A 1930s-specification house built in 2008 has just undergone 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 CO targets for all new housing.
The results of this research will be relevant to millions of householders across Britain as millions of similar homes were built – many of them classic semi-detached houses.
The University of Nottingham had to seek special planning permission to build the house to 1930s specification. Under phase one of the transformation, the instant old-style house was fitted with cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, draft-proofing and double-glazing, together with a host of other energy-saving devices and equipment.
It’s the kind of upgrade that many families have spent money on in an attempt to reduce fuel bills and generally make their homes more comfortable.
The three-year research project is being led by experts from the School of the Built Environment at Nottingham, together with energy firm E.ON.
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.
To add to the realism, for the last eight/nine months, Changhong Zhan, a research fellow at the university, and his family have been living there while researchers monitored their energy consumption and the building’s energy loss.