Project: Towards zero (T-zero) emission refurbishment options in UK housing

The T-zero project website is now live and looking for suppliers and case studies. 
Please visit the T-Zero website.

There is now a wide governmental and scientific consensus on the need to shift to a low-carbon economy. The UK has set itself the target of a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.

Nearly one third of UK carbon emissions are from housing. We can and should build new houses to rigorous energy efficiency standards. Yet at current rates of demolition and new build, it will take 1,000 years to completely renew the UK housing stock – so most of the homes standing today will still be in use in 2050.

The challenge is to refurbish the homes of the past as homes for the future. How do homeowners, tenants, housing managers, landlords and builders decide what needs to be done and how it should be achieved? What are the costs, the paybacks, the technical constraints? How should they weigh up the environmental impacts of materials, water and energy use?

TZero is a project funded by the DTI programme Meeting the Challenge of Zero Emission Enterprise. Through consultations, reviews and case studies a tool has been developed for implementing low emission housing refurbishment in the public and private sectors. Please visit the T-Zero website.

T-Zero Project partners:

Link to T-Zero extranet for partners only