Barriers to retrofit of domestic housing stock with low and zero carbon dioxide technologies

This paper explores a range of barriers to the implementation of retrofit programmes to domestic properties, through reporting on the process of delivering a social housing retrofit project by a registered social landlord (RSL) in Sunderland, in the North East of England. The paper first describes the policy context for RSLs in terms of the housing condition requirements and targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions set by national government, and the subsequent shift by RSLs to retrofitting their properties to higher energy performance standards. During the project, a number of barriers were identified by the project team (which includes the authors), relating to decision-making processes, communication between partners, procurement and supply chains training and internal expertise, energy consumption monitoring and the type of low and zero carbon dioxide technologies to install. The article explores these, both as experienced and reported by the RSL, and identified by the wider project team, and considers what lessons could be learned regarding delivery of similar projects in the social housing sector.