British Science Week – Energy Efficiency

Domestic energy renovation projects are lagging behind the level needed to decarbonise homes within net zero timescales. Helping homeowners to reduce the environmental footprint of their homes is therefore as important for the planet as it is for helping people manage their long-term energy costs. 

The Stronghouse project was an inter-regional, multi-agency initiative for energy efficiency. The project finished last year but it has left a strong legacy to which the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment at Robert Gordon University (RGU) has made a significant contribution.  

Part of the Stronghouse legacy is the School’s design, testing and evaluation of a prototype for a new online app that makes it easy for people to carry out a self-assessment of the saving potential of their homes. Alongside the self-assessment results, the app provides homeowners with guidance, support and advice on how to invest in energy efficiency, including information about grants. 

The tool also offers homeowners long term step-by-step retrofit plans to help them improve their energy efficiency through cutting edge technologies. 

A further legacy at RGU is the introduction of a new post-graduate course which builds on research carried out as part of the Stronghouse project.