AECB annual conference

The annual conference for the Sustainable Builders Association (AECB) took place on 16th and 17th September this year in Nottingham, and I went along to it for the first time. As a home-owner rather than a building professional, I thought I might be out of my depth, but I had a wonderful time and can highly recommend it!

A large part of this year's focus was on retrofit, but talks and workshops covered a wide range of topics, including:
- The launch of the AECB's "Less is More - Energy Security after Oil" discussion paper by David Olivier
- Renovating existing homes and creating new buildings to Passive House standard
- Embodied carbon and sustainability of buildings and materials

There was also a talk on "a community network promoting energy efficient buildings" - by me, about Transition West Bridgford's Eco House Group, the events organised over the last 18 months, and this blog!

If you are thinking about starting a major low-energy or sustainable refurbishment (or new build), it is worth joining the AECB as a supporter member (for about £40+), just for the useful documents that you can then download. But there is much more on the website - a forum, articles, courses, the chance to find out who's who and what some of the UK's leading sustainable builders and architects (etc.) are working on, and events for local groups.

http://www.aecb.net/

Green Street eco housing

Eco Houses are attracting a lot of interest, judging by the speed at which the new homes on Green Street in the Meadows sold. Here are a few paragraphs about this development:

The development, which is a mixture of three and four bed contemporary town houses, comprises 38 homes in total. Designed by Nottingham based award winning architects, Marsh Grochowski, it is positioned next to the picturesque Victoria Gardens on the Trent Embankment.

The scheme builds on Blueprint’s core values of design driven quality and sustainability. Features include solar photovoltaic supplemented electricity, whole-house heat recovery, super insulation and air tightness way above new building standards.

The homes were priced from around £175,000 to £235,000 and were sold nationally by Savills via their Nottingham office and locally by Royston & Lund in West Bridgford. 

The Lower Energy Terraced House

I'm just back from 2 wonderful and inspiring days at the Association of Sustainable Builders' (AECB) annual conference. Of which more anon....

There were many interesting people to meet there and so much to learn.

Here is just one example of an ongoing refurbishment being carried out in Manchester by Andrew Gill, one of many people I met at the conference:

https://sites.google.com/site/lowerenergyterracedhouse/home

It is well worth a read! There is a lot to digest!

Eco Houses Under Construction - Event 3

Event 3 – the second visit to the timber frame new build

We were again lucky to have fine weather, and 35 visitors gathered on site to learn more about the insulation strategy for the house, and the reasons for choosing lime render as part of the outer shell.

Architect Mike Siebert (of Ecologic Homes Ltd.) explained how and why a range of insulation materials were used. These included a wood fibre sarking board for the roof, load-bearing polystyrene beneath the entire building and outer walls and blown recycled newspaper in the timber frame walls, plus some extra additions to reduce cold bridging at key locations (see on photo with brickwork). 

Further roof insulation will be added between the rafters as well. Another interesting product used was foamglass in the form of a load-bearing plinth block, which is also highly insulating, to complete the thermal barrier.  

Tony Saunders (of Lime Technology Ltd) and Clinton Parker (the plasterer) talked about the benefits and uses of lime render and lime mortar, including its “self-healing” characteristics. There was also a discussion of various ways to use hempcrete (although not used on this project).

Clinton, who is an experienced plasterer (but using lime render for the first time) explained how he found it very easy to use and apply.

Michael Siebert, architect – Ecologic Homes Ltd 07508 161333

Tony Saunders – Lime Technology  Ltd. 0845 603 1143

Clinton Parker – 07904 084234 (the plasterer who did the lime render work)

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

Low energy users pay more per unit

Many people who are interested in low energy homes are in fact less profligate in their use of energy than most just because they are aware of the cost to pocket and planet.

But the way that the energy companies organise their pricing structures means that the first units used cost more, while energy used above a certain threshold becomes cheaper. This is rather unfair if you are a very low user, so it is worth shopping around to see if you would pay less with a different energy company.

I understand (but have not fully checked the details) that the Co-op has a flat rate deal that may work out cheaper for those who use less energy. You can also check on the website for details of the energy mix to get an idea of how "green" their energy is.

Other companies who focus on renewable energy over fossil fuels are Good Energy and Ecotricity

Nottingham's growing group of Superhomes

The number of homes undergoing energy-efficiency retrofits is growing!

The Superhomes network showcases homes that have reduced their carbon emissions by at least 60%, and they have just celebrated the opening of the one hundredth superhome to join the network.

You can view details at http://www.superhomes.org.uk/, and using the "Find a Superhome near you" feature you will see that Nottingham now has 2 Superhomes and one aspiring superhome. (And there are more in the pipeline - including people who have been attending our local Eco House Group events).

This autumn, Superhomes all over the UK are open to the public - for example, Nottingham's newest Superhome, the one in Mapperley Park. This home is open on 2nd October and you can register to visit through the Superhomes website or via info@wbecohouses.co.uk (it is a combined event).

Three contrasting eco-houses

Local architect Julian Marsh has passed me details of an ultra-low energy refurbishment in Nottingham city centre - converting a lacemaker's house into an up-to-date eco home. Click Lacemaker's house to view.

If you are looking for more modest refurbishment ideas (including low cost improvements), have a look at LowEhouses.

And if you'd like to read more about the very interesting eco home that Julian Marsh made for himself (below)  on the site of an old meat factory, click here.

If you are familiar with the Passive House methodology, this offers a different approach to achieving a sustainable home which Julian calls the Active House approach.

(The text has kindly been made available to us by the Architect's Journal from this article in their March 2011 issue. www.architectsjournal.co.uk)

24 Hours of Reality

For an update on climate change and how it is affecting us already.....

 Al Gore’s follow up to An Inconvenient Truth is here. "24 Hours of Reality" is a global event to get people all over the world watching the live transmission, together.

