New Building Regulations for England and Wales came into force on 1 October 2010. among the changes that affect home improvers are:
Part F Ventilation
Ventilation requirements have changed and the noise fans make should now be considered.
Part J Heat Producing Appliances
Special provisions for air vents will have to be made for well sealed houses and a carbon monoxide alarm is now required.
Part L Conservation of Fuel and Power
New insulation standards have come into force. Part L1b applies to alterations to existing residential buildings
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Monday 26 April 2010
SUSTAINABLE REFURBISHMENT
There are 2 ways of going about energy efficient refurbs: scientific and intuitive. The science is usually done on larger scale developments or by larger organisations such as social housing providers or government agencies. So individuals do not have to get involved in much science. For example, studies show that 270mm is the optimum thickness for loft insulation, but the manufacturers are supplying this thickness and it is readily available at builders merchants and diy stores, so use the science sparingly
Consider how much premium you are prepared to pay for materials with sustainable credentials-locally sourced, low embedded energy, recycled or recyclable materials. For example again taking insulation, you can pay a premium to use natural, sustainable products such as sheep’s wool or recycled newsprint, or go for the industrial product.
Consider capital cost vs cost-in-use. Grants and feed in tariffs can skew the decisions.
Priorities: It may not be possible in a single dwelling to provide for all the energy needs on site, but increasing insulation and airtightness and installing diversity will reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Micro generation delivers energy from renewable sources, but also reduces dependence on centralised supply from the grid which is subject to market forces and sometimes political interference. Also consider whether you want to be an eco warrior or just have a comfy life!
Here’s the thing though: keep refurbishment measures as simple as possible: maximum insulation, attention to airtightness and controlled ventilation, together with straightforward heating equipment and easy-to-use controls, are the priority.
TEN THINGS TO CONSIDER:
DOUBLE GLAZING: double glazing units fitted into timber frames without proper attention to drainage and ventilation cannot be expected to last as long as they should. Locally made ‘joinery shop’ timber sashes do not usually have sufficient rebate depth. To have a reasonable life expectancy, sealed double glazed should be properly fitted in the appropriate frames, ventilated and drained.
LIGHTING: Use low energy lamps of course!. Choose LED fittings carefully-some have poor colour rendering; consider a sun tube on an internal landing to bring in free sunlight; consider switching lights separately so that you can mix and match lighting for different situations.
AIR TIGHTNESS AND VENTILATION: “Build tight-ventilate right”. In practice it is difficult to make an old property airtight. Extract moisture at source in kitchen and bathrooms; use humidistat to control bathroom ventilation; open a window to get rid of smells; heat recovery is not cost effective for small domestic situations. Extract fans with mag lev bearings do not make the noise conventional fans make when the bearings start to wear out.
INSULATION; Make sure electric cables are not buried under loft insulation. Insulated curtains increase comfort and reduce heat loss especially on large areas of north facing glazing. If you have slid external walls, it may not be possible to insulate them all, so insulate what you can.
RAINWATER HARVESTING: a full scale rainwater harvesting installation is probably not appropriate to a small refurbishment but water butts and diverters are cheap.
SOLAR AND MICRO-GENERATION: Solar thermal will almost certainly make sense. You may not have enough roof area in a small house to make photovoltaics worthwhile, but consider the new feed in tariffs. A multifuel stove will provide diversity and is a really nice thing to have! Combination solar and PV panels called PV-T are apparently more efficient . Wind power-check the Energy Saving Trust’s calculator of their website to see if it is feasible in your location.
HEATING If we apply high standards to refurbishment, we would have to be looking at space heating and domestic hot water from renewable sources. Solar thermal on its own could over provide hot water. Consider underfloor heating with a ground source heat pump or PV-Ts.
PORCH: reduce air changes when opening and closing external doors.
DRAUGHT PROOFING seal gaps in floorboards and skirtings and insulate suspended ground floors.
WATER SAVING: use aerating shower heads and taps
There are 2 ways of going about energy efficient refurbs: scientific and intuitive. The science is usually done on larger scale developments or by larger organisations such as social housing providers or government agencies. So individuals do not have to get involved in much science. For example, studies show that 270mm is the optimum thickness for loft insulation, but the manufacturers are supplying this thickness and it is readily available at builders merchants and diy stores, so use the science sparingly
Consider how much premium you are prepared to pay for materials with sustainable credentials-locally sourced, low embedded energy, recycled or recyclable materials. For example again taking insulation, you can pay a premium to use natural, sustainable products such as sheep’s wool or recycled newsprint, or go for the industrial product.
