Measures

Solar

Solar electricity panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home. By installing solar panels, you can generate your own renewable electricity. A solar PV panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created.

The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated.

Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 10 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Because the electricity used for household appliances is alternating current (AC), an inverter is installed along with the system to convert DC electricity to AC. This electricity can be used throughout your home or exported to the grid.

Space is a key consideration. The average system size is around 3.5kWp and this will typically take up around 20m² roof area.

An unshaded, South facing roof is ideal for maximum electrical output. East or West facing roofs could still be considered, but North facing roofs are not recommended. A system facing East or West will yield around 15-20% less energy than one facing directly South.Any nearby buildings, trees or chimneys could shade your roof and have a negative impact on the performance of your system.

Solar PV panels are considered ‘permitted developments’ and often don’t require planning permission.

Air Source Heat Pumps

An air source heat pump transfers heat from the outside air to water, which heats your rooms via radiators or underfloor heating. It can also heat water stored in a hot water cylinder for your hot taps, showers and baths.

Heat from the air is absorbed into a fluid. This fluid then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump, which raises the temperature and then transfers that heat to water.

Air source heat pumps are suitable for many types of homes and are the most common type of domestic heat pump, with tens of thousands of installations across the UK.

The cost of an air source heat pump varies depending on the size of heat pump, the size of the property, whether it’s a newbuild or an existing property, as well as whether you need to change the way you distribute heat around your property. Typical costs are around £14,000.

High Retention Storage Heaters

Do you have old night storage heaters in your home? You could be wasting up to 40% of the heat they generate, which results in a huge increase in your electricity bills.

However, modern storage heaters don’t waste a single unit of energy as every kWh of heat is radiated into the room with 0% heat loss. You get heat instantly, which is then stored in the heating element. This heat is then distributed into the room even while the heaters are running on low energy settings.

Ventilation measures

Ventilation is the exchange of fresh air from the outside and stale air and moisture from the inside of a property. Poor ventilation can result in harmful pollutants and moisture being trapped in the property which, in turn, can damage the health of people and the house itself.
Through household activities such as showering, washing dishes and clothes, cooking and even just by breathing, we generate a lot of moisture that enters the air inside our homes. Without effective ventilation, this moisture can be trapped in the home and turn into condensation, particularly in the winter when surfaces such as walls are cold. The condensation can lead to damp and mould growth which can cause damage to your home and lead to respiratory illnesses for you and your family.

Without good ventilation, there will be more substances in the air that can cause harm to you and your family. This includes pollutants from cooking, cleaning products, hygiene products and fabric furnishings.

In order to ensure the ventilation in your building works as well as possible, you should install and then maintain the following products:
• Install and always leave trickle vents open and unblocked to every window, even in winter. You will use a little more energy to heat your home but have fresh air to prevent illnesses.
• Where possible, leave doors between rooms open to ensure cross-ventilation. A 10mm should be ensured between door bottom and floor covering. This will further improve the amount of fresh air drawn into the building.
• Install and regularly clean any extractor fans in bathrooms, kitchens and any wet rooms.
• Ensure loft spaces are well ventilated to prevent condensation.

EPC’s

Much like the multi-coloured sticker on new appliances, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) tell you how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). They’ll tell you how costly it will be to heat and light your property, and what its carbon dioxide emissions are likely to be.

An EPC also includes information on what the energy efficiency rating could be if you made the recommended improvements and highlights cost effective ways to achieve a better rating. Even if you rent your home, you could still implement some improvements noted on the EPC, such as switching to more energy efficient light bulbs.

Your property’s EPC needs to be available to potential buyers as soon as you start to market your property for sale or rent. You must get an approved domestic energy assessor to produce the EPC. If you’re buying or renting a property, an EPC allows you to compare the energy efficiency of different properties easily. An EPC also highlights the energy efficiency improvements you could make, how much they will cost, and how much you could save. This can be useful when looking to improve your current property, or if you’re looking to buy and improve.

If you do implement any of the energy efficiency recommendations outlined in your EPC, you may wish to get a new EPC to include these improvements.

EPCs are valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

Retrofit Co-Ordination

In order to comply with PAS 2035 every domestic retrofit project will need to be managed by an approved Retrofit Coordinator. A Retrofit Coordinator is the individual who will be responsible for overseeing the assessment of dwellings as well as the subsequent specification, monitoring, and evaluation of energy efficiency measures, in accordance with PAS 2035.
A Retrofit Coordinator will manage a retrofit project from inception to completion, and will need to liaise with building owners, Retrofit Assessors, Retrofit Designers and Retrofit Installers in order to ensure effective end-to-end project management.
Retrofitting is the act of fitting new systems designed for high energy efficiency and low energy consumption, to buildings previously built without them. The reason for doing this is simple. A more efficient building will be cheaper to run, and will have a lower impact on the environment.
The activities that Retrofit Coordinators will need to undertake as part of the PAS 2035 process include:
• The completion of a retrofit risk assessment for each dwelling or dwelling type within the retrofit project
• The development of a retrofit project plan
• The development of a medium term improvement plan for every dwelling, for implementation over a period of thirty years
• The documentation of the project progress, including any information that is supplied by building owners, and other retrofit stakeholders involved in the delivery of the project

PAS 2035:2019 is the overarching British standard for Retrofitting dwellings for improved energy efficiency. Put simply, it provides specification and guidance for the energy retrofit of domestic buildings, and details best practice guidance for domestic retrofit projects.

What makes PAS 2035 different, is the approach to the retrofit process which is considered to be ‘whole house’ or ‘whole building’ retrofit. This approach considers the home, environment, occupancy and the householders’ improvement objectives when determining the most suitable measures to install. It also eliminates the issue of retrofit work being considered in isolation which can unintentionally damage the overall building performance.