Book a night in or watch it with friends - the date for your diary is 15th September at 7pm

 Click here to watch it: http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/24-hours-reality-watch-it-live

For all sorts of other inspiring stuff, have a look at the rest of Global Action Plan's website. You may have heard of the EcoTeams programme that they have run across Nottinghamshire, but they do a lot more besides: http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/

Low E refurb design

If you are wondering how  much money you can save by using different energy saving measures, here is a 2 page document which may help - sent to me by architect Julian Marsh.

This is a design proposed for a refurbishment of a typical terraced house in the Meadows area of Nottingham, but it is broadly applicable to many solid wall homes. It includes both low cost measures and higher cost measures to create a predicted 88% reduction in CO2 emissions with a comparatively modest outlay.

This house, when refurbished, will be used as a show home to illustrate the technologies, their costs and benefits to the public. To view, go to:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2fTJ8MNPf4tM2I3NmM4YTUtMDVlYi00MmI2LTk3NTQtYzU2YjEwNTI1ZTNi&hl=en_US

It is not the only interesting projects running in the Meadows. For more information about MOSES (Meadows Ozone Energy Services, a community owned energy company, go to http://www.meadowspartnershiptrust.org.uk/energy/mozes.aspx)

Considering PVs for your roof?

If you are fairly local to West Bridgford and are considering PV panels for your roof, why not join a group of would-be PV owners who are getting together to research, and possibly buy, PVs as a group?

This first meeting is for buyers (not for companies who install PV) to get together. Independent expert David Nicholson-Cole of Rushcliffe Solar will be there to provide independent advice on whether your roof is suitable for PV, and how much electricity it might be able to generate.

Just come along to Belle and Jerome in West Bridgford at 7.30pm on Monday 12th September 2011 (we'll be upstairs).

If you are interested but can't make this date, or have any other questions, just email info@wbecohouses.co.uk for more information.

Michael and Mo’s low energy home – Part 5

Heating and hot water

On moving in, the 6 year old Worcester combi boiler was found to be a bit leaky, so was replaced in early 2011 with an ALPHA condensing boiler with gas saver unit (a tank that pre-heats the incoming mains water). 

These are linked to a 90 Litre solar thermal tank, heated by a flat solar thermal panel on the lower extension roof. When it is sunny, the solar thermal panel on the extension roof rapidly heats the water in the tank, cutting off if it exceeds 65^oC.

The condensing boiler has good controls, and each radiator has adjustable (TVR) controls.

The boiler, tank + solar thermal panel were installed by ISR plumbing.

PVs

The 2.46 kW PV system with 10 panels was installed in June 2011. The inverter is in the loft space, where it needs to be to keep cool.  This was installed by TEAM UK Renewables of West Bridgford.

Still to do:

MVHR

Much draught-proofing has been done, but there is some more to do before the MVHR is installed. The MVHR will be a partial (rather than whole house) system, supplied by Titon. A very low energy unit has just come on to the market and is due be installed in September 2011.The main focus is to extract stale & damp air from the kitchen and bathrooms, and deliver fresh air to the ground floor dining room.

Other outstanding tasks are the fitting of new floor with under-floor heating, to the dining room.

Investigation of ground water levels & consideration of extra rainwater storage for garden use only.

Michael and Mo’s low energy home – Part 4

Floor

Some floors have been replaced & insulated on a room by room basis.

In the study, 150 mm Celotex was fixed between the joists by removing the floorboards, attaching battens beneath the joists, and resting the insulation boards on top. Above that, Michael and Mo put down a bamboo flooring over a 15mm chipboard subfloor.

The lounge floor was a bigger job, because of the need to adjust the levels to make space for under-floor heating. First the floor and joists were removed. Then the new joists were put in, but at a lower level. 150mm of Celotex (supplied by  Westville) was put down between the joists and held up by battens. Above that is 18mm chipboard and then 15mm of thermaboard. This thermaboard has tracks cut into it for the under-floor heating pipes, and it also acts as a heat store. On top of that is 16mm of engineered oak flooring.

The old fireplace was replaced at the same time, and is used very occasionally. Most of the time only the under-floor heating is used and Michael and Mo are very pleased with it. 

The dining room awaits similar treatment.

Lighting

Most of the original lighting has been replaced with LEDs and compact fluorescent lights. The old halogen lights caused problems in the bathroom and kitchen by sucking the moist air up through the fittings in the ceiling and creating a damp problem in the spaces above. In the loft above the main bathroom the excess moisture rising from the bathroom resulted in ice on the joists in the recent extreme winters.  Additional ventilation vents to the loft space have been now fitted in order to reduce this effect.

Michael and Mo’s low energy home – Part 3

Walls – internal insulation

Those areas of the house without external insulation have mostly been insulated internally.

At the front (the hall, the downstairs loo, the pantry and the first floor landing), Michael has used a product called “Spacetherm”. This product is a flexible aerogel blanket supplied by the Proctor group as a laminated plywood/Fermacel board, but they have stopped supplying it in this form. 

Thermally, aerogel is an excellent material with a very high u value even at thicknesses of 10mm or 20mm. However, it is not user-friendly! It “unravels” if you try to drill through it, so fixing curtain rails or picture hooks through it is a problem. It is difficult to install and plaster due to the uneven fixing using an explosive Hilti gun to nail the boards in position. That said, with perseverance, the results are impressive, both visually and thermally.

Single storey extension and window reveals

The extension at the back already existed when Michael and Mo moved in, but required reroofing, and the addition of 270 mm mineral wool insulation.  In this area, the extension was internally insulated using the 20mm “Spacetherm-F” panels on the walls, and finally plastered. Around the window reveals, 10mm of Spacetherm blanket was used. The plasterer did a remarkable job and the end result looks great – but it was extremely tricky and time-consuming to achieve.

Michael and Mo’s low energy home – Part 2

Windows

Existing UPVC double glazed windows have been left as they are. However, there were some failing single glazed leaded windows, with gaps! It was very draughty. These have been replaced with triple glazed windows (sandwiching the original leaded lights inside the new windows to retain the style). The draughts have been eliminated, making a huge difference to comfort.

