Tensor set to play key role in S-IMPLER solid wall insulation retrofit research project

As part of a major initiative to address lean energy efficient retrofit of 1950s solid wall homes, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) is set to launch S-IMPLER, a new research and demonstration project that has been specifically designed to help the refurbishment sector achieve effective and economical retrofit of insulation in the targeted housing segment.

The S-IMPLER Project (which stands for Solid Wall Innovative Insulation and Monitoring Processes using Lean Energy Efficient Retrofit) will focus on the specific type of solid walls that form the 1950s 'No-fines' homes. 5,000 such buildings can be found across Northern Ireland, while their number is significantly larger across the UK, reaching close to 300,000.

S-IMPLER has set some very ambitious targets, aiming to achieve a 60% reduction in monitored energy costs over the project's duration (three years), but also to prove how retrofit work can be carried out with less disruption and completed at least 10% faster compared to current solutions, with no impact on quality and safety.

In order to monitor real energy performance and the energy savings achieved following the retrofit, S-IMPLER will employ a whole house monitoring system, whose development process is led by Tensor Systems. The system monitors specific energy usage, but also factors in occupancy, external and internal temperatures, etc.

The initiative is supported by the UK's innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, and supported by several high-profile organizations involved in the construction sector, such as the BRE, Carillion Energy Services and other key partners. Although it will be initially trialled on seven NIHE homes, the outcomes of the project will have relevance for many of the UK's 6.9m solid wall homes.

Beside the energy performance monitor system from Tensor, S-IMPLER will integrate several other very interesting innovations, such as an inventive surveying tool, led by VRM Technology, providing dwelling specific accurate details of labour and materials requirements across multiple green measures; a Building Information Modelling tool, led by the University of Salford, to allow clients to model different cost and benefit options; detailed analysis of the fabric performance of the retrofitted homes, conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University.

If you'd like to find out more about the energy monitoring and management solutions developed by Tensor Systems and HeatingSave (a Tensor plc company), just contact us or Book a Demo, our representatives will be more than happy to answer all of your questions and queries.