Energy
should be filled, as this provides greater thermal efficiency. Therefore, a care home with an unfilled cavity wall will be less thermally efficient.
A competent insulation provider will be able to determine if a cavity wall has been insulated. A good insulation supplier should undertake a cavity wall site survey free of charge.
Double glazing Windows represent the largest area of heat loss within building fabric, particularly if they are single glazed. In the winter months, single glazed windows absorb the cold temperature and become cold to touch on the inside. In effect, single glazed windows act as cold radiators transferring cold into the home.
Double glazed windows consist of
two pieces of glazing with a cavity of air between. This prevents the cold transferring from the outer glazing to the inner glazing, meaning that even on very cold days the inner windows are not cold to touch. Essentially, double glazed windows lose significantly less heat. Upgrading from single glazed windows to double glazed windows is expensive. However, doing
so will significantly improve the thermal efficiency of the home.
Draught proofing
Depending on the size and nature of the draughts within a Care Home. Significant savings can be made through draught proofing. Similarly to insulation, a lack of draught proofing leads to heat loss. Draughts allow heat to escape and cold air to enter the building. Which means heating systems within care homes take longer to reach set point. Draught proofing is highly cost effective as it can typically be installed by a care taker.
The heating industry has long taken a ‘fabric first’ approach to heating. Fabric first means the focus should be on thermal efficiency. If a home is thermally efficient, it means it has good levels of insulation. This makes a lot of sense. If a home has good thermal efficiency, it will hold its heat for longer and will require less energy to heat. However, a home being thermally efficient is only part of the solution. Ensuring the heating system is also well controlled and maintained with minimal losses across the system is the best way to maximise efficiency.
Jeremy Carter
Jeremy has over 20 years’ experience undertaking energy audits and commissioning energy reduction projects. He started out as an environmental manager for a leisure organisation before moving into energy management roles for a local authority. After six years in local government, Jeremy transitioned into energy management in science and horticulture, where he was recognised as a co-author on two scientific papers. Carter Energy Consulting is now six years old and has a variety of clients in sectors such as care, NHS, education, manufacturing, and horticulture.
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Braemar Finance is a trading style of Close Brothers Limited (“CBL”). Close Brothers Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (firm number 124750). Close Brothers Limited is registered in England and Wales (company number 00195626) and its registered office is 10 Crown Place, London, EC2A 4FT.
January 2025
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
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