Equitable portfolio upgrades for demand reduction (EPURE) tool

The built environment contributes 25% of total UK GHG emissions per annum which is slowly reducing threatening net zero ambitions for portfolios. Urgent attention is needed to enable a more rapid and just transition to decarbonisation pathways by homeowners, landlords, social housing, private sector commercial, schools and public assets. The EPURE solution concept proposes a tool combining the best possible data sources for building characterisation at portfolio level, with upgrade intervention solutions, occupant needs and supply chain capacity to deliver. It will develop and test a scalable commercial service proposition to enable users to identify short-, medium- and longer-term upgrades to portfolios to reduce demand (reduced emissions and occupant bills). This data driven approach to assessing and defining appropriate pathways for upgrading building portfolios will provide practical decarbonisation options and contribute to building market certainty for supply chains delivering building improvements.

We have selected to work with Hertfordshire County Council as the primary user and have assembled a wide range of stakeholders (e.g., building portfolio owners, supply chain organisations, financial institutions, groups representing occupants/users) to help shape the concept. The EPURE solution concept is a building portfolio optioneering tool that uses unique data from BRE (UK wide housing data to provide condition and performance insight and identify households in fuel poverty) combined with open-access data sources (e.g., OpenEPC, supply chain infrastructure) and target users data (e.g., Hertfordshire County Council buildings) to identify best approaches to upgrading existing buildings. The concept solution uses building archetypes (type, age, location, construction) combined with specific occupant needs, upgrade technologies and the extent and capacity of local and national supply chains to deliver.

The combination of data sources provides us with the ability to identify public buildings most benefiting from upgrade as well as households in fuel poverty or those with more vulnerable members of the community that need support accessing upgrade. Critical to the success of the solution concept is that it doesn't 'leave buildings behind' or only work for a specific section of society. We have included in our stakeholder engagement local charities and housing associations to help with this as well as the supply chain for technical solutions.

BRE is an independent and impartial, research-based consultancy, offering expertise in every aspect of the built environment and associated industries. Our trusted and independent standards and products positions us strongly to develop and deploy EPURE building the business/investment case beyond Phase 2\.