Walls – external insulation

The majority of the wall area (9 inch solid brick) has been externally insulated and rendered by Westville Insulation. They used the Permarock system, with 60mm of Phenolic foam and a K render to form a weather-proof outer surface. Phenolic foam is more highly insulating than most other options, including mineral fibre and polystyrene, for the same thickness. The thickness of 60mm Phenolic is commonly used as this would bring a solid wall house up to the same level of insulation as a new build at 2011 building regulations.

As soon as the external insulation boards were in place, the house felt noticeably warmer and much more comfortable. Not only that, but the house started to dry out! This means that there has been some cracking of paint and plaster in the main bathroom and other areas.

The external insulation does not surround the entire house for a number of reasons. The centre of the front elevation has been left un-insulated for aesthetic reasons, as has the chimney breast. With just 60mm of insulation, the overhang at the eaves is not reduced greatly and there is no detrimental impact on the appearance of the house. If anything, the whole house looks more attractive than it did originally.

Michael and Mo’s low energy home – Part 1

Michael and Mo live in a 3 bed detached house built in 1935. With a floor area of 160m², solid brick walls and almost no loft insulation or insulation beneath the ground floor, it was neither warm nor cheap to heat when they first moved in.

Three years on and a long list of improvements has made a significant difference. Further work is planned, but here is a summary of the changes so far (Part 1 to Part 4)

The loft

On moving in, the loft had a thin layer of glass fibre insulation, completely squashed by dust and rubble on top. This was no good at all, so it all had to be removed and replaced with a combination of 50mm thickness of Celotex boards (highly insulating PIR, or Polyisocyanurate) and 150 mm Knauf “SpaceBlanket” (protected glass - fibre insulation). Recycled laminate floor boards were placed on top of the Celotex boards to allow access and storage above the insulation.

Another neat feature of this loft is the insulated loft hatch. Michael did this himself. First he put draught-excluding tape around the hatch, then put an insulation board on top of the hatch. Over that he attached a “blanket” of “Thinsulex” quilt onto the top of hatch, extending beyond the hatch by about 50cm all the way around. When the hatch is closed, the insulation covers the hatch and the surrounding area. The draught-proofing tape within the hatch opening stops air flow between house and loft.

Things you need to know about Insulation and Electrics

With many people thinking about insulating the loft, under the floor and so on, it is perhaps a very good time to draw to your attention to the issues around electric cables.

If, like me, you start to glaze over at the first mention of electricity, don’t worry – there are some very basic facts you need to know, and from there on in you just need to ask a competent electrician.

First thing – don’t just leave your cables going through, within or adjacent to insulation, close to underfloor heating, and so on. They may get too hot and become a fire risk. That’s not to say you can’t put your cables there, it just means….

Second thing - a competent electrician can do the calculations you need, to check what size cable is needed for the particular situation, in case it needs increasing to dissipate the necessary amount of heat.

In addition to your electric cables, watch out for downlighters, which also need to dissipate heat. Some electrical installers just pull your loft insulation out of the way, solving one problem but creating another. (Most downlighters should have fire hoods over them as well, while we’re on the subject.) Again, the solution is a good electrician (with something called a Part P qualification and the relevant experience).

And while we’re here, a reminder that the Wiring Regulations call for the installer of any new circuit to affix a label to the Consumer Unit (old version is a Fuse Box) which indicates when the next inspection is due. If you don’t have one of these, chances are you have not had your wiring checked in 10 years, which is definitely not a good idea.

The process is called a Periodic Inspection and Testing Report (PIR), and there has just been an Amendment to the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations released, coming into force on January 1st 2012, when it will then be called the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Unless you have been advised differently (because an inspection has found deterioration in your installation), the Wiring Regulations require there to be a PIR done every 10 years, or on change of ownership.

This information has been provided by Helen Hill, who is a member of the Eco House Group, and a qualified electrician.

If you are looking to find a competent, qualified electrician, Helen makes the following suggestions: 

1) Trustmark has a website where you can look for a local tradesperson. It is the government’s approved operator scheme which ensures standards, processes and complaints procedures are maintained. Info at http://www.trustmark.org.uk/key-benefits .

2) The equivalent to Trustmark, if a company is installing renewable energy, is the Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL) scheme, info athttp://www.realassurance.org.uk/ , and a company does not need to be in both Trustmark and REAL if they do both types of installations. REAL also has a database where you can look up companies to see if they are members of the scheme. They, and Trustmark, also have Deposit protection schemes.

3) Qualifications – some people calling themselves electricians have just done a very short course (which can be as short as 5 days, costing £795) to get the Part P qualification, usually for domestic installations only. For example, kitchen fitters can get a Part P limited scope qualification this way, so they should not do other types of installation. On the other hand, some people spend two years at college getting City & Guilds Electrotechnical qualifications, followed by further qualifications including the C&G 2391 Inspection & Testing. There should be someone in each company who has sufficient knowledge and experience to pass the 2391 in my view, as it is supposed to assess the skills and knowledge necessary to fill in the Electrical Installation Certificate correctly.

4) The Part P qualification means that the electrical company should work to the current Edition of the Wiring Regulations (17th , and an amendment will take effect on Jan 1st 2012), they should issue Electrical Installation Certificates or Minor Works Certificates (needed when selling your house), and they should notify the Local Authority Building Control that work has been done to the standards set out in Part P of the Building Regulations, if the work done is notifiable (such as a new circuit). If the work is done “cash-in-hand” they are working the black market, avoiding VAT administration, and you probably have no guarantees of workmanship, warranties, or safety, as they will not want records of transactions.

5) Trade Associations – most electrical contractors will be members of a Trade Association, so that they can notify Building Control directly through their Trade Association. This is easier and cheaper, as going it alone costs about £150 per notification. Examples of electrical Trade Associations, in no particular order are NAPIT, NICEIC, ELECSA (with SELECT in Scotland) and so on. Another advantage of using one of their members is that they have Work Guarantee Schemes, should the company go out of business.

