Publications

Renewable Energy Toolkit

This toolkit aims to help SMEs in the energy, building and related fields by increasing their understanding of the opportunities arising in the onshore renewables and closely related low carbon sectors.

The Renewable Energy Toolkit also provides information to potential investors and procurers on the relevance and viability of the range of different technologies, how these might be used and government support and incentives for early deployment.

The Institute has published a wide range of publications around retrofit. Click on the relevant topic below to access these materials.

Local Procurement and Supply Chain Toolkit

The Institute for Sustainability has produced a toolkit to encourage the use of local supply chains in the new ‘green’ sectors. The toolkit will give SMEs practical guidance to increase their chances of accessing and winning tenders from large public and private sector organisations. It is also designed to share best procurement practice among public and private sector buyers on how to create opportunities for ‘local’ SME suppliers from their low carbon investments.

Delivering and funding housing retrofit

The Institute and Arup have published ‘Delivering and funding housing retrofit: a review of community models’. The report analyses case studies from across the UK and internationally to provide best practice guidance to local authorities, social housing providers and other organisations planning and implementing retrofit programmes.

Guide to Building Performance Evaluation

To help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the built environment sector gain a competitive advantage, the Guide to Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) offers a practical introduction to BPE and how it can help to ensure domestic and non-domestic buildings perform as they were designed and intended to do.

Retrofit guides

To explore the business opportunities emerging from the low carbon building and retrofit market, the Institute for Sustainability has produced a series of ‘Building Opportunities for Business’ Retrofit guides. The guides draw on leading academic and industry experts and provide practical and commercially focused advice and best practice to both trades and professions including architects, surveyors, builders, project managers, plumbers and electricians.

Retrofit analysis

UCL Energy Institute (UCL-Energy) has undertaken the first independent analysis of a selection of projects from the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future (RftF) programme, which incorporates both the project team and occupant experience. It highlights the challenges and benefits of domestic retrofit to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as other organisations in the construction industry, to prepare for emerging business opportunities in retrofit.

SME engagement

Produced with Action Sustainability, in association with Lend Lease, the SME engagement guide provides best practice guidance for large organisations looking to diversify their supply chain by engaging with SMEs. The report, ‘Best Practice Guidance for Successful SME Engagement’, has been written with the construction sector in mind, but is relevant to all sectors.