Martin Rinvolucri has recently joined Connected Response as Business Development Manager. Martin is focussed on building relationships with local authorities and social housing landlords and making them aware of the benefits of Connected Response’s retrofit HeatSage technology.

Martin initially studied architecture at the University of Nottingham before changing career paths and becoming a primary school teacher. After ten years as a teacher, Martin’s two passions, education and the built environment, dovetailed when he became involved with the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Starting at out as the BSF Education Transformation Manager at Nottingham City Council, Martin transferred to Carillion when they were selected by the Council as its preferred BSF partner. He was the main client liaison for over £200m of school building projects, became the Birmingham Core Cities Lead, and then worked alongside Nottingham City Council’s Strategic Regeneration Group.

Post-Carillion, Martin’s career has focussed on promoting innovative retrofit housing improvement technologies to housing associations and councils. These technologies have included establishing a series of ‘flying factories’ for a retrofit Passivhaus solution, and building a network of whole-house retrofit partners for Q-Bot underfloor insulation which is applied by automated robots.

Throughout his career, Martin has undertaken voluntary roles with organisations supporting underprivileged communities. He is currently a Trustee Director with The Toy Library in Nottingham which is delivering the innovative Family Mentor programme in areas of the city.

In the short time he has been with Connected Response, Martin has already recognised the inequities faced by families with electric storage heating:

‘It’s clear to me that electric storage heaters themselves are not the problem; they are, after all, simple and effective heat stores. The challenge is working with existing tariffs, or developing new ones, that enable families to economically charge their storage heating in line with their heating needs. Connected Response’ s retrofit HeatSage technology enables this to be achieved at scale and at low cost. There is absolutely no need, in my opinion, to throw out and replace perfectly good storage heaters with the associated environmental impact that incurs.’

Outside work, Martin volunteers at his local foodbank collecting fresh produce. Martin is a seasoned kayaker on the River Trent and competes in kayaking events across the UK. He is also a regular visitor to the Edinburgh Festival.