Buildings Case study
Outcomes
Transforming
a typical
Victorian house
Refurbishment outcomes
Total CO2 emissions cut
by 72 per cent – from 14t
to 3.8t per year
CO2 emissions cut by 80
per cent if calculated
per m
2
– the additional
living space pushed
down the total figure
A more healthy living
Solar panels are linked to a 500-litre cylinder concealed in a closet.
environment – radiant
heating, reduced damp,
It provides 150 litres of hot water as well as low-temperature hot
more natural lighting
water for the radiant wall system and underfloor heating
Reduced energy bill by
two thirds
> Insulation insulated that sitting next to them is no problem. The
Payback period for solar
The first step was to improve the building fabric to reduce radiant heat from the wall feels very pleasant – rather like
heating system: seven
heat loss. External wall insulation was immediately sun-rays. You get the best sensation of this in the shower
years approx (at current
energy prices)
ruled out because it would contravene conservation area enclosure because the tiles radiate the heat even better
restrictions. So internal magnesite-bound wood wool than plastered walls,” she adds.
Retained original
character
insulation was added to all external walls to a depth of
either 50mm or 25mm. Heating
Technology
Radiant wall heating was also applied to several walls They have had to make compromises along the way,
– hence the difference in insulation depths – providing though. Their first choice of heating was wood pellets
A+ rated appliances
throughout
U-values of between 1.2 and 1.6. The insulation also combined with solar, but the lack of storage space and
helped to overcome some severe damp problems in the shortage of suitable suppliers made the wood element
Low-energy induction
hob
external walls. They were able to add 50mm of insulation difficult. The second choice was a ground-source heat
to the loft – which was extended – but had to use boards pump, but the garden was too small for ‘slinky’ loops and
Condensing boiler
due to space restrictions. a borehole too expensive at around £8,000 plus the cost
Energy controls –
The radiant heating installed uses 30 per cent less of the heat pump. They also ruled out an air-source heat
including thermostats in
every room.
energy than conventional radiator systems, due to the pump on the grounds of noise.
Energy-saving lamps
larger surface areas, which means comfortable heat So it was decided that solar energy would have to bear
can be provided at water temperatures as low as 35 to the brunt of the load. Four solar panels, each comprising >
Water-saving shower
heads
40°C. The couple have found that there is more even
heat distribution with this approach, with fewer airborne
Solar heating
particles and the benefit of dispensing with radiators.
Our main focus must be on
Underfloor heating
“Shortly after moving into the house, sitting next to
Radiant wall heating walls was unpleasant,” says Stagl. “The cold would come
transforming the existing
straight through. Now walls and windows are so well housing stock – Russell Smith
Barriers
Poor building fabric
Housing stock challenge of turning Britain’s homes green
Planning objections
According to the UK Sustainable Development but believes we still have a lot to learn. “There is
Lack of qualified
installers
Commission, 75 per cent of existing homes will still a big gap in our knowledge about how to tackle
be in use in 2050 – by which time the country is due this challenge,” he says. “We need to take on more
User behaviour
to have reduced its carbon emissions by 80 per cent, projects to plug that gap.”
Urban density
according to government targets. Parity achieved a 72 per cent reduction of carbon
Lack of space Before the housing market crashed, the UK was emissions per square metre on one London property
modernising around 150,000 houses a year, through it refurbished, and the eco measures only added 15
new builds and refurbishments. per cent to the total cost, according to Smith. He
“Some 27 per cent of our total energy use is says the greening of this house will pay for itself in
consumed in homes – the single biggest chunk,” less than eight years.
says Russell Smith, of residential refurbishment “Trades people are the key influencers in the
company Parity Eco Solutions. “Our main focus process of making homes more sustainable,”
must be on transforming the existing housing stock.” adds Smith. “They need to be keenly aware of that
Smith has turned the refurbishment of Victorian responsibility and of the impact each element of their
semi-detached homes into ecological test projects, work has on the overall performance.”
34 CIBSE Journal April 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEapr09 pp32-33,34,36.indd 34 2/4/09 15:00:16
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