Citu and LSI tackle real-world energy efficiency testing

With the Future Homes Standard coming into effect in 2025, developers will be required to test and verify the thermal performance of new homes after construction, ensuring they perform as designed.

Two test cells have now been installed at the developer’s factory in Leeds’ Climate Innovation District to gather data on the thermal performance of UK homes in order to advance building performance measurements.

The launch of the test cells is part of a wider project by the Leeds Sustainability Institute, part of Leeds Beckett University, that will enable the evaluation of how effective new-build homes and retrofit solutions are in real terms.

Alongside the launch of these new facilities, the LSI has been conducting an extensive building performance testing programme at the Net-Zero Research Village (NeRV) near Gateshead.

These test cells will function as laboratories, enabling the development of more reliable methods for measuring building performance and ensuring properties meet energy efficiency standards. Credit: PY

Professor David Glew, director of the Leeds Sustainability Institute at Leeds Beckett University, said: “We’re partnering with developer Citu to establish these two test cell sites in Leeds to help define a pathway for housebuilders to integrate measurements into their everyday construction processes and meet upcoming net zero regulations.

“The coming shift in focus within the building regulations towards measured data is a step change for the industry, and we are doing this research to improve and validate the tools industry needs to ensure they will comply with the requirements.

“It is essential for all parts of the construction industry, from housebuilders, landlords and energy companies to green tech and finance innovators, to know the real performance of their energy efficient products and homes.

“Without reliable tools and methods to test and baseline performance, we won’t have the certainty we need to support the net zero transition of our housing stock.

“The benefits of our research will be transformative, from ensuring that the sector meets its legal responsibilities to hitting energy saving targets and even helping new tech on its journey to adoption.”

Jonathon Wilson, managing director of Citu, said of the collaboration with LSI: “Our mission is about how we can create the most impact for places and for the planet. Our own impact is something that we don’t take lightly and we take a deep sense of responsibility about how we can create the most amount of impact…

“We set out with a vision 10 years ago – from where we were then, 10 years ago, that idea was the start of a great collaboration. Today, we’re no longer talking about vision, we’re delivering on it.”

The Leeds Sustainability Institute’s development of the Coheating Test is recognised as the gold standard for assessing how residential constructions retain heat. and has recently been codified into a European standard.

LSI is now hoping to engage with housebuilders, energy companies, landlords, and green tech innovators to demonstrate how the work will help them achieve their key targets in 2025 and beyond.