Consider capital cost vs cost-in-use. Grants and feed in tariffs can skew the decisions.
Priorities: It may not be possible in a single dwelling to provide for all the energy needs on site, but increasing insulation and airtightness and installing diversity will reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Micro generation delivers energy from renewable sources, but also reduces dependence on centralised supply from the grid which is subject to market forces and sometimes political interference. Also consider whether you want to be an eco warrior or just have a comfy life!
Here’s the thing though: keep refurbishment measures as simple as possible: maximum insulation, attention to airtightness and controlled ventilation, together with straightforward heating equipment and easy-to-use controls, are the priority.
TEN THINGS TO CONSIDER:
DOUBLE GLAZING: double glazing units fitted into timber frames without proper attention to drainage and ventilation cannot be expected to last as long as they should. Locally made ‘joinery shop’ timber sashes do not usually have sufficient rebate depth. To have a reasonable life expectancy, sealed double glazed should be properly fitted in the appropriate frames, ventilated and drained.
LIGHTING: Use low energy lamps of course!. Choose LED fittings carefully-some have poor colour rendering; consider a sun tube on an internal landing to bring in free sunlight; consider switching lights separately so that you can mix and match lighting for different situations.
AIR TIGHTNESS AND VENTILATION: “Build tight-ventilate right”. In practice it is difficult to make an old property airtight. Extract moisture at source in kitchen and bathrooms; use humidistat to control bathroom ventilation; open a window to get rid of smells; heat recovery is not cost effective for small domestic situations. Extract fans with mag lev bearings do not make the noise conventional fans make when the bearings start to wear out.
INSULATION; Make sure electric cables are not buried under loft insulation. Insulated curtains increase comfort and reduce heat loss especially on large areas of north facing glazing. If you have slid external walls, it may not be possible to insulate them all, so insulate what you can.
RAINWATER HARVESTING: a full scale rainwater harvesting installation is probably not appropriate to a small refurbishment but water butts and diverters are cheap.
SOLAR AND MICRO-GENERATION: Solar thermal will almost certainly make sense. You may not have enough roof area in a small house to make photovoltaics worthwhile, but consider the new feed in tariffs. A multifuel stove will provide diversity and is a really nice thing to have! Combination solar and PV panels called PV-T are apparently more efficient . Wind power-check the Energy Saving Trust’s calculator of their website to see if it is feasible in your location.
HEATING If we apply high standards to refurbishment, we would have to be looking at space heating and domestic hot water from renewable sources. Solar thermal on its own could over provide hot water. Consider underfloor heating with a ground source heat pump or PV-Ts.
PORCH: reduce air changes when opening and closing external doors.
DRAUGHT PROOFING seal gaps in floorboards and skirtings and insulate suspended ground floors.
WATER SAVING: use aerating shower heads and taps
Friday 23 April 2010
The Green Deal
It is great news that which ever party wins the UK election on 6 May, green investment, jobs and products will be promoted.
But the vast majority of green initiatives use imported products. Using locally made products is good for the economy and good for the environment.
The government needs to be more active in directly investing in UK businesses that are part of the green economy. There are good things happening, like the investment by the Carbon Trust. of a £454k grant in LOMOX Ltd, a company poinering OLED (organic light emitting diodes).
But we need to see some direct investment in the lower end of the technological scale-developing and promoting established technologies. We need to create everyday jobs as well as thse in the rarified atmosphere of PHD's. We need to start metal bashing again!
Direct government investment in business has had a bad press in the UK. by the 1960's and 70's the UK was a basket case following years of nationalisation after the second world war. But just because it was done badly in the past does not mean that it has to be done badly now. Other governments seem to manage- the French government has a controlling interest in EDF which is the largest utility company in the world and supplies a large part of the UK with electricity and will control the UK's nuclear power. So a stratgic part of the UK energy supply will be controlled by a foreign government. The french government also has an interest in Renault, which has a stake in Nissan which is the largest employer in the north east of England; and Deutsche Bahn is about to take over british bus and train operator Arriva-who owns Deutsche Bahn?...the german government!
