Buildings Case study
> 15 evacuated tubes, were specified and linked to a 500-
litre cylinder that is now concealed in a closet behind the
bathroom mirror and provides 150 litres of hot water. The
cylinder also provides low-temperature hot water for the
radiant wall system and the underfloor heating that was
installed in the kitchen and loft conversion.
A gas condensing boiler was installed, instead of the
biomass option, for back-up heating. It was over the solar
array that the couple had their biggest battle with the local
authority. Originally, they were told that the panels would
have to be hidden on an east-facing roof – making them
almost totally impractical – or blended into invisibility The period Victorian windows have been replaced with wooden
Our project with the existing tiles. This lack of flexibility put the whole doubled-glazed ones to meet conservation requirements
shows that
project in jeopardy. Later, as local authorities apparently
reducing CO2
came under more pressure from government to approve lounge and hallway the floors were lifted and underlaid
eco-projects, Brighton and Hove Council removed its with 10cm of polystyrol insulation. The wood in the kitchen
emissions by objection. could not be restored so a new tiled floor was laid with
[more than
“Not only did we get the green light, Brighton and underfloor heating and 10cm of insulation. Often, with
70 per cent] is
Hove Council gave us a £1,000 grant for the solar panels so-called green projects, the original design intentions can
on top of the government subsidy,” Stagl says. “The be lost once the building is occupied. Stagl and Kaufmann
achievable planning officer even said they wished they had more have also taken on a lodger, which has meant the systems
– Sigrid Stagl
applications like ours.” have had to adapt, but overall they believe the efficiencies
The boiler is switched off between May and September, are still achievable in the long run.
when all hot water is provided by the south-facing solar “You do learn, of course, as you go and having other
system. “It feels nice to take a shower with water that people in the house with different preferences – for
was heated by the sun; it’s a bit silly, because physically example, 23
0
C-plus for room temperature day and night)
the water feels the same, but it still seems to make a makes the system quite a bit less efficient as the boiler
difference,” says Stagl. “Ideally we would have liked to runs through the night. User behaviour is important,”
bring the whole house up to passive solar standards, which Stagl cautions.
has been shown to be possible by projects in Austria, but it This experience has taught the couple that it might
would have been much harder and our lack of experience have been better to avoid individual thermostats in each
would have been even more of a problem.” room. “Easy access to temperature controls can lead to
‘silly’ behaviour – just because it’s possible,” Stagl adds.
Glazing The shortage of suitably experienced installation firms
The ageing, single-glazed windows, with U-values of meant the pair had to employ four different contractors at
between four and five, were replaced by double-glazed different stages as “we could not find one who could do it
soft-wood windows adapted to meet conservation area all in one go, let alone at an affordable price”.
requirements. (U-value of the glass is 1.1, and of whole However, they believe that the lessons learnt, and the
window including the frame 1.3.) Six additional windows number of interested contractor visitors both to the house
were added in the south wall to improve the amount of and the couple’s website, suggests the UK could soon
natural light and to provide passive solar heating, along have a larger population of installers capable of taking on
with five roof lights in the loft extension. The original this kind of project. l
MARCH 09 - GROWTH INDUSTRY:66x190 10/2/09 16:13 Page 1
wooden floors were retained as far as possible. In the http:/home2.btconnect.com/eco-refurbishment
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36 CIBSE Journal April 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEapr09 pp32-33,34,36.indd 36 2/4/09 15:00:28
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