Officers qualified to make home eco assessments

Sep 14 2007 By The Journal

TEES Valley Housing Group is offering energy efficiency ratings to the housing industry after two of its regeneration officers qualified to make eco assessments on homes.

Frances Barlow and Marie Lodge have been trained to carry out eco homes assessments, as well as the more stringent code for sustainable homes ratings.

Both processes look at the environmental impact of homes at the design stage, reviewing the energy efficiency of the proposed houses, such as environmentally-friendly materials used and carbon emissions produced by the building process and the home once lived in.

Credits are awarded where relevant, resulting in an energy efficiency rating.

The code for sustainable homes assessments include a second review of the homes after they have been completed, giving a more accurate evaluation.

As well as conducting ratings for Tees Valley Housing Group’s own homes, TVHG will be able to contract the service out to other organisations.

Frances and Marie underwent an intensive two-day course, followed by an exam. On successful completion of this test, they then had to carry out a practical assessment of a real site.

Martin Hawthorne, director of development and regeneration, said: “Energy efficiency ratings are part of the future of development, so having someone able to conduct these assessments is vital.

“It is also important that we have two people capable of these evaluations, as an officer is not able to assess his or her own schemes.

“As there are not a great number of people qualified in this role at present, we are already receiving requests from outside of the Group for assessments to be done.”