So if the french and german governments can do it , why not the british government?
Companies should be owned by those who have a long term interest in their future and that includes governments when there is a national or strategic interest at stake.
But the vast majority of green initiatives use imported products. Using locally made products is good for the economy and good for the environment.
The government needs to be more active in directly investing in UK businesses that are part of the green economy. There are good things happening, like the investment by the Carbon Trust. of a £454k grant in LOMOX Ltd, a company poinering OLED (organic light emitting diodes).
But we need to see some direct investment in the lower end of the technological scale-developing and promoting established technologies. We need to create everyday jobs as well as thse in the rarified atmosphere of PHD's. We need to start metal bashing again!
Direct government investment in business has had a bad press in the UK. by the 1960's and 70's the UK was a basket case following years of nationalisation after the second world war. But just because it was done badly in the past does not mean that it has to be done badly now. Other governments seem to manage- the French government has a controlling interest in EDF which is the largest utility company in the world and supplies a large part of the UK with electricity and will control the UK's nuclear power. So a stratgic part of the UK energy supply will be controlled by a foreign government. The french government also has an interest in Renault, which has a stake in Nissan which is the largest employer in the north east of England; and Deutsche Bahn is about to take over british bus and train operator Arriva-who owns Deutsche Bahn?...the german government!
So if the french and german governments can do it , why not the british government?
Companies should be owned by those who have a long term interest in their future and that includes governments when there is a national or strategic interest at stake.
Monday 29 March 2010
Light emitting wallpaper!
View the Article: http://www.mistergreen.co.uk/news/lightemittingwallpaper-20.htm
A company developing ultra-efficient organic LED (OLED organic light emitting diodes) lighting technology has been awarded a £454k grant by the Carbon Trust. The OLED materials, being pioneered by LOMOX Ltd, have a wide variety of potential applications and when coated onto a film could be used to cover walls creating a light-emitting wallpaper which replaces the need for traditional light bulbs. As well as being flexible, OLED film will require a very low operating voltage (between 3 to 5 volts) so it can be powered by solar panels and batteries making it ideal for applications where mains power is not available such as roadside traffic warning signs. Lighting in buildings accounts for a sixth of total electricity use in the UK. The LOMOX OLED technology promises to be 2.5 times more efficient than standard energy saving bulbs. It has been estimated that, by replacing current lighting technologies, it could reduce annual global CO2 emissions by over 2,500,000 tonnes by 2020 and nearly 7,400,000 by 2050, equivalent to a quarter of the annual carbon emissions of Wales (or the annual emissions of Birmingham). The Welsh company aims to have the first lighting products using its technology available in 2012 and also plans to use the same technology to create more energy efficient television screens. Operating lifetime has traditionally been a problem with OLED technology, but LOMOX has found a way to achieve significantly longer lifetimes than fluorescent lamps. The technology will also be more efficient (producing 150 lumens/watt) as it only emits light along one axis. OLEDs can produce a more natural looking light than other forms of lighting.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Ask Mistergreen
What have you been asking MisterGreen?
We have been looking at the questions you have been putting to Mistergreen.
The largest number-16% have been questions about glass and glazing: improving the thermal performance of windows with double glazing, secondary glazing and double glazing failures.
Second highest have been questions on lighting at 13%, questions such as “are uplighters more efficient than conventional lights” and “does low voltage lighting save electricity”. Surprisngly questions on rainwater harvesting such as “position of rainwater soakaways for a driveway” and “how much rainwater comes from a roof” at 8% has come slightly ahead of draughts and draught proofing at 7%. We have been asked “why does an extractor fan become noisier over time” (we hope that the blog on magnetic levitation helped with that one!) and how much energy does it take to deliver one litre of water to a house(we have been asked that twice! Can anybody help with that one?).
We hope that Mistergreen is helping you to find the answers to your questions on energy saving home improvement. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for improving the site. www.mistergreen.co.uk
We have been looking at the questions you have been putting to Mistergreen.
The largest number-16% have been questions about glass and glazing: improving the thermal performance of windows with double glazing, secondary glazing and double glazing failures.
