Personal story:

Initially a management and systems consultant, I made a career change to sustainability. I worked for more than 7 years at CEN and BioRegional as an energy and sustainability consultant in the built environment, working mainly with developers, planners and local authorities on their new build or retrofit projects.

Given the scale of the project, I decided to stop working and to focus on the management of the refurbishment of my home and its energy retrofit. The project began with 3 months of research to investigate the most energy efficient solutions, taking into account aesthetic, practical and economic considerations. In parallel, we were also working with a building surveyor to put into a long list all the other work that needed doing into the house (e.g. wiring). When all the details were finalised, I then selected a builder. One of the key criteria for me was to find someone who wouldn’t be reluctant to undertaking that kind of work (builders are definitely not used to energy efficiency work!). I also paid an energy efficiency specialist consultant to come and meet with my builder to explain all about thermal bridging and which areas of the house to pay particular attention.

Motivations:

We were going to undertake a whole house refurbishment. The fact that the house would be stripped to the bare bones was the one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do things properly to reduce energy consumption and thereby our impact on the environment. And I could at last put into practice what I had been preaching to others for many years!

Property background:

The house had belonged to the same family for three generations and little maintenance had been undertaken. The house was therefore in need of a complete refurbishment, from a new roof, to installation of central heating, new plumbing, wiring, and of course insulation.

Key changes made:

The idea was to improve the thermal efficiency of the house by incorporating insulation in its envelope (roof, external walls, floor) and thereby avoiding wasting energy . We were also aiming  to achieve reasonable levels of airtightness, by including draught-proofing measures (which also improve comfort!)

Furthermore, with the installation of an efficient condensing boiler, controls, TRVs, and hot water solar panels, we would reduce our reliance on gas, so our CO₂ emissions. We also decided to install solar PV panels to reduce our overall electricity consumption.

The choice of installing a gas-fired boiler was the most cost-efficient and practical solution given that we were connected to the gas grid already. We are however planning to install wood stove to complete the heat in winter (pr even delay the time when we turn the heating on).

Measures installed in detail:

• Roof insulation: Celotex GA4000′ P.I.R. board – 70mm thick above rafters and 100mm thick Rockwool batts between rafters
• Internal insulation of external walls: Celotex PL4060 boards (60mm insulation + 12.5mm plasterboard)
• Ground-floor insulation: 150mm rockwool insulation batts
• Ceiling insulation: 150mm rockwool insulation batts (for sound-proofing reasons)
• Double-glazing and draught-proofing of all windows
• Draught-proofing of front door and below skirting boards on ground floor
• Gas-fired condensing boiler + TRVs + controls
• 2.29m² Solfex solar thermal panels
• 1.44kWp Trina solar photovoltaics panels
• Efficient lighting and appliances
• 100 litre water butt

Benefits of work carried out:

The house keeps the warmth for a long time thanks to all the insulation and draught-proofing measures installed, so only little heating is required. The depth of the internal insulation has enabled us to create a reveal around the windows which does look great!

The panels provide us with free electricity and hot water for a good part of the year.

Favourite feature:

Even though heat losses from the floor are not very big compared to heat losses through the walls, I find that insulating the floor and sealing under the skirting boards was the right decision as it increases the level of comfort massively. We don’t have the feeling of cold feet!

I also love making the best use of my PV panels by starting the washing-machine or dishwasher when the sun is shining outside. Then I know that not only do I benefit from free electricity but I also get paid for it at the same time thanks to the Feed in Tariff!

Project update:

We are looking to install a wood stove to provide additional heat in winter and to enjoy it as well!

Updated on 19/09/2015

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