scholarly journals Retrofit modelling of existing dwellings in the UK: the Salford Energy House case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingchun Ji ◽  
Angela Lee ◽  
William Swan
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
The Uk

Purpose There is a clear consensus that improving energy efficiency of existing housing stock is necessary to meet the UK’s legally binding carbon emission targets by 2050. The purpose of this paper is to assess the energy saving potentials from building retrofit using an end-terrace house, similar houses represent about 30 per cent of the existing building stock in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The Salford Energy House – a unique pre-1919 Victorian end-terrace house built within an environmental chamber – was used. Retrofit modelling analysis was carried out using IESVE – a dynamic thermal simulation tool. The retrofitted model was also evaluated using future projected climate data (CIBSE latest release) to examine energy demands and overheating. Findings Findings show that improving building fabric thermal characteristics can reduce space heating demands substantially. Heating modes, set point preferences and infiltration level all have strong impact on heating demands. Space heating demand savings can be as much as 77 per cent when the property facades were upgraded to the similar requirements of Passivhaus standards. The research implicates that, for dwelling retrofit practices, a whole house holistic approach should be the preferred option to improve energy efficiency. With future climate scenarios where temperatures are potentially elevated, the heating demands can be potentially reduced as much as 27 per cent. Practical implications The likelihood of overheating in dwellings after a deep retrofit due to future elevated temperatures becomes apparent. Therefore, mitigation of overheating risk becomes a necessity for future domestic housing stock retrofit planning and policy making. Originality/value The research presented in this paper highlights the effectiveness of various retrofit measures individually as well as holistically, also the implications on energy demands and the likelihood of overheating in dwellings under future climate scenarios.

Minimum energy efficiency – is the energy performance certificate a suitable foundation?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Organ
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Rental Sector ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Efficiency Standard ◽  
The Uk

PurposeClimate change is one of the most significant challenges of our time. The existing housing stock is a crucial component in achieving international and national climate change targets through energy efficiency improvements. The private rental sector incorporates some of the worst performing housing. To address this, the UK has implemented the minimum energy efficiency standard, based on the energy performance certificate rating. However, the energy performance certificate has a number of criticisms in the UK and across the EU. This viewpoints paper discusses the primary criticisms of the EPC and whether these undermine the minimum energy efficiency standard.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint paper draws on the recent work across academic, government and professional literature to develop a critique of the energy performance certificate and its underlying methodology as a basis on which to form the minimum energy efficiency standard.FindingsThe paper concludes that based on the current form of the energy performance certificate in the UK, the minimum energy efficiency standard is likely to unfairly advantage some landlords and penalise others. This has implications for landlords, tenants and the wider housing stock.Originality/valueThis paper presents a discussion of the new minimum energy efficiency standard based on the limitations of the energy performance certificate. It has implications for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in the private rental sector.

scholarly journals 100 Unintended consequences of policies to improve the energy efficiency of the UK housing stock

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Shrubsole ◽  
A. Macmillan ◽  
M. Davies ◽  
N. May
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Sustainable built asset management performance indicators and attributes

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 508-522
Author(s):  
Justine Cooper ◽  
Angela Lee ◽  
Keith Jones
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Maintenance Work ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThis paper aims to identify key performance indicators (KPIs), and their corresponding attributes, required to successfully manage asset management sustainably in a built environment context. Improving the sustainability of existing housing stock is a major challenge facing the UK social housing sector. There is a lack of support to navigate the growing and often incongruent information relating to sustainable development and how to operationalise it. The problem is twofold; first, the current (single criterion) condition-based approach to maintenance planning constrains asset managers and does not fully address the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability. Second, the toolkits available for assessing the sustainability of housing are often generic and are time consuming and expensive to implement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports the findings of a participatory research project with a leading London-based housing association, using a series of landlord and tenant workshops to derive a set of attributes associated with KPIs to fully reflect the local requirements of the landlord and their interpretation of the sustainability agenda. Five KPIs are considered to be measurable, directly affected by maintenance work and independent of each other were identified by this landlord (comfort, running costs, adaptability, maintenance costs and community).FindingsThe resulting outputs, in a policy context, will provide a clear route map to social housing landlords of how to improve the sustainability of their housing stock with the additional benefits of addressing fuel poverty and carbon emission targets, whilst at the same time, help create and maintain housing in which people want to live.Originality/valueThe proposed approach is flexible enough to incorporate the individual requirements of landlords and be able to adapt to changes in government policy (local and central) in a timely, robust, transparent and inclusive format.

