ALICE HALLAM - Retrofit Coordinator

Alice Hallam is a Retrofit Coordinator based in Nottingham, working for Community Home Solutions Ltd, a retrofit installer operating within ECO and the Warm Homes: Local Grant. In her role, Alice coordinates and signs off retrofit projects whilst also managing an ECO submissions team. It’s a position that carries responsibility, precision, and real-world impact.

Alice’s journey into the green sector wasn’t planned. In fact, as she openly admits, it came about entirely by chance. “It was pure luck. I fell into the sector by accident,” she says. “But I stayed for lots of reasons.”

A typical day at work starts early. She arrives at the office around 8.30am, has breakfast and says hello to the office dog, Maggie. Then it’s straight into emails and her work phone — with WhatsApp playing a major role in daily communications. It’s not unusual for her to be greeted by over one hundred messages before the day even properly begins.

Her day could consist of reviewing live and upcoming projects in the pipeline, modelling EPRs, or reviewing and signing off projects at both design and completed installation stage. Some days she’s out on site visiting live installs; others she’s researching the latest retrofit hot topics. She makes it a habit to log off at 5pm!

Alice’s route into retrofit began after returning to the UK following a period of travelling and living abroad. With accountancy qualifications completed during the pandemic, she planned to take on a short-term finance role before moving to London and so applied for an entry-level role at Community Home Solutions — three years later, she’s still there, now fully qualified as a Retrofit Coordinator and leading a team of her own.

“My knowledge of the green sector was very limited before I started,” she explains. “I knew what solar panels were — and that was probably about it.”

A defining moment came after finishing her AAT qualifications. With the company being relatively small, Alice had already gained exposure beyond her finance role and found herself drawn to the technical and compliance side of the business. Alice also has a degree in Biological and Medical Sciences; so not directly related to retrofit, but quickly found her skills were a good match. Her manager gave her a choice: continue down a traditional finance route or train as a Retrofit Coordinator. She chose the latter — a decision that has shaped her career.

Today, stakeholder management is one of her key skills. Alice works with a wide mix of people — installers, utilities, accreditation bodies, and retrofit assessors — adapting her communication style depending on whether she’s on site or in a corporate environment. Alongside that, attention to detail and time management are critical. Each property brings its own unique challenges, SAP modelling must be accurate, and every installation must match the Retrofit Design — often requiring Alice to review hundreds of photos per project.

Since qualifying, Alice has seen updated versions of RdSAP and PAS2035, a change in government, uncertainty around the future of ECO, and an industry-wide investigation into solid wall insulation.
“The ECO world is a rollercoaster,” she says. “My decisions have real-life impacts on people and their homes. My professional reputation and TrustMark accreditation are on the line if a project doesn’t go to plan and that really matters to me.”

She’s deeply passionate about raising standards in an industry that doesn’t always have the best reputation. “I feel very fortunate to work for a company that wants to lead by example. My values align with Community Home Solutions — and that’s vital to me.”

When it comes to the future of the sector, Alice is realistic. Uncertainty across policy and funding makes planning difficult, but she remains hopeful that fuel poverty schemes will continue — even if they evolve under different governance. She deals with all the uncertainty by taking each day as it comes. “I thrive on a challenge,” she says. “I like to think I’m resilient.”

While Alice works alongside many strong women, she knows that as a female Domestic Energy Assessor and Retrofit Coordinator, she is still in the minority. This year, a promotional photo for a conference showing a room dominated almost entirely by white middle-aged men put her off attending. “It’s small things like that which contribute to the lack of female voices in our sector”.

Alice believes there is a lack of visibility around green careers for women and girls, whether it’s for decisions about education or career changes. Championing women in the retrofit sector, especially in the less female led roles such as hers, emphasises that these roles are available to anyone.

Alice’s biggest inspiration throughout her career is her line manager, Ailsa. “Not only has she always motivated me to be the best version of myself, as a company director she has shown me that the glass ceiling is there to be broken,” Alice says. “I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without her.”

There is a lot of trust put in Alice by the company and the householders who’s homes she signs off. As she’s progressed, she now contributes to company strategy, decisions and long-term growth, something she loves being a part of.

Her advice to anyone considering a similar path is simple: “Show up every day and give it your all. Ask the ‘stupid’ questions. Be proactive. Recognise your key skills and find a way to create an impact with them.”

When asked how Alice remains motivated and hopeful about the future, her one quote sums it up perfectly: “If you never try, you’ll never know.”