Tuath and KORE pioneer sustainable retrofits with Circular Reno project

As housing providers seek to upgrade older homes to modern standards and embed sustainability into their practices, Tuath Housing Association and KORE Retrofit are breaking new ground with an innovative retrofitting initiative.

Tuath Housing Association is a not-for-profit approved housing body, providing long-term, safe, and quality housing. The organisation currently manages over 15,000 homes, catering to the needs of over 38,000 people. Tuath endeavours to prioritise environmental stewardship and sustainable practices in all aspects of its work.

KORE Retrofit is a County Cavan-based business that is committed to delivering eco-friendly retrofits and energy upgrades to create energy-efficient, sustainable homes across Ireland.

Together, Tuath and KORE are the driving forces behind Circular Reno in Ireland.

Embedding sustainability in retrofitting

Circular Reno is an EU-funded project aiming to implement biobased materials in home retrofits and create an action plan to address housing and energy challenges. The project brings together four EU social housing providers; Tuath Housing Association (Ireland), Vilogia (France), Wonion (Netherlands) and LEG (Germany), alongside construction and retrofit companies and facilitators, to exchange knowledge and ideas. It also aims to develop the biobased building material sector and to support the transition to biobased materials.

The need for sustainable solutions in construction and retrofit materials has never been more important as the drive to reduce the sector’s impact on the planet gains momentum. Increasing regulation means the sector will be required to account for embodied carbon emissions and address circularity concerns.

Locally sourced biobased building materials can offer a solution; eliminating emissions associated with the extraction, production and transportation of traditional materials. Biobased materials such as hemp and straw even absorb and store carbon dioxide during their growth, effectively acting as carbon sinks meaning we can literally ‘build with carbon’. In addition, biobased materials often emit fewer volatile organic compounds, promoting better indoor air quality. Finally, at the end of their lifecycle, biobased materials decompose naturally, reducing landfill waste and environmental impact of demolition.

However, the availability of affordable, eco-friendly construction materials is limited in Ireland and policy and regulation in this space is in its infancy. Meanwhile, farmers are seeking new opportunities to diversify their activities, especially in the context of the climate crisis. Circular Reno connects the construction and agriculture sectors by establishing a value chain working group for biobased materials.
Pilot home achievements

Tuath and KORE have completed two pilot homes under this initiative to date, the first in Clonygowan, County Offaly and the second in Ballycumber, County Offaly.

Both homes were fitted with off-site manufactured wall panels with a bio-based EPS glue. These panels were installed using a bracket on the exterior walls, significantly reducing installation time compared to traditional external wall insulation systems.

Additional upgrades to these two homes included:

• full demand control ventilation;
• air-to-water heat pumps;
• solar panel systems;
• new triple-glazed windows and doors;
• pumped cavity wall insulation; and
• 300mm hemp insulation installed in the attic/roof space.

The works to the second home also included the removal of a solid fuel cooker and the addition of a stove.

The homes were transformed by the retrofits. The first house went from a D2 BER rating to an A1 rating while the second house went from C3 to A1.

The first home achieved an air tightness rating of 2.363, while the second home achieved a rating of 2.625; reducing uncontrolled air leakage and improving comfort and cost efficiency.

Learnings and impact

While still in its infancy in Ireland, Circular Reno is already making an impact.

By testing and developing solutions now, ‘Reno’ properties take steps to align with the EU’s commitment to carbon neutrality and requirements for all residential buildings to be ‘climate neutral’ by 2050.

For those in construction, Circular Reno provides a model for integrating biobased materials into retrofitting practices. The project shows how using materials like biobased foam insulation and modular construction panels can help Ireland achieve its energy efficiency targets while reducing reliance on fossil-based materials.

In the farming sector, promoting agri-crops for biobased construction materials provides new income streams while offering opportunities for agricultural diversification.

“We look forward to building on our success with retrofits to more of our homes.”

Importantly, participating tenants are benefitting from lower energy bills, increased thermal comfort and improved indoor air quality, contributing to their overall health and wellbeing.

As each home is retrofitted under Circular Reno, the project partners continue to increase process efficiency and efficacy. By strategically planning the retrofitting of each home and completing as much work off-site as possible, there is less disruption to residents while time spent onsite is streamlined.

In the first home of this project, the EPS arrived onsite in panels but had to be rendered while the windows needed to be installed. In the second home, the base coat for the render was completed at a factory offsite while the windows were installed within the panel itself. As a result, the second home’s occupants left for work in the morning and upon their return in the evening, the wall panels, windows and doors were installed and the house had returned to being airtight.

Brian Flax, Marketing Manager, KORE Retrofit says: “Throughout these two retrofits, we have made significant progress in how we carry out the work; continuously improving processes to deliver excellent results for all stakeholders.

“The achievements here will stand to us as we continue with the Circular Reno initiative.”

Nick Sheward, Director of Property Services, Tuath Housing, says: “We are very proud to be partnering with KORE to ensure that our residents’ homes are comfortable, sustainable and energy-efficient. We look forward to building on our success with retrofits to more of our homes.”

W: www.tuathhousing.ie
W: www.koreretrofit.com