Improving the energy performance of a period property.
The best time to boost your property’s energy performance and comfort is when you’re carrying out building works.
THE PROJECT
Our clients contacted us upon the recommendation of their architects, Cato Creative. They owned an end of terrace property in South West London which they were planning to completely refurbish. Their plans were to gut the house and then re-build, while adding a large extension to the rear. The property was fairly typical of its type. Although it was in a reasonable state of repair and had been added to over the years, it had a poor energy performance.
THE CHALLENGE
Our clients wanted to find a way to reduce their carbon footprint, cut their utility bills and allow them to have better control over the heating and water in their newly refurbished home. Because they were already planning to completely refurbish and re-build the property to make it energy efficient, they could look at all options – including renewable technologies.
Our role was to look at the property’s construction and to suggest the improvements that could be made to boost the energy performance of the existing building envelope, as well as review and comment on the architectural plans relating to the new extension and renovation works. We would then move on to review the property’s heating arrangements and suggest the most appropriate solution for their new home.
THE SOLUTION
We began by reviewing their architectural plans, before meeting with the clients and carrying out a general survey of the property.
Before we consider the heating arrangements for a property, we always look at any potential thermal improvements that can be made to its structure. In this case the property was to be gutted as part of the works, so we looked at all the opportunities for improving the insulation levels. We suggested how and where extra insulation could be added to the floors, walls and roof of the existing building. Our expert also highlighted the benefits of boosting the thermal performance of the new extension by using modern methods of construction such as timber frame or ICF. When we looked at the designs we highlighted the risks of the new areas overheating in summer via solar gain and so suggested measures to mitigate this – including reducing the rooflight sizes, choosing special solar reflective glazing, adding a bris soleil to the design, increasing the insulation of the flat roof areas and specifying lighter coloured roofing materials.
We then outlined the options for heating the property, with their pros and cons before going on the suggest the most appropriate choice – an air source heat pump which could heat the house via underfloor heating, and supply hot water via an unvented hot water tank. A PV array could be added to the roof to generate electricity and the additional costs off-set via the Feed in Tariff and Renewable Heat Incentive.
THE RESULT
Our clients are currently using their report to make the necessary revisions to their plans. We hope to hear more from them once they’re ready to start their build.
As you can see, getting an independent energy and heating expert to help you refine your plans with your Architect makes a lot of sense. You’ll understand your options more clearly and be able to make the most informed decisions – both for you and the planet. Later, you’ll be able to brief your builder more comprehensively and get a greater level of control on your project outcome too.
CLPM Services used by our client:-
Heating and Energy Consultancy carried our remotely.
Older properties are often uncomfortable and expensive to heat. Getting an independent heating and energy consultant like CLPM involved in the early design stages of your project will deliver a better result and future proof your home too.