Much of Alan’s consultancy work is with Housing Associations and Local Authorities. He has over two decades of experience of strategic work, including the development of climate change strategies and community energy strategies as well as energy and affordable warmth strategies. His key skills include:
- Energy and environmental assessment
- Social housing
- Fuel poverty/affordable warmth
- Renewable energy systems
- Strategy and policy
- Funding (including ECO and grants)
- Technical standards
- Reducing condensation risk
- Staff training and motivation
- Sustainability
Consultancy and training services for social landlords:
Energy assessment
Alan has been involved in building energy efficiency modelling since the 1980’s and has a thorough understanding of SAP and the BREDEM model that underpins it as well as Reduced Data SAP and the minimum data sets that can be used for assessing housing stocks. He regularly uses “full SAP” energy surveys of dwellings to assist in the specification of improvement programmes and the cost/benefit analysis of alternative improvement packages.
Training
Alan has an outstanding reputation as a trainer of energy assessors. Alan Pither Ltd. has carried out in-house training of Domestic Energy Assessors for several social housing landlords. This includes ongoing CPD training sessions as well as bespoke courses for the Certificate in Domestic Energy Assessment qualification. Alan has many years’ experience of training housing provider and local authority staff on energy advice and related issues including fuel poverty. He has also delivered training for many other organisations including the Building Research Establishment and the Retrofit Academy.
Sustainability
Alan has many years’ experience of the environmental/sustainability assessment of buildings, including BREEAM, EcoHomes, Home Quality Mark and Code for Sustainable Homes assessments.
Development of energy and affordable warmth strategies
Many social housing landlords have carried out extensive energy efficiency improvement programmes across their housing stocks, implementing the measures such as cavity wall insulation that are relatively easy to carry out at scale. They are now left with the problem of how to improve the ‘hard to treat’ properties so that all tenants can afford adequate warmth in their home. This often requires the design of specific solutions for particular blocks or dwelling types.
Quality Assurance
Alan Pither Ltd is an Approved Centre for the energy related qualifications offered by ABBE. Alan also acts as internal quality assurer for other training centres.
Housing Stock Analysis
Alan has extensive experience of working with social housing landlords on housing stock energy efficiency assessment. This includes the validation of housing stock energy data and the development of energy improvement strategies as well as estimating average SAP energy ratings and the preparation of stock energy profiles.
Funding Knowledge
Alan has extensive knowledge of finance and funding for energy projects and has experience of preparing funding applications, managing the delivery of projects and monitoring the benefits achieved.
Domestic low carbon retrofit
Alan was a member of the team that developed the Level 5 Diploma in Retrofit Co-ordination and Risk Management and has delivered training and and assessment of this qualification for the Retrofit Academy. He is on the BSi committee that is developing the new BS 40104 Code of Practice on Retrofit Assessment.
Expert witness
Alan has acted as an expert witness for both landlords and tenants where legal action has been threatened with respect to condensation or excess cold hazards.