62 INSULATION
The Liverpool electric dream house – Insulated with Huntsman BS Spray Foam
achieving a Net Zero Carbon (NZC) Victorian home in a leafy suburb of Liverpool. His objective is to minimise running costs, emit no carbon emissions in operation and run the entire property on electricity, largely generated through sustainable sources. Here, we take a look at the project. The house, a large detached, brick-
H
built property constructed at the turn on the 19th Century, is typical of the style of building of the period. Solid walls, high ceilings, a walk-in cellar and occupied roof rooms (historically used as servants quarters!). Heating the four-story property had originally been via open, coal fires in every room, including those in the roof prior to the installation of gas central heating. Dr Stephen Finnegan, who is a lecturer in
sustainable architecture at the University of Liverpool, plans to take the building back to a bare shell and incorporate as many energy harvesting and low energy consumption systems as is practical in the restoration of the house. He will then carefully monitor energy
omeowner and lecturer in Sustainable Architecture, Dr Stephen Finnegan is rising to the challenge of
and carbon usage with the overall target of Net Zero Carbon emissions. His ultimate objective is to run the
house entirely on electrical energy, through the incorporation of a solar PV system with a SunSynk battery storage system, an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP), thermal store and monitoring kit (all of which will be provided by Dynamis Associates Ltd). This retrofit system will provide domestic hot water and underfloor space heating. An electric vehicle charging point and a ‘time in use energy tariff’ will catapult the house into the 21st Century.
Fabric “first approach” to thermal performance According to Dr Finnegan, it is well established that around 20% of UK carbon emissions are generated through heating, hot water and cooking in domestic properties. With over 60% of current housing stock built pre-1960 when little thought was given to heat-loss prevention, the challenge of reducing these emissions is significant. New-build properties can be built to far
more thermally efficient standards than their predecessors, so the Government’s target of slashing overall carbon emissions by 78% by
2035 puts real focus on older buildings where retro-fitting of heat loss prevention methods and reducing energy inputs, particularly of carbon rich sources such as gas, are so crucial. In older properties, particularly like this
house, built over 120 years ago, when energy costs were far lower and measures to prevent heat-loss through walls and roof were rarely considered, the challenge is even greater. Dr Finnegan explains: “Our first big
obstacle to overcome is heat loss prevention and this primarily focusses on improving insulation and air tightness” Up to 40% of a building’s heat loss can
be attributed to air leakage [what we would all understand as draughts], so it is vital that air tightness is included in any programme of measures designed to improve a building’s thermal performance. A so called ‘fabric first’ approach.
A breathable, sealed-box environment Traditional insulation materials such as mineral wool or rigid board products can be time-consuming and expensive to retrofit and if not installed correctly can still lead to air leakage. It is almost impossible to achieve a completely airtight seal, while still allowing the building to breathe naturally.
The electric dream house. A substantial brick built Victorian three story property
Eaves area before treatment
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF NOVEMBER 2021
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