Low energy homes exhibition a success

On 21st January 2012, the exhibition of low energy homes attracted about 130 people interested in seeing the homes on show and listening to the talks. With stall-holders displaying a range of technologies from Rushcliffe Borough Council's light-bulb library to full scale home refurbishments and renewable technologies, there was a lot to see. To read about the stalls, talks and afternoon house tours in more detail, read the full write-up here.

A very big thank you must go to the exhibitors and a super team of Transition West Bridgford / Eco House Group volunteers who worked hard on the day to make it happen and to provide a warm welcome to the visitors.

This exhibition marks the final event in our "Eco Houses under Construction" series, but don't worry - there will be opportunities to see these homes and others in the future.

Thanks to our recent successful LEAF funding bid, there will be further house visits and a set of workshops due in March, so look out for our "Homes Behaving Badly" events. The idea is to make sure that these workshops are as relevant as possible to those who come along. Knowing that West Bridgford has more than its fair share of solid wall homes and large areas of cavity wall housing, different workshops will focus on different types of homes and the associated low, medium and high cost solutions to cut energy use.

As well as looking at all the feedback from the exhibition, we would like to know if you live in a cavity wall home or a solid wall home, and what issues and options you need to know about in more detail. A questionnaire is coming soon!

More about the exhibition

There are just days to go to West Bridgford’s free exhibition of low energy homes on 21st January 2012 (see previous post), so here is a bit more information about the displays and presentations.

Seven low energy homes will be represented in detail, each with their own display of photos, information and in some cases, samples of energy saving products. 


(Two homes will be open to visitors during the afternoon - the timber frame new build and the 1950's refurbishment. Just sign up at the stand for either house or email info@wbecohouses.co.uk to visit at 2pm or 3pm.)

Energy efficiency advice will be available from Sheila Hood, Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Energy Officer. 

Independent information about renewable technologies will be displayed on the Energy Saving Trust stand where Tim Saunders will be able to answer your questions.

In a separate room, between 10am and 1pm there will be a series of short 20 minute presentations in the following order:

10.15   Creating a zero carbon barn conversion

      David Hill, Managing Director of Carbon Legacy

10.40   Latest news on the Feed in Tariff, Renewable Heat Incentive and Green Deal

            Tim Saunders, Energy Saving Trust

11.10   Ultra low energy refurbishment – externally insulated 1950’s brick house

            Gil Schalom, Architect and Tina Holt, organiser of the exhibition

11.30   Ultra low energy refurbishment – internally insulated stone Coach House

            Gil Schalom, Architect

12.00   Building low energy homes in the Meadows and Sneinton

            John Long, project leader for Igloo and Blueprint Regeneration

12.30   Timber frame new build – a very low energy home in West Bridgford

            Mike Siebert, Architect

If you would like any further information about the exhibition, email info@wbecohouses.co.uk

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. 

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

Invitation from Helen to be involved in a straw bale build.

There is a straw bale ecobuild (a farm visitor centre, out at Screveton on the A46 past East Bridgford). You are invited to visit and I can show you round and tell you about the features of the build, with the owner’s permission (David Rose). There is a Farmeco Community Carefarm Facebook website which has some pictures of the build so far… http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113825078645337&v=wall

We shall be looking for volunteers for lime rendering, and/or providing low cost introductory lime rendering courses, once the weather becomes more appropriate, and those who are interested in knowing about that can email David (see Farmeco webpages or david.rose@farmshop.net) to be on a contact list. David is very interested in getting people from the local communities involved at all stages, and so far, local people have been involved in the rammed earth wall and the straw bale wall-raising.