Energy efficiency
temperature of the care home is at least 10˚C above the external temperature. Arranging for a heat loss survey to be carried out on your care home can lead to the introduction of energy saving measures that will reflect significantly in lower energy bills and safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable care home residents as well as providing a healthy environment for them to reside in. TCHE
References 1 Primary Healthcare – Caring for budgets through energy efficiency. The Carbon Trust, 2007. [
http://tinyurl.com/gofh9pt].
Figure 4. Thermal image showing draughts between door frame and walls due to gap being left unsealed during installation
is because there are too many variables to consider, such as size, build type, design and facilities used. Therefore, the chart is for comparison purposes only, but may be a useful resource. The variables in the make up of a care
home building are often the stumbling block when trying to accurately identify draughts, missing insulation and where problems lay that may affect efficiency and result in wasted energy. To start with, and in common with all dwellings, care home buildings will to some extent suffer from a lack of uniformity of practical build and there will inevitably be weaker points at junctions, usually where one trade completes its work and the next trade begins; this is unless the build is of a very high quality and robustly regulated, such as to the Passivhaus standard (a German building standard for constructing a house that has excellent thermal performance and exceptional airtightness, so requiring mechanical ventilation). In addition, many care homes have
been adapted from dwellings that were not originally intended for this purpose. Many have extensions, which mean further junctions where the newer build is added to the existing building. Newer methods of construction create a part building that will often perform in a different way to the original and compromise the efficiency of both; for example, a latter 20th century cavity
wall constructed flat roofed extension attached to a Victorian or earlier solid wall, pitched roof dwelling. Until now, there has been no universal
energy efficiency methodology that could be applied to each individual case. However, with gentle depressurising of a building, a thermal imaging camera can accurately pick up on the problem areas where there are draughts and a lack of insulation, including those that would be near impossible to detect by any other means.
Conclusion Thermal imaging surveys can be undertaken to show precisely where a care home is losing heat by identifying and recording draughts, cold damp areas and inadequate insulation throughout the building. Moving methodically through the premises with the manager, it is possible to see what is actually happening from within, rather than relying on conjecture, and identifying where these homes haven’t been performing as well as they might. Such as assessment does not involve
staff and residents evacuating the building; in fact they may be intrigued to see for themselves thermal images that reveal a very different picture of the building fabric to that which can be seen with the naked eye. Surveys can only be carried out during months when the ambient internal
With gentle depressurising of a building, a thermal imaging camera can accurately pick up on the problem areas
January 2017 •
www.thecarehomeenvi ronment .com
2 The UK Green Investment Bank. Green Investment Bank –A healthy saving: energy efficiency and the NHS. [
http://tinyurl.com/omlrcbc].
3 Resource Efficient Scotland. Resource Efficiency Guide: Care homes – undated. [
http://preview.tinyurl.com/glc5uf4].
4 National House Building Council. Air Leakage Services: Frequently asked questions. [
www.nhbc.co.uk].
5 The Energy Saving Trust. Energy Saving Advice Service.
Veronica Leeke
Following a career as a chemist in the defence industry, Veronica wanted to combine her two passions – buildings and the environment – and became part of the Transition Initiative, with a particular interest in improving the habitats of families in fuel poverty. This led to her qualifying as a certified thermographer and starting her own business conducting affordable heat loss surveys for the domestic sector. She now also works towards accomplishing high standards of energy efficiency in care homes and related properties, many of which are housed within poorly insulated and draughty buildings.
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