Building Sustainable Futures
Ben Foster MBE – Founder, Tactical Energy Systems Ltd
A veteran of 16 years service as an Officer in the British Army’s Corps of Royal Engineers, Bens career saw him managing a wide range of engineering and construction works. Highlights include delivering real life support infrastructure in remote parts of Kenya, supporting the NHS with construction of the Nightingale Hospital, Harrogate, and delivering a range of infrastructure projects across the Middle East.
Ben has an MSc in Construction Engineering, and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has experience as both a prime contractor and design engineer for building services in major construction firms.
Specific to domestic retrofit, he is a qualified and Trustmark accredited retrofit assessor and retrofit coordinator with experience delivering retrofit projects around the UK, including in heritage properties.
Now settled in Borrowash, in the pursuit of renovating his 1960’s semi-detached home, Ben is striving to make the house as energy efficient as possible. Embarking on his own retrofit journey spurred him into establishing Tactical Energy Systems, to act as a trusted partner to others who seek to do the same, and as a small contribution to averting a climate change catastrophe. He also wants to get more control over his energy bill!
Through Tactical Energy Systems, Ben aims to:
- Provide advice on the full spectrum of energy efficiency improvements, and their suitability for different property and construction types. Ben can help you avoid the horror stories of efficiency measures gone wrong, by ensuring measures are appropriate for your home and installed properly.
- Suggest how best to join-up and sequence multiple energy efficiency improvements, perhaps in a phased plan, over several years. This drives efficiency in installation, and ensures improvements complement each other for maximum effect.
- Help homeowners cut through the sales-bluff so common in the sector, with factual information, transparency and tailored advice.
With stories of failed retrofit mounting, the government commissioned a review of the sector in 2015. The recommendations are encapsulated in Publicly Available Specification 2035 (PAS 2035), which sets out retrofit principles, defines an industry code of practice, and provides accreditation for those working in the industry. Ben is an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor and Retrofit Assessor in accordance with PAS2035. He is also finalising his Retrofit Coordinator accreditation.
Ben is excited to combine his engineering and project management experience with home energy retrofit, and hopes he can be of service to his community in that capacity.
