 FACTSHEET: Mainstreaming Low Carbon Retrofits in Social Housing

This project aims to assist Social Housing Providers to cost-effectively upgrade their housing stock to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

The social housing sector represents a significant opportunity for the development of a major, aggregated approach to implement low carbon retrofits in large portfolios of residential building stock.  To explore this opoprtunity the project monitored energy use, evaluated a range of efficiency upgrades and conducted ethnographic interviews to explore how housing tenants balace the budget.

rp3044 social housing retrofits factsheet (420085 PDF)