Retrofitting in housing: National Digital Twin Programme (NDTP)
The demonstrator seeks to empower retrofitting companies and third sector organisations with accurate, data-driven mechanisms to quickly identify homeowners eligible for funding programmes.
Start date: December 2022
Aims of this use case
The aim of this digital twin is to:
- test how digital twin-related technologies and processes can facilitate managing potentially conflicting policy priorities
- help facilitate the sustainable and efficient upgrading of the housing stock on the Isle of Wight
- test the ability of digital twin-related technologies and processes to drive benefits for business and enhance the visibility of market opportunities
Organisations involved
The organisations involved are:
- Retrofit companies
- Isle of Wight Council
- Third sector organisations
- National Health Service England
Outputs
- draft playbook: understanding and defining user requirements
- draft playbook: determining the minimum data requirement to meet the user requirement
- draft carbon calculator associated with data gathering, processing and storage
- visualisation tool
Description
The demonstrator seeks to empower retrofitting companies and third sector organisations with accurate, data-driven mechanisms to quickly identify homeowners eligible for funding programmes, such as the ECO4 (Energy Company Obligation 4).
This not only enables businesses to increase their productivity by identifying suitable properties for retrofitting, but also reduces the time between identification and implementation. The approach also facilitates effective planning by highlighting eligible households in close proximity, thereby optimising the efficiency of retrofitting delivery.
Concurrently, this initiative equips third-sector organisations with the tools to increase awareness of these funding opportunities and effectively communicate eligibility information, thereby providing a valuable public service.
Alternatively, the tool also allows for a more nuanced approach, prioritising homes inhabited by vulnerable populations.
While these homes may not be the least efficient or the greatest consumers of energy, improving them could significantly enhance the wellbeing of their inhabitants, particularly given the potential negative impacts of inefficient housing on their physical and mental health.
Next steps
The Retrofitting in Housing demonstrator represents an early-stage solution, with a focus on tackling energy efficiency, carbon reduction, social wellbeing, and policy adaptation. By providing a practical application of digital twin technology, it intends to inform decisions, giving policymakers tangible levers to affect positive change.
Currently focused on the Isle of Wight, this demonstrator is a seed for a scalable solution with potential to be deployed nationally, generating amplified benefits in the pursuit of the UK’s Net Zero target, fuel poverty alleviation, and health crises responses.
Following a well-received demonstration of the work to date, rigorous testing of the tool through a series of pilots with key stakeholders from the Isle of Wight, will commence in October 2023. This will provide the invaluable opportunity to examine its effectiveness in a real-world context and gather user feedback.
This iterative feedback will inform enhancements to the demonstrator and deepen our understanding of effective deployment methodologies and scope for wider usage.