28 Aug 2026
By Carl Dodd

Beyond the battery: what the UK’s 100-hour Energy Challenge means for your home

2026, affordable warmth, Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), Carl Dodd, damp, decarbonisation, draught-proofing, embodied carbon, emissions, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, EV, floor insulation, green sector, heat pumps, housing, hybrid heat pumps, loft insulation, low impact, low carbon living, macro grid, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, solar and battery, solar array, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, Ultra-LDES, underfloor heating, upfront carbon, wind power, wind turbine
The Ultra-LDES Challenge The UK Government has launched the £28 million Ultra-Long Duration Energy Storage Challenge. The goal is to develop technologies capable of storing clean wind and solar energy for 100 hours or more (at least four days). This initiative aims to eradicate the UK's reliance on expensive gas-fired generation during "dunkelflaute" periods (no wind, no sun). For domestic retrofits, this grid-level evolution completely shifts how we plan home solar array sizing, domestic battery capacity, and smart energy tariffs. The 100-hour horizon: decarbonising the gaps The official government announcement of the Challenge marks a pivotal moment in the UK's transition…
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14 Aug 2026
By Carl Dodd

Reducing upfront (embodied) carbon in UK retrofits and new builds

2026, affordable warmth, air quality, Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), bio-based cladding, bio-insulation, Carl Dodd, circular economy, damp, decarbonisation, draught-proofing, ecosystem, embodied carbon, emissions, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, floor insulation, GGBS, greenwashing, heat pumps, hemp insulation, housing, hybrid heat pumps, low impact, low carbon living, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, RICS, sheep's wool, sustainability, sustainable living, underfloor heating, upfront carbon, WheatEx, wood fibre
The Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia (UEA) The UK built environment is at a critical turning point For decades, the construction industry focused almost entirely on operational carbon - the energy used to heat, light, and power a building once occupied. However, as the UK grid decarbonises and heat pumps replace gas boilers, the focus must shift. Today, the immediate threat comes from upfront carbon, which is the greenhouse gas footprint generated before a property is even handed over to the occupier. For PRL, property owners, developers, and other retrofit professionals, tackling this initial carbon spike is…
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24 Jul 2026
By Carl Dodd

Why installing both solar & battery is the smartest move

2026, Carl Dodd, electric vehicle, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, EV, housing, lifestyle transformation, low impact, low carbon living, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, solar and battery, solar array, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants
The PRL guide to solar & battery storage The UK property sector is undergoing a quiet revolution. Whether you are a homeowner watching your monthly outgoings or a landlord aiming to future-proof an investment property, managing energy costs has become a top priority. If you do not yet have solar panels installed, you are actually in an envious position, as you have a completely clean slate. While early adopters were forced to install solar panels as a standalone technology, the engineering landscape has evolved. Today, installing solar photovoltaics (PV) without a home battery storage system is seen as a job…
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05 Jun 2026
By Carl Dodd

PRL’s comprehensive guide to setting retrofit priorities

2026, affordable warmth, air pollution, air quality, Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), bio-insulation, Carl Dodd, damp, draught-proofing, emissions, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, floor insulation, heat pumps, Heatwave, hemp insulation, housing, humidity, hybrid heat pumps, loft insulation, low impact, low carbon living, mould, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, shading, sheep's wool, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, tiny homes, underfloor heating, warm homes plan, weatherproof
Getting the balance right With the UK's commitment to reach Net Zero, retrofitting your home has never been more vital. This Blog explores the essential factors to consider when setting your retrofit priorities. You will need to balance energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact, to create a 'cool in summer/ warm in winter', more sustainable, and future-proof home. The retrofit imperative for UK householders The UK housing stock is famously characterful, yet equally notorious for its age and energy inefficiency. With millions of homes requiring substantial upgrades before the government's Net Zero targets, retrofitting can adapt a property to improve its…
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22 May 2026
By Carl Dodd

EPC and the Renters’ Rights Act: putting retrofit in the picture

2026, affordable warmth, air quality, Carl Dodd, damp, decarbonisation, draught-proofing, emissions, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, floor insulation, green sector, heat pumps, hemp insulation, housing, humidity, loft insulation, low impact, low carbon living, mould, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, shading, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, tiny homes, tiny houses, Urban Heat Island, warm homes plan, wood fibre
How the Renters' Rights Act and Net Zero Targets threaten older housing stock The UK private rented sector (PRS) stands at a crossroads. This month, the dual pressures of imminent legislative reform and national decarbonisation targets converged to create unprecedented anxiety for landlords - and tenants. At the heart of this shifting landscape is a widening structural chasm. On one side sits a modern, highly efficient tier of rental properties, largely compliant with evolving standards, and cheap to run. On the other lies a vast, aging portfolio of pre-war, solid-wall housing stock that risks becoming legally unlettable or financially unviable.…
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08 May 2026
By Carl Dodd

