Understanding RdSAP 10: Smarter Energy Assessments for Better Homes
How Green Doctor Retrofit Can Help
As we work towards creating more energy-efficient and sustainable homes, there’s an important update coming to how properties are assessed: RdSAP 10. This new method for calculating a home’s energy performance (which leads to its Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC) is a significant step forward in modernising housing stock and helping to reduce energy consumption across the UK.
For housing providers like yourselves, accurate energy assessments are becoming increasingly important. They not only reflect the value of your properties but also guide your responsibilities in achieving better energy ratings. This new system comes into play from 15th June.
What’s new with RdSAP 10?
The updated RdSAP 10 methodology will give a much clearer and more accurate picture of a property’s energy efficiency, reflecting today’s homes and the latest energy technologies. In short, this will create a more accurate report and will hopefully help more people access funding schemes.
- New Technologies Included: RdSAP 10 will now properly account for modern systems like battery storage, solar PV diverters, and even small-scale hydro systems. This means if you’ve invested in these, your EPC will better reflect their benefits.
- Improved Data Collection: The new version will be more thorough, measuring all windows in a property, providing more detailed assessments of roof rooms, and including more options for ventilation. This leads to a more precise understanding of a home’s energy features.
- Smarter Recommendations: EPCs will offer clearer and more effective recommendations for energy improvements. For example, heat pumps will be suggested more often for well-insulated homes, not just those with electric storage heaters, guiding you towards the most impactful upgrades.
- Better Carbon Impact Assessment: With the inclusion of new technologies, RdSAP 10 will provide a much-improved assessment of a property’s carbon emissions, giving a more accurate view of its environmental performance.
How Groundwork Yorkshire’s Green Doctor Retrofit Service Can Support You
Navigating these changes and ensuring your properties achieve the best possible energy ratings can be complex. This is where Groundwork Yorkshire’s Green Doctor Retrofit service can be your invaluable partner.
Our Green Doctor Retrofit team specialises in understanding domestic energy assessments and identifying the most effective whole-house retrofit measures. We can assist housing providers by:
- Expert Surveys and Assessments: Our trained Green Doctors can conduct comprehensive surveys that align with the principles of RdSAP 10, helping to accurately identify energy performance issues and opportunities within your housing stock.
- Targeted Improvement Plans: By providing detailed insights into the specific features of your properties, we can help you develop targeted recommendations for improvements that will genuinely boost EPC ratings and reduce energy consumption.
- Resident-Centric Approach: We work closely with residents, explaining the benefits of energy efficiency and retrofit measures in an accessible way, which can improve engagement and uptake of recommended works.
- Strategic Planning Support: Our assessments can help inform your wider retrofit strategies, ensuring that investments are made where they will have the greatest impact on energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and resident well-being.
It is worth highlighting for landlords and also homeowners to update their EPCs to ensure compliance and potential future funding. By collaborating with Groundwork Yorkshire’s Green Doctor Retrofit service, you can confidently approach the changes brought by RdSAP 10, ensuring your properties are not only compliant but also genuinely more energy-efficient, comfortable, and sustainable for your residents.
Partner with us to lead the way in sustainable housing. Contact Groundwork Yorkshire’s Green Doctor Retrofit team today to discuss how we can help you achieve your energy efficiency goals.