1930s Home Goes Green

A 1930s house built in 2008 is about to undergo the first of three energy efficiency upgrades which will ultimately convert an energy inefficient house into a zero carbon home designed to meet the Government’s 2016 CO₂ targets for all new housing. The results of this research will be relevant to millions of householders across the UK.

The University of Nottingham had to seek special planning permission to build the house to 1930s specification. Over the next two weeks it will be upgraded with cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, draft proofing and double glazing together with a host of other energy saving devices and equipment.

The three year research project is being led by experts from the School of the Built Environment together with the energy firm E.ON.Dr Mark Gillott, who is leading the research, said: “The house provides us with a unique test facility to measure the exact cost benefit, energy efficiency and carbon reduction figures achieved through the various upgrade measures we are implementing over the next two weeks — valuable information when deciding on which of the many energy efficiency measures are the most cost effective.”

The 1930s semi is an icon of its age. Three million were built and they are still a major part of our current housing stock.

The E.ON 2016 House is the most comprehensive ‘big brother’ study of its kind. This 1930s style house bristles with more than 100 sensors to monitor energy use, temperature and humidity, making it one of the most sophisticated research houses in the world.

Read more . . .

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Tags: carbon reduction, efficiency upgrades, energy efficiency measures, energy firm, energy saving devices, energy use, humidity, Innovation, research houses, sensors, sophisticated research, test facility

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 16th, 2009 at 12:07 pm and is filed under Innovation, Project Energy, Science Digest / Science Daily, environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.