First Things First

The parts of the house that need to be considered. What did we do first to
improve our Carbon foot print? The areas and subjects to think about were the thermal performance of the fabric:
Walls
Floors
Roofs
Windows & Doors
Improved Services:
Electricals and Lighting
Heating Systems
Ventilation Systems
Water Conservation

What we're doing

Current government policy is to move towards net zero carbon housing over the next few years. This presents the house building industry which a major challenge in the use of building systems, products and materials, in all new housing development

The existing housing stock, will remain in use for many years. Part L of the Building Regulations for the first time addresses this issue by requiring elements of existing buildings to be upgraded thermally when those elements are replaced or altered significantly. It is no longer acceptable for example to re-plaster a whole wall without making at lease some attempt to upgrade its thermal performance.

This project aims to demonstrate and research methods of building construction that can be used to not just upgrade a sensitive building, in compliance with the existing Part L requirements but to explore how thermal performance well beyond current standards can be practically achieved. How far towards a net Zero Carbon House is it possible to reach, how do these practical standards compare with current building regulation standards and how do they compare to green building standards such as the Passive Haus.