Property valuation in the UK: energy efficiency legislation and its impact on valuation

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick French ◽  
Jason Antill
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Valuation Task ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Value Changes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rental Value

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into how the new energy efficiency legislation in the UK is impacting upon the valuation of certain properties. This paper looks at how to adapt implicit valuation models to reflect the new risks of the impact of legislation. Design/methodology/approach This practice briefing is an overview of the new legislation and comments on the appropriateness of valuation models in different scenarios. Findings This paper analyses the likelihood of capital and rental value changes under the new energy efficiency guidelines. Practical implications The role of the valuer in practice is to identify the impact of the new legislation on the value of the subject property and choose the correct model for the valuation task in hand. Originality/value This provides guidance on how valuations can be undertaken to reflect any impact of the new energy efficiency legislation.

UK government moves to cut energy wastage and bills

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

Subject UK government energy efficiency initiative Significance The government had previously cooled towards environmental protection measures, but it has now introduced rules that oblige landlords to improve energy efficiency in the rented buildings sector. The initiative comes as household energy bills remain high, despite recent reductions in energy prices, and the political salience of energy affordability has risen. Fuel poverty and the potential of improved energy efficiency to mitigate it are issues across much of the EU. Impacts The government's initiative may encounter implementation difficulties, particularly if the new rules are not given a high public profile. High retail energy prices will keep energy affordability as a politically salient issue, in the UK and EU. The current slump in international oil prices has yet to feed fully into sustained reductions in retail gas and electricity prices. A drop in retail energy prices could blunt the momentum behind policies to improve energy efficiency, and revive energy demand.

The design and value of “early adopter” low-energy houses

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-272
Author(s):  
Maria Burke
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Early Adopter ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Council ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline an early adopter “low energy” domestic dwelling, one of the social houses built by a collaboration between a university, the local council. The origins of this project are from the early days of interest in sustainable housing, the 1970s. The dwellings were innovative and built to what became known as “the Salford design” which performed to unusual specifications, using approximately 75 per cent less energy than the UK average for space heating and over 40 per cent less than for houses built to what were then the standard building regulations. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative and interpretative stance was deemed to be the most appropriate. Within that lens, interviews were chosen as the primary research instrument. Findings A marked feature of the results is the variation in energy consumption by different households. A Salford-designed house could be habitable throughout the year without any space heating at all, comfortable at 10 per cent and very comfortable at 25 per cent of normal consumption. Originality/value As there continues to be interest and commitment to reducing energy – not just from the United Kingdom but also on a worldwide scale – the United Nations Conference of the Parties known as COP 22 (2016) met in Morocco to take forward many of the initiatives outlined in the Paris Agreement 2015. It is of interest, then, that the latest set of interviews showed that the houses built to the innovative and original 1970s’ Salford design principles, protected by highly insulated well-sealed envelopes, are even presently functioning at a relatively low energy threshold.

Property valuation in UK: climate change targets and the value of UK investment properties – a change in sea level[1]

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-482
Author(s):  
Nick French
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Capital ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Value Changes ◽  
Energy Efficiency Standards ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Rental Value

PurposeThe UK government, in late 2019, announced new proposed targets for the energy efficiency legislation in the UK, MEES – Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. The current suggestion is that all let properties, commercial or residential, need to be B rated by 2030. If this is implemented, it will have a significant impact upon the UK market property investment market.Design/methodology/approachThis practice briefing is an overview of the 2018 legislation and comments on how market awareness has changed since its introduction and the potential impact upon prices of affected properties moving forwardFindingsThis paper discusses how capital and rental values are beginning to be discounted in the market to allow for current and future liabilities under the MEES legislation. This has a significant impact on strategies for property investment.Practical implicationsThis paper analyses the likelihood of (negative) capital and rental value changes under the proposed stricter energy efficiency guidelines.Originality/valueThis provides guidance on how valuations can be undertaken to reflect any impact of the likely changes to UK energy efficiency legislation.

