Sue Sheehan’s video (she is Lambeth Green Community Champions Coordinator)  has gone viral with over 10,000 views! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7HUJdxTDtA
Contact Sibylle at Community Draughtbusters sibyllemansour@gmail.com if you would like to run curtain lining workshop in your neighbourhood.

Or attend this weekend: http://projectdirt.com/events/free-curtain-lining-workshop-2?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Introduction
• The world population is estimated to grow to 9 billion by 2050 and at the moment 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean water. The pressure on our global resources will only go up. At the same time climate change will have strong impact on our living conditions here and even more so in areas with a less favourable climate.
• Energy and resource efficiency as well as renewable technologies are two ways of solving the major problems of this century. High efficiency will cut out ‘waste’ and lead from linear to cyclical models in our private and public lives as well as businesses. Nothing will be dumped and just used once. Materials will be re-cycled and re-used again and again. Higher efficiency and smarter use of materials and energy will give more people access to resources. The use of renewable technologies will open up the opportunity to develop a solar powered economy which is decentralised, independent from fossil fuels and low on emissions which cause climate change.
• The built environment contributes around 40% of all CO2 emissions in the UK and around 33% of all CO2 emissions come from housing. The government target is to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% in 2050. To be able to achieve this, our homes will have to change dramatically. There are easy wins to get the process rolling, in the mid and long term however we will have to completely rethink the way we build, renovate and run our properties.
• When refurbishing and upgrading a house the following key elements have to be taken into account: the building shell, heating, ventilation, water, lighting, materials and renewable technologies.

1. Building shell
Doors, windows and glazing
• The majority of properties in the area are Victorian and still have original sash window. Sash windows have a very distinctive style and are part of the fabric and character of the area. The technology is from the 19th century and so is the energy performance. The u-value of such a window is around 5. High performance windows have a u-value as low as 0.5.
• Draft proofing and thick curtains will lead to a reduction in energy consumption of 10% – 20% (max). Secondary glazing can lead to a reduction of 50% or potentially more depending how it is done. High performance windows will lead to a reduction of up to 80%.
• When specifying a new window, make sure the u-value of the unit (window and frame) is 1.6 or lower.
• The same applies for doors. Solid doors should have a lower u-value.
External walls, foundation and basement
• Victorian walls a constructed from 2 layers of brick and have a u-value of around 2. Through insulation you can reduce the u–value to 0.5 – 0.35.
• Insulation of 100m2 (100sq feet) of exterior wall reduces heating requirements by ca 10.000kWh, £600 per year and 2.7 – 3.3 tonnes of CO2.
When applying insulation make sure walls, foundations and ceilings are treated appropriately to avoid the build up of damp.
Roof
• Roof insulation in most cases is easily done and cost effective. Aim for a u-value of 0.35 – 0.60. If you specify roof windows, make sure they are high performance and also protect from solar gain as loft spaces can get very hot during summer months. Green roofs are very suitable for flat roofs, they are high performance and support bio diversity in urban areas.

2. Heating
• Keeping the room temperature at 19⁰C in living spaces and 15⁰C in bed rooms will in many cases reduce energy consumption by 10% or more. The use of zoned and timed thermostats and temperature controls will support this and lead to further reduction.
• Condensing boilers are 20 – 25 % more energy efficient than previous models. Gas boilers can be combined with solar thermal for hot water. Fire places and chimneys literally suck the heat out of buildings. Closed and energy efficient solutions are now available. Wood burners (logs, pellets etc) are considered CO2 neutral.
• Of all fossil fuels, gas causes the least CO2 emissions, 40% less than coal and 25% less than oil.

3. Ventilation
• High levels of insulation lead to different ventilation requirements.
• If you insulate your building well and you rely on natural ventilation, turn down the heating and open the windows for half an hour every day.
• Mechanical and exhaust air systems are required for kitchens and bathrooms. They will help to prevent the build up of smells and damp.
• Single and ducted heat exchange units are available. Single units can be used as extractors for kitchens and bathrooms. Ducted heat exchangers are an option when a building is completely refurbished. They exchange the air and keep the heat in the building.

4. Water
• Water is a scarce resource also in many parts of Europe and the UK and it should be managed carefully.
• Of the 110 – 125 litres of water we use every day on average 45 litres we use for bathing and washing ourselves. 30 litres are needed to flush the toilet. The rest of the water we consume for clothes and dish washing, food preparation, cleaning and other activities.
• A good hand shower uses 9 – 12 litres per minute and a tap 6 – 9 litre per minute. Don’t let water run when you don’t need to.
• If you want to make a bigger investment heat recovery, grey water and rain water harvesting systems are available.
• Make sure you buy A rated appliances and don’t run them half empty.

5. Lighting and appliances
• If you want to reduce your energy consumption for lighting and appliances, simply switch off what you don’t need and switch on dish washers and washing machines only when they are full. Each household on average spends £40 per year on stand-by. Switch off completely and unplug when possible.
• The Council provides smart meters you can get from the library. After a couple of weeks you will easily find out which appliances in your house require the most energy and you can introduce changes.
• When buying appliances make to they are A rated.
• Energy saving light bulbs and LED systems reduce energy consumption by 75% and very attractive solutions are coming to market.

6. Materials
Materials and their quality have a big impact on our well being. Besides the aesthetic qualities, aspects such as manufacturing processes, transportation, lifespan and the possibility of re-use and re-cycling should be taken into account when specifying materials.

7. Renewables
• Each year the sun delivers 15,000 times more energy than is needed and consumed by the population of our planet. Solar energy is stored in the sea, in lakes and streams, in the land surface and in all plants. It is there to be released over time. The sun has a direct impact on sea tides and winds. Our economies can be solar powered.
• The key technologies available at the moment are: solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, passive solar, wind, bio mass, heat pumps (air, water, ground), combined heat and poser (CHP), fuel cells, absorption chillers, air-earth heat exchangers, energy storage.

Summary
We are still in the early stages of the development of a low carbon economy. Reductions of energy consumption and CO2 emissions of 10% – 20% in our homes can easily be achieved through basic insulation, the purchase of energy efficient light bulbs and appliances and some behaviour changes. If we want to achieve reduction of 50% or more, we will have to make real step change and embrace innovation and new technologies in the energy and building sector.
For more information please also the www.thequietriot.com . Under ‘spaces’ you will find much more information on buildings.

Martin Hoenle works as a consultant in energy management, design and project management. For more information and advice please contact Martin under martin@mhaus.eu or 07814-82 99 12.