Eco Houses Under Construction – Event 3

After the first 2 events in July attracting over 80 visitors between them, the date for the 3rd event has now been set.

This event will be held on Saturday 10th September at 12.30pm on site at the timber frame new build.

Since the first event held at this site, a roof, triple glazed windows and lime plaster have been added. One very important development that you can’t see is the blown insulation within the timber frame walls (a recycled cellulose fibre which results in high airtightness and thermal mass but low u values and cost). To find out more about this phase of the build and the products and methodologies used, please email info@wbecohouses.co.uk and I will reserve your free place at this event.

If you missed the first two events, there are summaries on this blog.

 The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

DIY insulation in action

If you are considering some DIY insulation, here is an update from Ian which may be of interest... "The dining room was made from half the integral garage but there was no insulation in the new wall - just 165mm of blockwork. I spoke to one of the professionals at an Eco House Group seminar in 2010 and he advised insulating it. I bought some 1.2m x 2.4m x 50mm Kingspan foam boards from secondsandco and have put most of them up. I was going to use coving adhesive but Wickes only had 25Kg bags so I used dabs of plaster on the wall and aluminium tape round the edges. I had already lined the metal door with polystyrene to keep a bit of heat in the garage. Also there was a large gap at the bottom of the door so I put 25mm strip of 6mm plywood inside an old bike inner tube and bolted it to the edge of the door."

Climate change progress in Australia

If you are on this blog because climate change is a concern, there is interesting progress on the horizon in Australia, potentially..... Follow this link to read about it or sign the petition http://www.avaaz.org/en/australian_carbon_price/?cl=1243707019&v=10108

Introduction to Permaculture Design

Our local Straw Bale education centre at Farmeco in Screveton is running courses in introduction to Permaculture Design. While we might focus on eco houses here, our gardens are really important too, whether we focus on our carbon footprints, using water wisely, or making the most of our gardens for herbs, vegetables and wildlife. If you may be interested in a 2 day course at Farmeco Community Care Farm (14-15 September or 12-13 November), contact David Birrell at office@farmeco.co.uk

Under floor insulation and heating

I've got some lovely photos from John showing how he insulated between the joists and then added underfloor heating on top.

For anyone who is considering just insulating between the floor joists, maybe with underfloor heating as well, take a look!

This is just one system - another case study to follow soon will show a slightly different approach.



Electric cables may be higher in the joists than 70mm, so cut the battens at that point. A groove may need to be cut in the underside of the foilboard in some cases.



A little wooden jig (by nail tub) ensures battens are fixed at a uniform depth of 70mm (i.e. 50mm for the board, 15mm for the barrier pipe and 5mm tolerance).



The battens are being cut ready by nailing along joists.



The foilboard has been cut and laid leaving 15mm of the joists above it ready to receive the spreader plates.



The spreader plate sits neatly on the joists ready to receive the barrier pipe. One side will go "away" and the other "back". Though not cheap, the spreaders will ensure a nice even heat and increase efficiency by at least 20% compared with overlay board. This is also useful when thicker flooring is used (say 22mm rather than 18mm).

Eco Houses Under Construction - event 2 summary

On Saturday 30th July, over 35 people attended a very different event – to see a house that 2 weeks ago did not exist! Fortunately the weather was glorious so we could sit in the back garden, looking at the timber structure of the ground floor and first floor levels.

Architect Mike Siebert started by talking about the method used to insulate beneath the house before pouring the slab, using load-bearing insulation to form a “trough” around the perimeter of the house, and beneath the entire footprint of the house (onto which the slab was poured).
The central block-work pillar and the ground floor slab will provide thermal mass to absorb excess heat from the house in hot weather and release the warmth into the house when the temperature falls.

Mike went on to explain his innovative wall construction, the practicalities of working with timber in this way and the u-value of the walls (which will be 0.15W/mK once insulated). There was discussion over methods of achieving air tightness and avoiding cold bridging, particularly around the junction of the outer wall and the first floor – tapes, expanding foam, and insulation between the floor and ceiling will all play their part.


Kris Taylor of EcoFrames Ltd went into more detail about how to get the best value for money with highly insulated timber frames, and also answered questions on another important topic – the source and quality of the timber and distance travelled.

For more about this and other Eco House Group projects, go to www.wbecohouses.co.uk. To see what other projects Transition West Bridgford has to offer, go to www.transitionwb.co.uk.

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

Eco Houses Under Construction - event 1 summary

Transition West Bridgford’s Eco Houses Under Construction project is off to a flying start, with 2 free events in July attracting over 80 visitors between them. Subsequent events will follow the fortunes of these two building projects (a low-energy refurbishment and a timber frame new build to Code 5) as they progress. The next event is due in late August or early September - to receive details, email info@wbecohouses.co.uk.

On Saturday 16th July, over 45 people braved the rain to attend a talk about one way of turning an ordinary 1950’s brick house into a super-insulated eco house. The speakers were Gil Schalom, a local green architect with longstanding experience in designing ultra-low energy homes, and Alan Budden, architect and expert in the passive house energy model.
Taking a local house that is about to be refurbished as an example, Gil and Alan described the steps that will be needed to bring the heating bill almost to zero. In this example, it is all about super-insulation, air-tightness, and ventilation with heat recovery.
In other words, this refurbishment follows the many of the principles applied in designing state-of-the-art passive houses and the new breed of refurbishments to a standard called “EnerPHit”.

Visions of a Zero Carbon Britain

Saturday 16th July was Zero Carbon Britain Day, and 50 people braved the rain to take part in the first event in our Eco Houses Under Construction series. However, there is a lot more to a zero carbon lifestyle than an ultra-low energy house. For an entertaining glimpse into what a Zero Carbon lifestyle might look like....

A play based on Zero Carbon Britain is available to BBC iPlayer. The play "Getting to Zero" features Paul Allen and Peter Harper (Centre for Alternative Technology) and also George Monbiot. The play was originally broadcast as one of Radio 4's Afternoon plays. To hear it click here

Houses to visit and useful info

As well as our next "Eco Houses Under Construction" event on Saturday 30th July (email info@wbecohouses.co.uk if you want to come along), here are some other projects that may be of interest...

