A housing improvement project led by Orkney Islands Council has won a bid for funding from the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board to devise low carbon refits for social housing in Orkney.

The Dynamic Insulation Retrofit Project is being developed in partnership with Orkney Housing Association and Andrew H Wilson Electrical Ltd, Environmental Building Partnership Ltd and has been funded by the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future Competition.

The funding is aimed at supporting projects through the stage of prototyping and demonstration which are typically hard to fund.

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Orkney’s share of the £3.5 million will be used to develop Phase I designs for the retrofit of timber framed and timber clad Council houses to improve both insulation and ventilation in the properties.

The designs will be based on using the Dynamic Breathing Building™ (DBB) system, which involves overcladding external walls and lining roof space to create a network of 'heat recovery spaces' in the house. It’s estimated that that this can save around 60% of carbon emissions on an un-improved house.

Orkney Housing Association and Andrew H Wilson Electrical Ltd are currently installing Dynamic Insulation in their new housing in Wellington Phase 2 and Old Scapa Road Kirkwall.

Assistant Director of Finance and Housing John Richards said: "These timber-construction properties are considered ‘hard to treat’ when it comes to improving insulation. The Council will be using the funding to complete much-needed investigation and design work between now and the end of the year to support a bid for Phase II funding for up to £150,000 to go ahead with some prototype refits."

Phase II funding is expected to be announced in early 2010.

(GK/BMcC)