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My Home Energy Planner Assessment Manual

lowwintersun edited this page Mar 7, 2016 · 1 revision

Information sheet for householders – what can you expect from an assessment visit? Could also do a video, including what is and what is not covered and how to read an assessment, interviews with people who have had assessments, how they used them.

Documentation for assessors franchisees

[AP! Be good to profile householders on entry to the Carbon Co-op – who are they, what are they trying to achieve etc, expectations, motivations, working with others or alone? Combine with baseline energy survey]

1. Ahead of assessment

  • Quote, establish cost on an assessment of this size [include estimation of travel time/costs]

  • Communication on assessment date.

  • Setting expectations from householder, ie how long will it take, who will be carrying it out, how much will it cost

  • Disclaimer on damage

  • Do householders need to be present at all times? Would assist with liability.

  • Who is the assessment for, what will they do with the report?

  • Ambitions, plans, budgets

  • Identify any extras that could be offered – ie heat camera, air pressure test etc.

2. Introductions

  • Knock on the door – hello!

  • [Should people present identification? What security measures should be put in place? Should unaccompanied people be allowed to make visits? Are there best practice guides out there on this?]

  • Put people at their ease, brief discussion on where the contact has come from

  • Ask householder to present bills etc [need to ask in advance]

  • Useful to understand how the householder has arrived at the assessment, are they new to the house, new to the Carbon Co-op? Have they commissioned this for a specific reason, has something triggered their decision?

  • Two parts to the assessment – questionnaire and physical assessments

3. Physical assessment

Includes temperature and humidity.

Documentation [Marianne] Wander round and take pictures Useful aide for memory, where windows are etc – highlight that these pictures wont be made public Need to be careful on access – personal injury and potential damage to building etc.

Draw up plan – light fittings, electric fire etc Set convention for how this plan is drawn up, how rooms and elements are labelled etc. (use of different markers etc). Test what things are made of – jumping up and down Investigate in the loft – how much insulation is in the loft, what is it made of etc

Using laser measure – lot quicker Signs of anything broken – in relation to defects, repairs etc Vents, light fittings, anything to do with the heating Do them in metres to 3 decimal places Also notes loft-hatches Code for windows and doors

Image bank for investigatory pictures + also plans etc

Conversation with householder: what is he up for, what is he looking to achieve, how motivated is he? Helps plan scenarios, how ambitious are the intermediary scenarios? More conversation highlights different aspects that the householder might identify. Helps understand the technical mindset of the householder – push limits as far as possible. Learn as much as possible about the fabric as possible Identifying the known unknowns – reducing the unknown, unknowns Making assumptions? On conservative side – make assumptions about works done.

Almost overestimate existing performance as you don't want to overestimate impact of savings.

Discussion on possible measures, how might certain things be approached – what level of advice are we happy to provide. Should this advice come with a heavy warning?

Thinking about staging and packaging, order, procurement. Thinking of gutting the place, knocking it down and starting again, etc? Informs recommendations that the assessors make.

Question – how can you insulate bay roof? Ie depends on structural state of the window.

Things that could be done here and now, very quickly and easily. Should they be done themselves or employ people to come in?

[Training: training in Manchester, shadowing an assessment here, carrying out an assessment in their location, remote assistance, reviewing assessment data and report]

4. Householder survey

[These questions should be posted in advance to the householder – via a weblink?]

Householder would look at in advance.
Question mark around who is the decision maker in the home?

Assessor goes through a set of questions with householder Lots of questions – important to set up a rapport with people, put them at ease, make them feel relaxed. Some questions will be guesswork etc.
Looking to baseline current behaviour and usage. Lots of subjective questions etc. useful to think of analogies etc Hairy/hippy/shiny retrofit preferences are good Need to have the 'key decision makers' answering the questionnaire.

[Do we ask how they might

Occasionally ask for details of household improvements etc [Ask householders in advance of any certificates that would be useful]

[Review the questions and the phrasing?]

[Routes to Retrofit seminars – flag up as option in what to do next with the assessments, procurement etc. Wider set of information]

Budgets? Figures - £0-£1000; £1000-£5000, £5,000-£20,000; £20,000-£50,000; £50,000-£100,000; £100,000-£250,000

5. Assessment report

How to read the assessment report Tips on next stages

Who should be an assessor?

Assessor recruitment

  • Insurance and liability
  • Experience?
  • Conflicts of interest; what if they are looking for work?

ASSESSOR

Not everyone can do it?

Retrofit practitioner Enough knowledge to know where risks lie to know what you don't know - all about caveats Someone with some underlying understanding of sap Not necessarily a dea More of a job description

Support around assessor recruitment Critical thinking Nouce Creative thinking