Bridging the gap between heritage and Net Zero

2026, air pollution, air quality, Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), biodiversity, Carl Dodd, damp, draught-proofing, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, floor insulation, green sector, heat pumps, hemp insulation, housing, lifestyle transformation, low impact, low carbon living, mould, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., Retrofit PRL, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, tiny homes, underfloor heating, warm homes plan
Retrofitting rural homes in 2026 As we move through 2026, the UK's journey towards Net Zero has reached a pivotal juncture. While urban high-rises and suburban estates often dominate the conversation, the real frontline of the energy transition is found in the rolling hills and quiet villages of the British countryside. Retrofitting rural homes is no longer a niche environmental ambition; it is an urgent economic and social imperative. 80% of the buildings we will use in 2050 are already standing today. This means that the challenge is clear: we cannot build our way to sustainability - we must upgrade…
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24 Apr 2026
By Carl Dodd

Government boosts retrofit fund by £100m

2026, affordable warmth, air pollution, air quality, Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), Carl Dodd, damp, draught-proofing, emissions, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, floor insulation, heat pumps, housing, hybrid heat pumps, lifestyle transformation, loft insulation, low impact, low carbon living, mould, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, warm homes plan
A new dawn for social housing The UK government has taken a significant step towards a greener, warmer, and more affordable future for social housing residents. As recently announced, a £100 million increase to the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (formerly the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund) has been confirmed, aimed at accelerating energy efficiency upgrades and tackling the rising cost of energy. This cash injection is designed to deliver immediate benefits, with a focus on solar panel installations for up to 57,000 households within this financial year. As energy secretary Ed Miliband emphasised, this initiative is about protecting families from…
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10 Apr 2026
By Carl Dodd

Demolition vs. retrofit in the age of Net Zero

2026, affordable warmth, Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), carbon sequestration, Carl Dodd, decarbonisation, draught-proofing, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, Environment, floor insulation, heat pumps, housing, loft insulation, low impact, low carbon living, mould, natural insulation, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, tiny homes, tiny houses, warm homes plan
A high-stakes question As we enter the second quarter of 2026, the construction industry stands at a critical crossroads. The push towards a Net Zero future has transformed the question of "demolish or retrofit" from a simple financial decision into a complex, high-stakes assessment of environmental, social, and economic impact. Following the seminal March 2026 research report (Demolition and Redevelopment or Retrofit, Quantitative research report, March 2026) this Blog explores the latest quantitative data, the regulatory landscape, and the crucial choices facing developers today. The 2026 landscape: why we are still demolishing Despite intense scrutiny, demolition remains a dominant, often…
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20 Mar 2026
By Carl Dodd

How the solar “plug-in” revolution redefines household energy

2026, Carl Dodd, ecosystem, energy sufficiency, Environment, green sector, housing, lifestyle transformation, low impact, low carbon living, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, solar array, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, warm homes plan, wind power
The turning point It is no secret that 2026 has been a turning point for the UK's energy landscape. Following a period of intense global volatility, and in response to increasing energy security needs, the UK government made a monumental announcement this month. This announcement did not just aim for marginal improvements; it promised a radical shake-up of how households access, generate, and store clean electricity. At the heart of this new initiative is a phrase that has, in a few short months, changed the conversation around home energy: "plug-in" Solar. Combined with the ongoing rollout of the £15 billion…
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06 Mar 2026
By Carl Dodd

Decoding the UK Government’s Local Power Plan

2026, affordable warmth, Carl Dodd, decarbonisation, draught-proofing, electric bike, electric vehicle, energy efficiency, energy sufficiency, Environment, green sector, housing, lifestyle transformation, low impact, low carbon living, Net Zero Carbon, new homes, PRL, Property Revolutions Ltd., recycling, reduce carbon footprint, Retrofit PRL, solar array, solar panel, sustainability, sustainable living, tenants, warm homes plan, wind power, wind turbine
A significant paradigm shift For decades, the UK's energy landscape has been dominated by large-scale, centralised power generation. While efficient, this model has often left local communities as passive consumers, vulnerable to global fossil fuel price volatility and distant decision-making. However, on February 9, 2026, the UK government, in partnership with Great British Energy (GBE), launched the Local Power Plan. Described as the "largest public investment in community energy in British history," this transformative strategy aims to unlock the potential of local, renewable energy, turning villages, towns, and cities into active participants in the Net-Zero transition. Backed by up to £1…
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