Comments on: ‘The Art of Retrofitting’; a tour of 3 very different Totnes homes in need of retrofitting http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:35:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Stephen Watson http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/comment-page-1/#comment-58763 Stephen Watson Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:08:30 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=1335#comment-58763 <p>Simon's two points are, I think, crucially important. So much attention gets paid to low energy new build, cob houses, timber framed and so on. These houses are often beautiful and inspiring whilst using locally sourced materials in their construction and have far lower energy inputs. Superb stuff. Sadly though (guesstimate) about 95% of the UK's population will never live in such buildings - they'll live in flats and terraced houses and THIS is where the real efforts need to be made to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions.</p> <p>Secondly, this issue of renting really needs tackling. I live in a rented home and we're doing all we can to reduce our energy and water use but we can only go so far. Here in Brighton, I've been told, over 50% of residents live in rented accommodation which means 50% of us have a whole lot of good stuff we can never do.</p> <p>I've been told that the energy performance ratings will come in for rented properties in England in October this year but haven't looked to see if that's true yet and if so, to what extent it applies. This is a serious issue for those of us who want to make far reaching changes but it's also a big issue for energy and CO2 reduction across the whole of the UK.</p> <p>Finally, we had the 'Eco Open Houses' here in Brighton and Hove in July which opened up 14 very different properties ranging from the Earthship to simple terraced houses to both inspire and show practical examples of what people could do in their own homes. It went down very well and we hope to have another next year.</p> Simon’s two points are, I think, crucially important. So much attention gets paid to low energy new build, cob houses, timber framed and so on. These houses are often beautiful and inspiring whilst using locally sourced materials in their construction and have far lower energy inputs. Superb stuff. Sadly though (guesstimate) about 95% of the UK’s population will never live in such buildings – they’ll live in flats and terraced houses and THIS is where the real efforts need to be made to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions.

Secondly, this issue of renting really needs tackling. I live in a rented home and we’re doing all we can to reduce our energy and water use but we can only go so far. Here in Brighton, I’ve been told, over 50% of residents live in rented accommodation which means 50% of us have a whole lot of good stuff we can never do.

I’ve been told that the energy performance ratings will come in for rented properties in England in October this year but haven’t looked to see if that’s true yet and if so, to what extent it applies. This is a serious issue for those of us who want to make far reaching changes but it’s also a big issue for energy and CO2 reduction across the whole of the UK.

Finally, we had the ‘Eco Open Houses’ here in Brighton and Hove in July which opened up 14 very different properties ranging from the Earthship to simple terraced houses to both inspire and show practical examples of what people could do in their own homes. It went down very well and we hope to have another next year.

]]> By: Leanne Veitch http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/comment-page-1/#comment-58568 Leanne Veitch Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:57:37 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=1335#comment-58568 <p>Thanks for a post on such an important subject. We all really need to work with local councils to get laws changed and activity happening on this rather boring but so-important issue.</p> Thanks for a post on such an important subject. We all really need to work with local councils to get laws changed and activity happening on this rather boring but so-important issue.

]]> By: andrew ramponi http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/comment-page-1/#comment-58539 andrew ramponi Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:13:18 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=1335#comment-58539 <p>Simon, rented properties in Scotland will require an energy performance certiicate from January, though only when a new tenancy is created. Its all part of an EU directive called the Energy Performance of Buildings. The rest of the UK should be following sometime soon. Theoretically this wll boost the market for more energy efficient properties, especially as energy prices get noticeably more expensive.</p> Simon, rented properties in Scotland will require an energy performance certiicate from January, though only when a new tenancy is created. Its all part of an EU directive called the Energy Performance of Buildings. The rest of the UK should be following sometime soon. Theoretically this wll boost the market for more energy efficient properties, especially as energy prices get noticeably more expensive.

]]> By: Patrick Cleary http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/comment-page-1/#comment-58531 Patrick Cleary Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:55:19 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=1335#comment-58531 <p>Andy Hunt who is sustainability officer at Trafford Council has spent two years upgrading his terraced house in Bury and has written a fascinating account of his endeavours which you can read at www.local.theoildrum.com/node/4098.</p> <p>Andy is giving a talk for Transition Town West Kirby on September 17th.</p> Andy Hunt who is sustainability officer at Trafford Council has spent two years upgrading his terraced house in Bury and has written a fascinating account of his endeavours which you can read at http://www.local.theoildrum.com/node/4098.

Andy is giving a talk for Transition Town West Kirby on September 17th.

]]> By: Jason Cole http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/comment-page-1/#comment-58530 Jason Cole Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:44:03 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=1335#comment-58530 <p>"The other option would be to insulate outside the house with a fibre board, which could be clad in timber or rendered."</p> <p>Would you do the whole wall or just the upper third? I've often seen wood cladding that just covers the top 1/3 of a wall.</p> “The other option would be to insulate outside the house with a fibre board, which could be clad in timber or rendered.”

Would you do the whole wall or just the upper third? I’ve often seen wood cladding that just covers the top 1/3 of a wall.

]]> By: Simon http://transitionculture.org/2008/07/30/the-art-of-retrofitting-a-tour-of-3-very-different-totnes-homes-in-need-of-retrofitting/comment-page-1/#comment-58522 Simon Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:02:29 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=1335#comment-58522 <p>A very interesting article - the current UK government's obsession with creating new 'flagship' projects like the so-called eco towns is very misguided. So much more benefit could be gained from making it easier & affordable for people to green their existing homes.</p> <p>One other key point that you briefly touch on in the last line, is the very limited ability tenants in rented homes have to influence their landlords. The rental market in the UK is set up to positively discourage long-term renting (one-year or even six-month contracts being the norm), so who is going to ask their landlord to spend several thousand pounds on eco-renovation when they most likely will have to move on in a few months?</p> <p>When selling a home, you now have to provide information to the buyer on the energy efficiency of the house - a similar scheme should also be introduced for rented properties (after all, it is the renters who pay the energy bills, not the landlord!).</p> A very interesting article – the current UK government’s obsession with creating new ‘flagship’ projects like the so-called eco towns is very misguided. So much more benefit could be gained from making it easier & affordable for people to green their existing homes.

One other key point that you briefly touch on in the last line, is the very limited ability tenants in rented homes have to influence their landlords. The rental market in the UK is set up to positively discourage long-term renting (one-year or even six-month contracts being the norm), so who is going to ask their landlord to spend several thousand pounds on eco-renovation when they most likely will have to move on in a few months?

When selling a home, you now have to provide information to the buyer on the energy efficiency of the house – a similar scheme should also be introduced for rented properties (after all, it is the renters who pay the energy bills, not the landlord!).

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