Here is a little summary of some useful information and visits that have been sent to me by other members of the Eco House Group.

Jerome sent me this link - it is something that Nottingham Energy Partnership has developed to support domestic refurb:

http://www.superwarmzone.com/interactiveecohouse

Ian has sent a link about some other low carbon houses to visit. If you don't mind travelling a bit, then the BRE open days may be for you:

http://www.bre.co.uk/eventdetails.jsp?id=5158

To get a view of a high-tec future, look out for this development in the Derby area which is in the final stages of completion now. Once finished, the show home will be open to visitors:

http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/examplepdfs/Shine_ZC_Derby_2011414_12126875.pdf

Update on our local Eco School's bid for funding

Hi All

We have been invited to apply for the next round. With your support Edwalton Primary is in the top 100 groups out of 939 registered. At 46th we are in the top 5% for number of supporters, well done!

The next round requires a written application detailing why the school should be included in the last 10. The application will be assessed by River Cottage, Friends of the Earth and British Gas.

The final round is a 2nd vote, only open to British Gas Energyshare tariff customers. I will not recommend that anyone switches to the Energyshare tariff, just to vote for Edwalton! The tariff may, or may not be the cheapest or greenest availiable, that is up to you to decide. If you are however an Energyshare customer should we make it to that stage your vote would be welcome :-)

With rising energy costs, if you are looking to cut your energy bills, the Nottingham Energy Partnership (the environmental charity I work for in my day job) has a totally free and independent online tariff switch tool, to help you find the lowest rate. www.nottenergy.com.

for round 2, with the panel of judges interests in food, energy and sustainability in general, the longstanding ethos of sustainablility and environmental education under the headship of Brian Owens, and the commitment of the staff students and wider school community; I think Edwalton stands a great chance!

I will keep you informed as to how we are doing and thanks again for your support so far.

Jerome Baddley
Parent Governor

To reply to this message, follow the link below:
http://www.energyshare.com/inmail/reply/60043

Eco Houses Under Construction – events 1 and 2

Interest in the first Eco Houses Under Construction event on 16th July is growing steadily, with over 30 places booked already. More places are available, and the events are free, so get in touch if you would like to take part. For the date and details of the second event, read on.

Event 1 reminder - Saturday 16th July at 12.30pm
This will give the architect’s perspective when designing an ultra-low energy refurbishment for a 1950’s brick house of solid wall construction.

Event 2 - Saturday 23rd July at 12.30pm DATE CHANGED TO 30th JULY
Architect Mike Siebert of Ecologic Homes Ltd. will talk about designing a low cost, high code new build using a timber frame construction. The frame arrives in early July and should be up by the date of the event! An expert from the building company, EcoFrames Ltd., will be on hand to demonstrate how this timber frame construction will provide insulation, air tightness and thermal mass while minimising cold bridging. The windows should also be in place and a representative of Benlowe Windows will talk about the properties of triple glazed windows suitable for use in Code 5+ homes. If the roof is on as well, there will be the chance to learn about wood fibre sarking boards and Sandtoft 20/20 sustainable tiles. To receive full details of this or any future event, email wbecohouses@gmail.com or info@wbecohouses.co.uk.

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is supported by Groundwork East Midlands with funding from Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant.

Community Climate Action Network - news

Marches Energy Agency (MEA) have two exciting pieces of news for anyone interested in local community renewable projects

1) Low Carbon Planning Events - NEW DATE ADDED IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

***NEW*** Friday 7th October – Bowbridge Primary School, Newark, Nottinghamshire. Flier attached.
Saturday 8th October – County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire. Flier attached.
Friday 28th October, Corby, Northamptonshire
Saturday 29th October, The Queens Building, DeMontfort University, Leicester

Pre-booking essential, email kirsty.mitchell@cse.org.uk.

FREE to anyone living in the East Midlands

MEA is very excited to be working with the Centre for Sustainable Energy to run these free events. They will help community groups, individuals and councillors engage with local planning and low-carbon development – and help you understand how you can generate local, renewable energy. If you or your group is interested in community-owned renewables then this is the workshop for you!

It will feature the PlanLoCaL model, a large-scale model of a town demonstrating how renewable energy technologies work, and the PlanLoCaL films, which include case studies and information on how to set up community-owned renewable energy projects. There will be a local keynote speaker at each event to provide a local context.

Interactive, practical sessions will focus on how communities can get involved in local plan making, different kinds of renewable energy technologies, climate change adaptation, community engagement, and funding issues. All community groups represented will receive a comprehensive handout pack, including DVDs.

Email ccan@mea.org.uk for a flier or details.

Funded by Groundwork East Midlands.

Email kirsty.mitchell@cse.org.uk to book your free place.


2) Support Local Groups on Energy Share - JUST A FEW DAYS LEFT

Have you supported your local Energy Share project(s) yet?

Edwalton Primary School is the closest to us here in West Bridgford - and one of the team leading this project is Jerome, a member of the West Bridgford Eco House Group. Just go to http://www.energyshare.com/edwalton-primary-school and click on the red button to support this project.

Or are you near Beeston and would like to support their Energy Share bid? http://www.energyshare.com/greening-beeston/

Search by postcode for other local projects you might like to support - there are more than 100 in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area!

Eco Houses Under Construction - First Event

The first in the series of at least 8 free events will be held on Zero Carbon Britain Day:

Saturday 16th July, 12.30pm
West Bridgford, Nottingham
Talk by Steve Day, Fabric Architects

Steve is in charge of the eco-refurbishment design and will give an overview of the key aspects of this ultra-low energy refurbishment. His talk will include the “fabric first” approach and an introduction to the kind of work needed to achieve or move towards Passive House standard. From 1.30pm onwards there will be the opportunity to visit the house in its “pre-refurbishment” state for those who wish to do so. To reserve your place(s) and to receive details of the venue, email info@wbecohouses.co.uk.