Modelling energy retrofit investments in the UK housing market

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Adan ◽  
Franz Fuerst
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Housing Market ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Property Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Energy Retrofit ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – Improving the energy efficiency of the existing residential building stock has been identified as a key policy aim in many countries. The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on investment decisions in domestic energy efficiency and presents a model that is both grounded in microeconomic theory and empirically tractable. Design/methodology/approach – This study develops a modified and extended version of an existing microeconomic model to embed the retrofit investment decision in a residential property market context, taking into account tenants’ willingness to pay and cost-reducing synergies. A simple empirical test of the link between energy efficiency measures and housing market dynamics is then conducted. Findings – The empirical data analysis for England indicates that where house prices are low, energy efficiency measures tend to increase the value of a house more in relative terms compared to higher-priced regions. Second, where housing markets are tight, landlords and sellers will be successful even without investing in energy efficiency measures. Third, where wages and incomes are low, the potential gains from energy savings make up a larger proportion of those incomes compared to more affluent regions. This, in turn, acts as a further incentive for an energy retrofit. Finally, the UK government has been operating a subsidy scheme which allows all households below a certain income threshold to have certain energy efficiency measures carried out for free. In regions, where a larger proportion of households are eligible for these subsidies,the authors also expect a larger uptake. Originality/value – While the financial metrics of retrofit measures are by now well understood, most of the existing studies tend to view these investments in isolation, not as part of a larger bundle of considerations by landlords and owners of how energy retrofits might influence a property’s rent, price and appreciation rate. In this paper, the authors argue that establishing this link is crucial for a better understanding of the retrofit investment decision.

scholarly journals Constructive Retrofit Guidelines for Social Housing Buildings in Beira Interior Region, Portugal, for Actual and Future Climate Scenarios

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Brandão ◽  
João Lanzinha
Keyword(s):  
Social Housing ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Climate Scenario ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Zone Model ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Interior Region ◽  
The Impact

An important part of the Portuguese social housing building stock is unappropriated regarding the actual regulation and resident’s comfort requirements, which are expected to increase due to the impact of climate change. Beira Interior region in Portugal is one of the fewest Portuguese zones that presents both winter and summer most severe scenarios in many places. Future climate scenario projections for this region indicate more aggressive summer seasons, with the occurrence of heat waves becoming more significant, while winter seasons are expected to maintain a rigorous profile. The present article, which reflects the work still in progress, presents the development of a proper methodology for social housing retrofit in Beira Interior region for present and projected climate scenarios under Portuguese realistic cooling/heating habits of occupants. It focuses on monitoring internal temperatures in order to understand actual dwellings performance considering occupant behaviour, along with the construction of a dynamical multi-zone model for dynamical thermal simulations. Comparing the results with appropriate thermal comfort standards, proper retrofit measures will be identified and tested. Therefore, it is aimed the accomplishment of constructive retrofit guidelines, which are expected to be valuable tools for stakeholders interested in the retrofit of the Portuguese social housing stock.

scholarly journals A method for estimating scheduled and manual override heating behaviour and settings from measurements in low energy UK homes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adorkor Bruce-Konuah ◽  
Rory V. Jones ◽  
Alba Fuertes
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Alternative Method ◽  
Heating Duration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a methodology for estimating scheduled and manual override heating events and heating settings from indoor air temperature and gas use measurements in UK homes.Design/methodology/approachLiving room air temperature and gas use data were measured in ten UK homes built to low energy standards. The temperature measurements are used to establish whether the central heating system is turned on or off and to estimate the heating setpoint used. The estimated heating periods are verified using the homes' average daily gas consumption profiles.FindingsUsing this method, the average number of heating periods per day was 2.2 (SD = 0.8) on weekdays and 2.7 (SD = 0.5) on weekends. The weekday mean heating duration was 8.8 h and for weekends, it was 9.8 h. Manual overrides of the settings occurred in all the dwellings and added an average of 2.4 h and 1.5 h to the heating duration on weekdays and weekends respectively. The mean estimated setpoint temperatures were 21.2 and 21.4°C on weekdays and weekends respectively.Research limitations/implicationsManual overrides of heating behaviours have only previously been assessed by questionnaire survey. This paper demonstrates an alternative method to identifying these manual override events and responds to a key gap in the current body of research that little is currently reported on the frequency and duration of manual heating overrides in UK homes.Practical implicationsThe results could be used to better inform the assumptions of space heating behaviour used in energy models in order to more accurately predict the space heating energy demands of dwellings.Originality/valueManual overrides of heating behaviours have only previously been assessed by questionnaire survey. This paper demonstrates an alternative method to identifying these manual override events and responds to a key gap in the current body of research that little is currently reported on the frequency and duration of manual heating overrides in UK homes.

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