SHAP provides bespoke consultancy and advisory support to organisations and partners working to deliver sustainable housing and place-based decarbonisation. We are regularly commissioned to support complex, system-wide challenges – from strategic programme design through to delivery, evaluation and learning.
Our work draws on the collective expertise of SHAP’s associates, whose experience spans energy systems, housing, communities and place. This allows us to tailor support to the specific context, scale and ambition of each piece of work, while maintaining a whole-system perspective.
We work with local and combined authorities, housing providers, community organisations, academic institutions, businesses and delivery partners, often acting as a connector between different parts of the system.
Our areas of expertise
SHAP’s consultancy and advisory work commonly includes:
- Place-based decarbonisation programmes: Designing and supporting place-led net zero programmes, including housing-led approaches at neighbourhood, local authority and regional scale. An example of this is Zero Carbon Rugeley, in which SHAP created a blueprint for the retrofit of 10,000 domestic properties.
- Energy systems, data and modelling: Analysis of housing stock and energy use, development of retrofit pathways, and modelling to understand costs, impacts and routes to net zero. An example of this is ‘Moving beyond decent homes’ which established a case for optimising the energy efficiency of homes while works are carried out, to bring them up to the Decent Homes Standard. SHAP developed an energy model that enabled the best energy efficiency measures to deploy, to be determined.
- Retrofit strategy and programme design: Supporting the development of retrofit strategies, standards and delivery plans, including whole-house approaches and alignment with existing programmes such as Decent Homes. Explore our Retrofit resources here.
- Fuel poverty and energy advice: Strategic programme development to address fuel poverty, including market reviews, service mapping, and approaches that link housing, health and vulnerability. An example of this is Warm Homes Saves Lives, in which SHAP was commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority and Energy Capital to support the development of a five-year strategic programme to radically address fuel poverty across the West Midlands.
- Community and resident engagement: Designing and delivering engagement approaches that ensure residents and communities are informed, involved and supported through change. Explore our Community & Resident resources here.
- Skills development and capacity building: Designing and delivering training and learning programmes, including skills bootcamps, to build leadership, capability and confidence across the sector. Learn about Keele University’s Place-based decarbonisation bootcamps – rated Outstanding by Ofsted – which SHAP co-design and co-delivered, to address the skills shortage in the sector.
- Programme delivery, coordination and evaluation: Supporting the coordination, management and evaluation of complex programmes, helping organisations understand what is working, what can be improved and what can be replicated elsewhere.