The second event will be held the following weekend when architect Mike Siebert of Ecologic Homes Ltd. will talk about achieving a low cost, high code new build using timber frame. The frame arrives in early July and should be up by the date of the event! To receive full details of this or any future event, email info@wbecohouses.co.uk.

To see what other projects Transition West Bridgford has to offer, go to www.transitionwb.co.uk.

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

The Eco House Group is also supported by Rushcliffe Borough Council.

Eco Houses Under Construction

This summer’s project, Eco Houses Under Construction, is now underway!

Following the interest in Eco House Open Days here and across the UK, Tina Holt and Julie Lygo decided to organise a series of open house days with a difference.

In July 2011, Julie’s eco house is due to “arrive” on site, in the form of timber frame panels ready to assemble. Tina’s 1950’s brick house with no cavity walls or insulation of any sort is already firmly on site, but essential maintenance and extension work is due to start in July as well. In the next few months, both houses will become well-insulated and highly energy efficient – the aim is to achieve at least Code 5 for the new build and to come close to EnerPHit (Passive House retrofit standard) for the refurbishment.

We will arrange a series of open days when the eco features of these houses can be seen and discussed before they disappear for ever beneath a tidy surface of cladding or plaster. Experts will be brought in to talk and answer questions about the products installed and the methods used as the work progresses. Julie and Tina will be on hand to give the “home owner’s view” of the pros and cons.

Email info@wbecohouses.co.uk to be added to the Eco House Group email list and to be first to receive details of the events as they are organised.

A project like this could not easily be undertaken without funding, to bring in experts at weekends and for the Public Liability Insurance needed to allow members of the public into the houses once the work is underway. We were very fortunate to be successful in our bid for a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant, and are very grateful to Groundwork East Midlands for their support.

The Eco Houses Under Construction project is funded by Climate East Midlands, East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Communities and Local Government with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. It is delivered by the charity Groundwork East Midlands.

The Eco House Group has been supported by Rushcliffe Borough Council since it started in 2010.

Help our local eco-school!

One member of the Eco House Group has just sent me this invitation to help a local eco-school win a bid to get some solar panels. It's only a case of following the link below and clicking a button. If you can spare a minute, please do!

Edwalton school, 3 times green flag eco-school has just been shortlisted for the winner of the Times Educational Supplement sustainable school of the year award. The school has also just become the First Primary School in Britain to be awarded with interim accredithation by 'Specialist Schools and Academies Trust' for Rural Dimension - March 2011. Edwalton has a long and proud tradition of environmental awareness and the children reflect these values in their caring attitudes towards nature, animals and others.

None of these wonderful green accolades however come with funding, Edwalton like most other schools has had to absorb significant cuts in it’s budget this year. To help fund the school farm and the schools continued commitment to environmental suitability the school is bidding to win funding for solar panels from the energyshare fund.

You can help! To get through to the next round of the funding application the school has to collect supporters, all you need to do is visit the schools energyshare page and click the red ‘support this group’ button. The deadline is the 30th of June.

Eco House Open Day 2011

Our second Eco House Open Day took place on Sunday 15th May 2011. Six houses with eco-features were open to the public and about 70 visits took place during the day.

Some houses showed renewable technologies installed: solar PV, solar hot water, and a ground source heat pump (with charging using sun boxes).

Some houses demonstrated the benefits of insulation, either because of the original construction, or due to the addition of insulation by the home owners in roofs, walls and floors. The two solid wall houses with significant internal or external insulation attracted a lot of interest this year after the recent cold winter and rising fuel prices!

Other features included draught proofing, water saving options and changing habits with a smart meter. Home owners talked about what worked, and what didn't!

If you missed the open day there will be more events in the summer as part of the newest project "Eco Houses Under Construction". This project is funded by Groundwork with a Growing Climate Friendly Communities grant. During the summer, there will be talks and demonstrations led by experts in aspects of building and refurbishing to create low energy houses.

Just email info@wbecohouses.co.uk to get your name on the list if you want to be invited to these events.

The Eco House Group becomes a case study

The charity "Marches Energy Agency" has just sent out the following invitation to all who receive its newsletter, featuring our very own Eco House Group. If you like to know what other projects and events happen across the Midlands, do have a look at their website or sign up for their newsletter.

First Community Climate Action Case Study Now Online

Many of the people who receive monthly Community Climate Action e-newsletters are involved in inspiring projects to tackle climate change. So when we ran a survey earlier this year and lots of you said that you would like to see case studies of local projects which are tackling climate change, we jumped at the chance to tell some of your inspiring stories!

The first case study – of the EcoHouse Group project in West Bridgford – is now online and can be read here: www.everybodys-talking.org/communities-area/community-projects-case-studies/ecohouse-group.

We’re hoping this will the first of many case studies showcased on the website and that they will inspire further action to tackle climate change around Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. If you have a project you’d like to share with others please email us brief details: ccan@mea.org.uk. Please include a telephone number if possible and we’ll be in touch.

The EcoHouse Group was organised by Transition West Bridgford. This weekend they are involved in two exciting events.

West Bridgford Summer Gathering
14th May, 10am-4pm

A celebration of sustainable and community living in West Bridgford with lots of stalls, food and entertainment : www.wbsummergathering.co.uk

Eco House Open Day
15th May

It was this event last year which kick-started the Eco House Group. People can sign up by attending the Summer Gathering.

