INCA Case Study: Leeds TIBB Project
Leeds TIBB Project
Project Type: Refurbishment
Building Type: Residential, Low Rise
Architect: N/A
System Designer: Soltherm
Installer: Hamilton (Building Contractors) Ltd
System & Finish: Soltherm Modulus
U-value Achieved: 0.30 W/(m²K)
Over a thousand residents living in ‘back-to-back’ housing will have their homes insulated through a project launched by Leeds City Council in partnerships with Soltherm, sister company Surefire and Wates.
The Transformation Insulation to Back-to-Back (TIBB) project is part of the local authority’s £100m ongoing investment in decarbonising council housing.
750 properties across five ward areas are set to benefit from the project which is due to be completed in full by March 2023, with Soltherm Modulus Brick-ID external wall insulation, new roofs and other energy efficiency technologies being fitted. The Armley pilot was seen as significant progress toward defining the TIBB blueprint. At the core of the TIBB programme is the specification and use of innovative external wall insulation. In a report to the corporate office of Leeds City Council, Energy lead Sandy Rutherford wrote:
“TIBB aims to transform the market for external wall insulation (EWI) starting with back to back housing within Leeds. It will deliver innovative EWI within 4 deprived communities in Leeds between April 2020 to March 2022, together with related energy efficiency improvements. The project will deliver the improvements to 750 council homes, providing a large-scale demonstrator of the use of offsite manufacture for retrofit EWI”
With the options for offsite manufactured insulated systems currently limited, Leeds energy stakeholders selected the Soltherm Modulus ETIPS (External Thermal Insulated Panelised System).
The first certified system of its kind, Modulus fuses property mapping technology, and CNC-based automation to deliver a system that is 90+ % produced off-site.
The system offers ETICS performance from ETIPS technology. Some of the installation and performance highlights from the TIBB project include:
- Install time – 5 days per unit
- Fire rating – A2-s1,d0 (BS EN 13501)
- U-Value – 0.30 W/mK
- Certification – BDA certified “Modulus Brick-ID
- Ofgem recognised – 40% Carbon uplift at TIBB
- Installation – Dry-fix and low skilled
- Use – Suitable for all solid masonry retrofit projects including challenging back to back as at Leeds.
The results of the pilot and the impact of Soltherm Modulus on both the tennant and area is clearly evident. When interviewing for South Leeds Life, Katy a tenant who has benefited from the Armley pilot said;
“I am happy with the look of the finished properties in the area. When they were working on installing, I was very doubtful of their look. Once the scaffold was removed and I saw it finished I was very impressed.”
“I think that it’s definitely money well spent from the council in tackling fuel poverty. My house has a property to the back and one to the side, but it doesn’t retain any heat so I am constantly re-heating. The scheme will certainly tackle this.”
The scheme has definitely improved the area. This scheme has managed to give a fresh feel and makes the street better to look at