Second highest have been questions on lighting at 13%, questions such as “are uplighters more efficient than conventional lights” and “does low voltage lighting save electricity”. Surprisngly questions on rainwater harvesting such as “position of rainwater soakaways for a driveway” and “how much rainwater comes from a roof” at 8% has come slightly ahead of draughts and draught proofing at 7%. We have been asked “why does an extractor fan become noisier over time” (we hope that the blog on magnetic levitation helped with that one!) and how much energy does it take to deliver one litre of water to a house(we have been asked that twice! Can anybody help with that one?).
We hope that Mistergreen is helping you to find the answers to your questions on energy saving home improvement. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for improving the site. www.mistergreen.co.uk
Thursday 11 February 2010
windows scrappage scheme
The Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) has recently launched a petition to Downing Street to ask the government to introduce a National Window Scrappage Scheme. Under the proposed scheme it is hoped that householders will be encouraged to scrap their old poorly insulated windows in return for a £1,000 grant towards the installation costs of new, professionally installed, energy efficient ones. Consumer benefits would include the £1000 saving, a domestic cosmetic facelift, lower fuel bills and more energy efficient homes.
Energy Efficient Windows (EEWs) have a huge role to play in improving the thermal performance of the existing housing stock,” Nigel Rees, Chief Executive of the GGF, explained. “EEWs can reduce emissions by 10% from dwellings nationally and reduce national domestic energy expenditure by 10%.
Mister Green says “seems like a good idea as long as it is not hijacked by the big boys. It works for cars and boilers, why not windows?”
Paste the the link below into your browser to join the petition. Closing date 24 March 2010
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/windowscrappage/
Energy Efficient Windows (EEWs) have a huge role to play in improving the thermal performance of the existing housing stock,” Nigel Rees, Chief Executive of the GGF, explained. “EEWs can reduce emissions by 10% from dwellings nationally and reduce national domestic energy expenditure by 10%.
Mister Green says “seems like a good idea as long as it is not hijacked by the big boys. It works for cars and boilers, why not windows?”
Paste the the link below into your browser to join the petition. Closing date 24 March 2010
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/windowscrappage/
Monday 11 January 2010
The Big Freeze
Every winter at some point, Britain grinds to a halt because of exceptionally severe weather conditions. The point is not the question of whether the conditions are exceptional but how we as individuals react to the disruption caused. Mostly, if the media are to be believed, we try to find someone to blame for our woes- the government has not done this or that, or local councils have not stockpiled enough salt for the roads. But the reality is that as individuals, we have failed to get our minds right. We expect to be able to drive from London to Sheffield in three hours in January because we can in June. We expect technology to make it happen. But here’s the thing- we have come to think of the UK climate as relatively benign. But it isn’t. These are not sporadic anomalies. In Siberia and Scandinavia it freezes in autumn and thaws in the spring- one freeze/thaw cycle. In the UK it may freeze and thaw dozens of times in a winter. This not only causes problems with transport. Frost damage to buildings and roads can be extensive. As individuals we need to adjust our behaviour and expectations. We expect to put on more clothes in the winter, but we don’t expect the roads to be blocked. Climate change may increase the frequency of extreme weather conditions, so stock up the larder, block up the draughts, fit more insulation………..
Every winter at some point, Britain grinds to a halt because of exceptionally severe weather conditions. The point is not the question of whether the conditions are exceptional but how we as individuals react to the disruption caused. Mostly, if the media are to be believed, we try to find someone to blame for our woes- the government has not done this or that, or local councils have not stockpiled enough salt for the roads. But the reality is that as individuals, we have failed to get our minds right. We expect to be able to drive from London to Sheffield in three hours in January because we can in June. We expect technology to make it happen. But here’s the thing- we have come to think of the UK climate as relatively benign. But it isn’t. These are not sporadic anomalies. In Siberia and Scandinavia it freezes in autumn and thaws in the spring- one freeze/thaw cycle. In the UK it may freeze and thaw dozens of times in a winter. This not only causes problems with transport. Frost damage to buildings and roads can be extensive. As individuals we need to adjust our behaviour and expectations. We expect to put on more clothes in the winter, but we don’t expect the roads to be blocked. Climate change may increase the frequency of extreme weather conditions, so stock up the larder, block up the draughts, fit more insulation………..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)