Contact: info@wbecohouses.co.uk

1980's Detached House

• It is a 4 bedroom, detached house. We have two green energy features.
1. Solar Thermal [for hot water] Supplier Solar Home Energy Ltd
2. Solar PV [for electricity production] - Supplier MG Renewables
Insulation and Heating System
• Cavity wall
• Loft insulation
• Double glazed windows and doors
• Central heating system
• Effective insulation makes a big impact on the efficiency of the energy. Energy input can be lowered as less energy is being lost in other forms; consequently it lowers cost and is more environmentally friendly.
• We also had the 1980s radiators replaced with new ones with more efficient convection fins,  and surfaced the wall behind each one with reflective insulation to reduce heating the wall excessively.  (luckily we did this just before the cold snap of Nov and Dec 2010).
Solar panels energy production
• In 2008 we fitted a solar water heating system which produces on average 40% of our hot water per year.
• Last year, we fitted 16 solar PV panels,
• With a total production capacity of approximately 3070 KWH of electricity per year.
Advantages
• Production of green energy.
• Reduced energy bills.
Disadvantages
• Expensive initial investment.
Our reasoning behind the solar panels
• The initial idea came because of the environmental impact and after some research into the actual cost and payback period we decided to get them on the environmental basis and because of the financial benefits that come with them

Solar House, West Bridgford 2007

The Peveril Solar house is powered by sunshine, heated by sunshine! For power, it has the largest practical area of Photovoltaic roof panels for a single house (4 kW). For heating and HW, it has a Ground Source heat pump that gets heat from the ground under the house, warmed by solar heat on the black tarmac, and also gets direct heat from large solar Sunboxes on the south wall. A Sunpipe in the roof brings sunshine to the centre of the house.

It was built in 2006-7, as a developer house, so we were not able to influence the external design - apart from steepening the roof pitch to 40º. During the building, we were able to improve the internal layout, door positions etc, and have a say in the heating system, disabled elevator, kitchen, bathroom, lighting design, and other features. We needed a house with an elevator in it, and it was impossible to find an existing house with space for this. So adapting a house already under construction was perfect.

For our part, it was a chance to experiment with Eco Design ideas, within the limits of an already-designed house. So we went for a ground source heat pump with underfloor heating on both floors. Due to the tiny site and the bordering trees, we could not use pipes under the lawn, so we had to go to the cost of having two deep drilled boreholes. Over successive years, a ground source heat pump tends to chill the ground permanently. After two years occupation, we looked for ways to prevent this chilling effect - hence the design and building of the  Sunboxes for 'charging the earth'.

The idea of Charging the Earth is to recycle sunshine! The practical method is to have solar collectors on the wall in large glassy boxes whose sole purpose is to pump solar heat deep down into the ground. The building's heat pump gets much of this back immediately, finds a bit more during the evenings, and hopes for residual summer heat later in the winter. Our storage boreholes go 48 metres below the house, reaching directly to about 8,000 tons of clay and rock, with an infinite mass beyond that.
    The sunboxes are on target to put down 3,000 kWh of solar heat, annually. As the heatpump needs to pull 9,000 kWh up annually, we are sure that all of the solar heat is used in the house. How much electricity will it save annually? The first year of operation of the PV and Sunboxes have saved 2,450 kWh in a single year.  The heatpump's coefficient of performance is greatly improved, This is what we are quantifying in the next couple of years, with datalogger readings and daily tuning. Sunboxes will not actually raise the soil temperature, as there is just too much of it - the heat injection is equivalent to only 1 kW/hr, so this heat will prevent soil chilling, and will be reclaimed by the heatpump, daily.

The panels, sunboxes, plumbing and electrics are entirely invented and built by the house owner. This is, in effect a new and unique technology, so the Surya Sunbox system is being presented at the global conference of Sustainable Energy Technologies, Shanghai, August 2010.

What else? The house has good insulation specification in the walls, floor and roof, thermal-break windows, and energy efficient lighting throughout. It has a compact minimal surface area, and an airlock lobby at the entrance. The kitchen is optimised for disabled access, and has an Induction hob. Most of the appliances in the house are A-rated for energy efficiency.

Rainwater collection was intended, but due to the complexity of the borehole pipes and RW pipes in the driveway and 'eco-mutiny' by the builder, the underground rainwater tank was returned to the supplier. We now have 200 litres of waterbutt storage for all garden water needs.

Normal houses of this size consume about 25,000 kWh annually:- about 3,500 of electricity for lighting and appliances, and 21,500 of gas for cooking and heating, mostly emitted as CO2. As an 'all electric' house, supplemented by sunshine, we managed 2007 and 2008 on 8,500 kWh/annum, which is only a third. During 2009-10, we are on target to cut our total electricity import to about 6,200 kWhrs, all from renewable sources, and next year will be under 6000. Our roof will export over 3,000 kWhrs. The photovoltaic roof is linked to the internet. Energy use and energy generation are metered daily, and water use metered weekly, and the results are also published on the internet.

For more detailed information, a glossary and who installed what in this eco house click the links.
PV by EvoEnergy. Heatpump by Ice Energy.

1920’s classic West Bridgford solid brick detached house

Still with many of the old features but incorporating many very new features too.


As the house is fairly large (6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms) the heating and electricity bills were shocking. We put into place as many measures, from basic to more expensive to reduce the bills in a more sustainable way.

Vital Statistics
The house was built in the early 1920’s on a corner plot, giving us a clear south facing wall.

Annual energy use
Annual Electricity usage 3231.90kWh
Annual Gas 34832.55 kWh
(This should change now that the new technologies have been installed.)

Micro generation:
To find info how much electricity we have generated from the sun since November 2009, click here:

About us and why we did it
We are a middle aged couple with two teenage boys. Since the boys were born, we have been very concerned for their future and started with growing our own organic food, educated them in the Iona School (based on Rudolf Steiner’s principles) which then led to a much more aware way of living. Ever since we have tried to reduce our waste, energy and water to reduce our impact on the planet to as much as we can. Reduction of waste is mainly done through growing our own food and making food from scratch. For some suggestions on recipes click here:
Heating and Power

South Facing side of the house:
Top floor Solar Hotwater panels.
Between bay windows and conservatory: Solar Venti panel
PV solar, Solar Hot water, Wood-burning Stove, Solar Venti dehumidifier, Energy smart meter.

