Blog29th April 2026
Our origin story
Once upon a time – aka September 2023 – a band of boldly ambitious retrofit experts saw a sector in crisis. Full of committed people but fragmented in practice – and unable to move at the speed or scale that the climate crisis demanded.
So, they decided to do something about it.
United by a shared belief that retrofit could – and must – be done better, this group came together under an Innovate UK-funded project with a mission: to battle retrofit’s big bad barriers and achieve their happily ever after. Namely, scale, speed, quality – and happier, more engaged residents along the way.
The battles won (and the lessons learned)
It wasn’t a fairy tale without dragons. The barriers to retrofit at scale are well known in the industry:
- Poor-quality outcomes, big delays and spiralling costs
- Residents who feel retrofit is done to them, not with them
- Procurement and contracting models that weren’t built for this kind of work.
Transform-ER took those challenges head on. Working with housing providers, industry experts, contractors and product innovators, the project developed a genuinely new approach to retrofit delivery – one built around systems thinking, genuine collaboration, and putting people first.
The result? A bold new model ready to be scaled that’s already retrofitted a demonstrator home with an innovative kit-of-parts solution in four weeks – taking the home from an EPCD to A at half the cost of previous comparable projects.
Our next chapter begins
The Innovate UK project may be complete – but the story is far from over and there are more battles to be won.
Transform-ER has now launched as a Community Interest Company – using our new integrated model to help social landlords and local authorities procure, finance and deliver high-quality home energy upgrades at scale.
We have a clear purpose: helping create a thriving retrofit ecosystem that enables 1m home energy upgrades a year by 2030.
And we’re telling that story in full at Futurebuild 2026. Come find us at Stand F80 – find out what’s on below!
What’s on at Stand F80
Across three days, we’ve packed our stand with sessions, demonstrations and conversations. Here’s a taste of what to expect:
A deep dive into the story of our demonstrator home
A kit-of-parts full retrofit delivered by a collaborative alliance in four weeks – taking the home from EPCD to an A at half the cost of previous comparable projects.
Show & Tell sessions across all three days
Get up close with partners from the Transform-ER project showcasing their solutions and products for a better retrofit future, including VundaHaus, Catnic, Bow Tie, Planarific and Ultrapanel.
Director Q&As
Join us on Tuesday 12 May (12:00–13:00) and Thursday 14 May (12:00–13:00) to speak directly with Transform-ER directors. They will also be at the stand across the three days so do just pop by!
Full agenda
Tuesday 12 May
- 10:00 – 10:45: Vundahaus show and tell
- 11:00 – 11:45: Bow Tie Construction shares insights from the Transform-ER demonstrator
- 11:45 – 12:30: Transform-ER directors on the stand to answer your questions
- 14:00 – 14:30: Planarific show and tell
- 15:00 – 15:45: Ultrapanel show and tell
Wednesday 13 May
- 10:00 – 10:45: Catnic show and tell
- 11:30 – 12:15: Vundahaus show and tell
- 14:00 – 14:30: Planarific show and tell
Thursday 14 May
- 10:00 – 10:45: Catnic show and tell
- 12:00 – 13:00: Q&A with Transform-ER directors
- 14:00 – 14:45: Vundahaus show and tell
Whether you’re a landlord, policymaker or installer – there’s something at Stand F80 for you. Let us know if you’d like to set up a meeting via the form below.