As lead partner of Transform-ER, Energiesprong UK is spearheading the retrofit workstream for a bold new regional transformation initiative - enabling proof of concept for a truly integrated delivery model for large-scale home energy upgrades.
The Thames Freeport Sustainable Construction Programme, led by Rainmaking, brings together industry pioneers including Energiesprong UK (ESUK), E.ON, Ramboll, and BE-ST. Its ambition: to build a groundbreaking sustainable construction ecosystem that transforms the region and improves quality of life for residents.
As part of this, Energiesprong UK will deliver a multi-stream retrofit accelerator programme across Barking & Dagenham, Havering, and Thurrock, showcasing how Transform-ER, a new retrofit delivery model can deliver faster, smarter, and more affordable home upgrades at scale.
Developed through an Innovate UK funded, consortium-led project, Transform-ER’s new retrofit model is designed to help social landlords and local authorities procure high-quality, cost-effective energy upgrades - delivered faster and at scale.
It integrates demand aggregation, digital intelligence, kit-of-parts design, resident engagement, and innovative finance mechanisms - all within a collaborative alliancing framework that shares risk and reward across partners.
We’re excited to be able to demonstrate the Transform-ER model across these three local authorities, representing 2,000+ homes.
Alongside our partners, we will be:
Things are kicking off with a one home demonstration project on the Becontree Estate, the UK’s largest, and first ever social housing estate. It’s designed and delivered by Bow Tie Construction using Ultrapanel’s next generation external wall insulation (EWI) combined with additional M&E to create a full home retrofit solution.
It is testing installation time and performance of innovative manufactured products, a low disruption method for installing ventilation, and our digital resident engagement platform. In-house modelling done by Bow Tie Construction estimates that the house will go from its current EPC D rating to an A (93) post-retrofit.
Following the demonstrator, Transform-ER will replicate and scale the model with additional landlords and regional authorities, including the development of a Programme Catalogue linking digital design, certified retrofit solutions, and finance offers.
Emily Braham, Director of Strategy and Operations, Energiesprong UK, says:
“Over the last 2 years, we’ve collaborated with 12 other industry leaders to create a new delivery model for faster, smarter, and more affordable home energy upgrades at scale. Building on decades of experience, the result is Transform-ER – a game-changing new approach that places residents at its heart. We’re excited to demonstrate it across the Thames Freeport region.”
Councillor Kashif Haroon, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Climate Change at Barking and Dagenham Council said:
“We’re excited to partner with Energiesprong UK on this innovative approach to retrofitting, supporting the plans set out in our Zero Carbon Roadmap.
“We’ve already invested over £31m into decarbonising B&D, with more than 2,000 homes and buildings receiving energy saving upgrades since 2021, to help residents live in warmer homes with lower energy bills.”
Rafael Delimata, Director of Bow Tie Construction, says:
“We’ve long championed offsite manufactured kits-of-parts as critical to delivering retrofit at speed and scale. Transform-ER has allowed us to collaborate with other innovators and develop exciting new solutions and approaches to deliver a whole house retrofit in as little as four weeks. We’re currently delivering the initial demonstrator with Ultrapanel Building Technologies – stay tuned for the results!”
Andrew Thomson, Technical Director at Ultrapanel Building Technologies says:
“Transform-ER has allowed us to further develop our next generation external wall insulation - an offsite manufactured, SIP based solution, which uses a 3D scan and innovative survey techniques to configure solutions to precisely fit each building. The ease and speed with which the system can be installed means resident disruption is kept to a minimum and we can help deliver home energy upgrades at the speed and scale required.”
Rt Hon. Ruth Kelly, Thames Freeport chair says:
"The Sustainable Construction Lab is about turning ambition into delivery. We’re starting with retrofit because the need is immediate — warmer homes, lower bills and new skilled jobs. The old model isn’t delivering at the pace the country needs, but modern methods of construction can. Thames Freeport is uniquely positioned to bring those innovations together and help build the next generation of sustainable homes.”
Header photo credit: Planarific.
About Transform-ER
Transform-ER (Transform.Engage.Retrofit) is a consortium-led project funded by Innovate UK, tackling retrofit’s biggest barriers to scale - aiming to enable one million home upgrades annually by 2030.
Bringing together 13 industry leaders, it is building a cohesive, industrialised sector delivering high-performance, cost-effective retrofit through a standardised process. It is currently setting up a CIC to support landlords to procure high-quality, cost-effective home energy upgrades – faster, smarter, and at scale.
About Energiesprong UK
Energiesprong UK collaborates with local authorities, housing providers, and the supply chain to develop scalable home energy refurbishment approaches. Its mission is for every UK home to be desirable, comfortable, affordable, and fit for 2050.
About Ambue
Ambue is democratising building decarbonisation on the road to net zero. Ambue’s integrated team of architects, designers and computer scientists has created a software platform to standardise and automate the PAS2035 delivery process, specifying and designing retrofit measures to improve the energy efficiency of homes, while mitigating the risks inherent in retrofit projects.
About Bow Tie Construction
Bow Tie Construction specialises in building people’s dream homes, with a strong focus on quality and long-term sustainability across both retrofit and new-build projects. With decades of experience delivering Passivhaus-standard homes in London, the company is now expanding its expertise to deliver large-scale Energiesprong retrofits for local authority clients.
About Planarific
Planarific are data and AI (Artificial Intelligence) experts who develop tools to get better building information data from existing data sets to help better develop projects. They achieve this by setting data requirements and developing Machine Learning models for building morphology to improve building stock pipeline analysis, and for estimating project risks and costs.
About Ultrapanel Building Technologies
Ultrapanel Building Technologies was created to redefine the low-rise new build housing sector. Engineered to enhance building performance while cutting construction time and costs – our Ultrapanel patented panelised technology offers a smarter, faster and more sustainable way to build.
A versatile next generation SIP system, Ultrapanel can be used for retrofit applications. As an advanced External Wall Insulation (EWI), Ultrapanel goes beyond traditional retrofit methods to deliver rapid, low-disruption and high-performance solutions.
About Thames Freeport
Thames Freeport is a transformative initiative driving trade, innovation, and the energy transition across East London and the Thames Estuary. Its Sustainable Construction Programme is creating an integrated ecosystem for greener, healthier, and more affordable homes, green jobs, and long-term investment, powered by modern methods of construction and next-generation retrofit technologies.
