A comfortable home is a healthy home

Thermal comfort plays a key role in creating a healthy and sustainable building. As the NHBC Foundation publication, Indoor air quality in highly energy efficient homes – a review, discusses, the impact of overheating can create an uncomfortable environment to live in.

In more extreme situations, overheating can be fatal. High indoor temperatures can aggravate health defects particularly amongst the elderly and chronically ill, who may be less able to regulate their body temperature.

The challenge to the housebuilding industry is to design and build homes that minimise the risk of overheating without people turning to air conditioning. Not only is air conditioning costly to run in terms of both cash and carbon dioxide emissions, but it can actually increase the temperature of outside air!

In light of this, to further the understanding of overheating and work towards a model of best practice, the NHBC Foundation is undertaking a project that will culminate in a report later on this year.

As part of this project, the NHBC Foundation recently hosted an industry workshop at BRE in Watford, to explore issues of overheating. Housebuilders, housing associations, designers and academia were represented in the team of 50 delegates that addressed:

• How overheating can be defined for domestic buildings
• The factors leading to overheating
• The effects of overheating
• Thresholds for intervention in cases of overheating
• Current knowledge gaps in industry understanding of overheating
• Case studies of homes which have suffered from overheating

A variety of interesting information was exchanged which gave rise to a number of prominent lessons that will be analysed during further work.

Instances of overheating related to large areas of south-facing glazing raised during the workshop were perhaps not unexpected. But we found that the high incidence of overheating problems caused by communal heating systems of particular interest. This is due to the pipework and heat exchange units in the system, which remain at high temperatures constantly throughout the year and are not always sufficiently well insulated.

As a direct result of the workshop, we are commissioning Richards Partington Architects to prepare simple guidance for house builders on how to avoid overheating.

Grants for UK homeowners to install renewable heating systems

From the beginning of August, homeowners will be able to apply for Government grants to contribute towards the cost of installing renewable heating systems.

Grants for installing solar thermal systems will be available

According to an article that appeared in the Guardian yesterday, the scheme is being targeted at homes with heating systems which have a high environmental cost, particularly those houses that use heating oil or electric fires as a source of heat rather than mains gas.

The scheme will offer grants for the installation of solar thermal panels, as well as other renewable systems. The NHBC Foundation recently published a report, Guide to installation of renewable energy systems on roofs of residential buildings, which explains installation best practice for roof mounted solar thermal systems.

Allowable solutions: a step closer to a workable framework

As we move towards 2016, a practical approach to achieving the zero carbon standard in new build homes is becoming increasingly important for housebuilders. The Zero Carbon Hub has been working hard to help provide clarity and understanding on the requirements for building zero carbon homes, and we were pleased early in July to launch our proposals for a delivery framework for Allowable Solutions - the third part of the zero carbon hierarchy.

The proposals outline a framework by which housebuilders will be able to invest in carbon savings projects to offset the carbon emissions created by the in-use operation of homes built on their developments, which have not been dealt with by other parts of the zero carbon policy. Focussing on flexibility, ease of use and transparency of delivery, our proposals describe a mechanism for delivering carbon saving projects that:

- Is affordable;
- Encourages additional investment;
- Limits the impact on those who are making Allowable Solutions payments;
- Encourages innovation in carbon reduction methods;
- Gives the option for local choice in the projects that are funded.

Allowable Solutions comprise one third of the Government’s Zero Carbon Homes policy hierarchy alongside Fabric Energy Efficiency and Carbon Compliance. This three-part policy addresses the reduction of the operational energy of a new home – the energy used by heating, hot water, fixed lighting and building services. At the Zero Carbon Hub, we have been working with the Government and industry to develop solutions to help housebuilders dramatically reduce the carbon emissions of new home developments with the long term aim of meeting the zero carbon standard by 2016.

In developing these proposals, we have incorporated the views of the housebuilding, planning, financial and governmental communities, who have highlighted a unique and interesting opportunity for community empowered carbon savings through an effective allowable solutions framework.

While the Zero Carbon Hub proposals have been received positively by many, including Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps MP, this is by no means the end of the process. Over the summer months we would welcome the views from all those who will be involved in operating and dealing with Allowable Solutions. Please direct any feedback you might have about Allowable Solutions to info@zerocarbonhub.org.

Some simple steps to reduce energy bills

Barely a week goes by without the UK’s newspapers reporting how energy prices will be hiked by yet another energy provider.

In new homes, energy efficient features like double glazing, increased insulation, condensing boilers and solar panels will help keep energy bills low. Older houses were not built with these features, but there are a variety of measures that people living in them can take to help keep their energy bills under control.

NHBC recently released a simple nine step guide to reducing energy consumption and saving money in older homes:

1) Don’t leave electrical appliances on standby: televisions, stereos, computers and other items use electricity in standby mode, in some cases nearly half of what is used when actually in use

2) Upgrade your boiler: consider a modern condensing boiler; all new homes come with this type fitted as standard as they are substantially more efficient



3) Regulate the use of your boiler: by using the timer and turning the thermostat down by just one degree, you can increase efficiency and gain substantial energy savings throughout the year

4) Don’t forget to insulate: more than half the heat lost in an uninsulated home escapes through the walls or the roof. New homes have 270mm of insulation, so check that your home meets this modern standard. Loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years, and will pay for itself over and over again in that time



Use the fitted thermostat on radiators to save energy



5) Use the fitted thermostat on radiators: these supplement the main boiler thermostat, and can also be installed on most older radiators by a competent plumber, helping to reduce excess heat in individual rooms



6) Unplug gadgets: some of the largest energy consumers in the home are often the most easily overlooked; chargers for phones and other gadgets use a lot of electricity when plugged in, even if the device isn’t connected

7) Switch your energy supplier: in a competitive marketplace there are loads of deals on offer from the various gas and electricity suppliers that can give substantial savings over the course of a year – and consider switching to a green energy supplier if the environment is important to you

8) Check out appliance energy ratings: A-rated white goods such as washing machines and fridges use less energy and can save money over time

9) Change your washing habits: tumble dryers use a lot of electricity, so avoid where possible and run your washing machine on 30 degree cycles

Some of these steps seem like straightforward housekeeping rules, but make a minimal change to your habits and you could see the pounds fall off your energy bill. By following this NHBC guide, you will be in a better position to both save money and decrease your home’s carbon emissions.