Retrofit Meets is an in-person series of panel events that connects people through themes and topics relevant to the deep retrofit of homes at scale. Produced as part of Retrofit 23 and taking place on Wednesday evenings at the Building Centre, this series showcases research and ideas on the residential retrofit challenge. The panels feature guest speakers presenting a project or provocation, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Join us for these thought-provoking sessions and meet and share with others involved in the retrofit puzzle.
This session explores the vital role of expanding the range of skilled trade to tackle the challenge of reaching net carbon zero through retrofit. In this panel, we host speakers from three different areas of the trade sector in the built environment to present how upskilling is an imperative part of providing successful, deep retrofit solutions at scale. We also hear from the panel’s chair, Brian Berry, Chief Executive, Federation of Master Builders about the need for a long-term strategy to make our homes greener and more energy efficient. The panel speakers are:
- David Pierpoint from Retrofit Academy – Overview of what it takes to Upskill the retrofit sector.
- Stuart Gadsden from The Kensa Group- How Kensa work with M&E contractors to get them installing GSHP at scale, working with ground workers to get them into the GSHP industry.
- Nik Nelberg of Earl & Calam Design & Build Ltd – Through a personal experience of training in retrofit skills, Nik has taken his firm on an upskilling journey to offer a complete service to his clients.
The Retrofit Academy are the driving force in retrofit knowledge and skills: building the supply chain with government, industry & education providers. David Pierpoint is the CEO of Retrofit Academy, leading his group to decarbonize homes in the UK with an army of retrofitters estimated to be 400,000 strong by the end of this decade – from specialist designers, coordinators, assessors and customer advisors to insulation installers.
The Kensa Group is a fast-growing collection of award-winning British businesses involved in the manufacture and installation of ground source heat pumps and the ownership of associated underground infrastructure. Stuart Gadsden is the director of sales for Kensa in the South East UK and will give an overview presentation about their work with implementing GSHP at scale from design to implementation.
Earl & Calam Design and Build are a FMB registered construction firm based in South London. Working with organisations like the Retrofit Academy have allowed Nik to not only respond to the importance of retrofit as a concept but also focuses on making their services altogether more affordable offering a full and designed retrofit package.