Insulation
Our house is built in solid brick, which made insulation a little difficult. We have insulated underneath most of our floor boards, the whole of the loft up to 30cm, one room has internal insulation boarding put up 2 years ago. Some double glazed units but mostly secondary glazing (Storm windows) in front of the existing original windows.

Other green features
Vegetable garden; there will be vegetable and fruit plants/bushes for sale on the day.
Livestock (chickens!)
Information and display about the West Bridgford Skills Exchange

Advantages
It feels good that we are trying to reduce our impact on the living environment as much as we can. Some features were so good that they paid back within a year (electricity monitor) others over the next few years will no doubt pay off, we are expecting to be self-sufficient in our heating and electricity needs in 5-8 years time.

Disadvantages
The plumbing of the Solar hot water and putting in the stove did take a few days of mess. Having said that, Paul and Chris and his team tried to accommodate as much as they could. The upfront prices are fairly steep.

Who did you go to for advice and info?
All these people were recommended to me by others who had the technologies installed:
PV by David Nicolson Cole, Solar hot water I went to see their shop, spoke with them and then had some feedback from Emma who had one installed before me. Smart meters I tried and tested some for website I write for; www.thecolist.co.uk and found that they were brilliant. I therefore ‘invested’ in one and have reduced my energy use enormously.


Who did each part of the work?

Task
Solar Hot Water by Solar Heat UK contact: Chris
Woodburning Stove from The Fireplace centre contact Paul at enquiries@nottinghamfireplacecentre.co.uk

PV panel (electricity) Nicola Waters Evo Energy
Energy Smart Meter Southern and electric Better plan
Secondary Glazing Storm Windows
Ifo Cera Low flush toilet
Solarventi solar dehumidifier

1890s Extensively renovated West Bridgford semi

This was the UK's first radical retrofit of a hard-to-treat home - an 1890s Victorian semi in West Bridgford. Nottingham Ecohome has been running 11 years. Owners Penney Poyzer and Gil Schalom are acknowledged as pioneers of domestic radical eco retrofit. Both Penney and Gill have presented lectures on eco-retrofit and had students writing dissertations on their story, and have occasional Open Days. See the Nottingham Ecohome Website for more info.

Heating and Power
Heat exchange, Solar Hot water, Energy smart meter
House central heating and hot water system runs on waste wood biomass boiler
Solar thermal is used for summer heating
Single room Heat recovery devices.

Insulation
There is external insulation to side and back of house. Internal insulation to the front.
The external and internal insulation overlap relative to each other, to reduce cold bridging.
Floors and attic conversion are highly insulated.

Other green features
Vegetable garden, Water Harvesting, Water saving devices, Lexin Panels
A sewage catchment and composting system was tried, but abandoned in 2006.

A fuller list of features is on the website of the house:
List of Features: http://www.msarch.co.uk/ecohome/feature.html
Details of the renovation: http://www.msarch.co.uk/ecohome/tour.html

Traditional 1920's 4-bed detached Westbridgford house.

When we bought the house five years ago in early autumn we were thrilled with the lovely big rooms and high ceilings. We were much less thrilled when we moved in and we almost moved out again straight-away as it was REALLY freezing in winter, very draughty and we had to have the heating on round the clock. We would not have bought this house if we had viewed it during the winter months or seen their fuel bills!

Since then it has improved, we have double glazed french doors at the front and back and nearly all windows now have either secondary or double glazing. We have put in very thick loft insulation and installed solar panels which provide hot water and water for the central heating system.

The house is much better now and we are no longer scraping the ice of the windows every morning and we can take three duvets off the children's beds. However, although now a comfortable house it is still very expensive to run in the winter months as the solar panels only work May through October. We are planning to install a multi-fuel stove in the hope it will cut down on our fuel bills in the most severe winter months.

We are saving up for photovoltaics but that may take some time but we do love our electricity meter (OWL) as it's really provided an incentive to turn off our TVs/computers on stand-by and reminds the children to turn off lights and computers left on upstairs.

Vital Statistics

Built in 1929, four bedroom solid brick built detached house with larger south facing rear garden

• About us and why we did it
There are four in our family (2 young children), we try to live in a sustainable way as we are worried about the world’s resources, and how it will be for future generations as oil gets more difficult to find and extract. We also had a large draughty house which was difficult to keep warm and expensive to run in the winter.

• Heating and Power
On the south facing side of the house: Solar heating and hot water panels.
We have gas central heating which is supported by the solar hot water panels in the summer and we are shortly installing a multi-fuel stove which will support our central heating in the winter.
We are replacing our G-rated boiler with an A-rated boiler, and we have an Energy Smart Meter.

• Insulation
We do not have cavity wall insulation as it is a solid brick built construction. We do have either double or secondary glazing on all our windows except the bathroom which is south facing. We do have loft insulation and are currently investigating cladding for our walls and underfloor insulation.

• Other green features


In an attempt to be more sustainable we try to grow a lot of our own fruit and vegetables and have set up a raised bed with 10 cordon apple and pear trees to maximize our yield. Watering is a bit of an issue as the raised beds dry out quickly so we harvest rain water and have one of those bath suction hoses so we can water our beds with bath water on the hot days in summer which the kids love to do.

• Advantages
The upfront costs of installing solar panels are quite high but hopefully it will pay for itself in the next five years. I would not put the boiler on in the day when it was just me at home but am now getting warm water in the taps for free which is an added bonus.

• Disadvantages
Having the solar panels installed for hot water was not messy but having it hooked up to the central heating system is a week’s worth of mess and inconvenience. Do consider this if you have a young family at home. However, the team we used worked well together and were very pleasant and would tidy up after themselves.

• Who did you go to for advice and info?
Would have loved to go on an eco-house tour but asked Solar-UK who they had just worked for and asked if we could visit a house in Bridgford that had just had their solar panels installed.

• Who did each part of the work?

Solar Hot Water
Woodburning Stove (hot water)
Chris at Solar Heat UK enquiries@nottinghamfireplacecentre.co.uk
Paul at enquiries@nottinghamfireplacecentre.co.uk