Monthly Archives: January 2012

South East Local Groups’ Site Visit to Chichester Barn Conversion on Saturday 18th February

Posted on January 27, 2012 by debbie

The South East Local Group has organised for members to visit the site of Chilgrove Farm Barn, Chilgrove, Chichester, PO18 9HU
(NB map link is to postcode area)

AECB members, Ecotecture, have been involved in the conversion of Chilgrove Farm Barn (a redundant corn barn) into a new a super low energy office conversion.  Adapting existing planning approval, the aim was to achieve – from the old pre-cast concrete structure – a low energy office conversion based on Passivhaus principles.

The project utilises an existing concrete Atcost frame, which has been retained within the building envelope. The project utilises super efficient heat recovery and ventilation system and a large 30kw photovoltaic array.  The building will be delivered as an A on the EPC rating.

The property is currently a building site, so site boots and hard hats are a must!

We are also extending this invitation to RIBA members, and will be contacting the South East Branch to advertise the event.

See http://www.ecotecture.co.uk/index.php/portfolio/chilgrove-farm-barn/

Saturday 18th February 2012 at 1.00 p.m.

RSVP and for more information contact debbie@aecb.net

 

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Local Group Map

Posted on January 24, 2012 by debbie

Local Group events are available to all members of the AECB  in a growing number of venues throughout the country.

These meetings, or ‘mini conventions’, not only provide a forum for discussions with leading experts, but also offer opportunities for networking and a meeting place for socialising with likeminded people.

What is a Local Group?  Groups of AECB members organise events related to the aims of the AECB and, in keeping with the ethos of the Association, these are run by their members as independent, not for profit groups. Although run autonomously, their focus remains on sustainable building and all meetings are open to all AECB members.

The AECB Local Groups are based in various parts of the country but also hold meetings outside their areas.  If you have an interesting project – or know of one -  or would like to know more about Local Group Activities, contact debbie@aecb.net

Click the map to see a larger image.

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AECB Local Group visit Passivhaus under construction in Ledbury on 8th February 2012

Posted on January 24, 2012 by debbie

AECB member, Ruth Busbridge, has invited the Gloucester Worcestershire & Herefordshire Local Group to visit the site of her new house in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Ruth has chosen AECB members for  construction of this 3-bedroom house, which is still in the process of being built – the windows are in and the plastering will be in progress!

The contractor, Mike Whitfield Construction of Hereford, specialises in energy efficient and ecologically sound construction.  See http://www.aecb.net/profile/mikewhitfield/?page=About

The architectural practice involved with the project are CTT Sustainable Architects (the new name of Cotterell Thomas & Thomas LLP) and you can find out more about them on their website http://www.cttsustainablearchitect.co.uk

Time and Date:  6.30 pm on Wednesday 8th February 2012
RSVP and directions from debbie@aecb.net

There will light snacks, so please bring a donation of £3

 

RSVP and directions from debbie@aecb.net
(NB link to google maps gets you to Ledbury town centre and not the house)

 

 

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AECB formal response to the Green Deal Consultation

Posted on January 20, 2012 by emma

The AECB has now sent a  formal response to the DECC on the Green Deal and ECO consultation. Please view our response here - Consultation on the Green Deal letter to DECC

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The Kent Local Group Renewable Energy Update 21st February 2012

Posted on January 16, 2012 by debbie

Renewable Energy Update 

21st February, 6-8 pm, Canterbury

Lastest developments in PV, solar, PVT, wind, heat pumps and biomass.  Feed in tariffs, renewable heat incentive and grants.

Free event to be held at Westgate Community Hall, Westgate Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BT – bar will be open.

 

 

Post meeting feedback . . . .

It was a great seminar on Renewables, with  3 local experienced renewable installers, covering wind, solar PV, solar thermal, heat pumps and biomass, the latest on FITS and RHI.  About 40 people attended with 50% non members making this the best attended event ever run by the Kent Group.

NB The Water, Waste, Wetlands event originally planned for 30th March is now happening in April – see separate post

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FiT and ECO are never going to solve fuel poverty

Posted on January 13, 2012 by emma

Journalist and AECB contributor Kate de Selincourt shares her personal view that energy supplier schemes like the Feed-in Tariff and the new Energy Company Obligation make the fuel poor poorer, which is no way to tackle fuel poverty! Instead, she … Continue reading →

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Parsons + Whittley Architects receive Passivhaus Certification for Hastoe Housing Scheme

Posted on January 12, 2012 by emma

AECB Members, Parsons + Whittley Architects are really pleased to have received Passivhaus Certification for all 14 units at the Hastoe Housing scheme in Wimbish, Essex. The scheme was completed in June 2010 and the occupants are already reporting incredibly low energy bills. Reported gas bills of £30 for the first 6 months of space heating and domestic hot water are a testament to the energy performance of the houses. The Passivhaus Certification arrived in December following submission of all the as-built data to the Passivhaus Institute in Germany by the project’s sustainability consultants, Inbuilt.

Chris Parsons said “We used a number of publications to guide us in the preparation of the details for the construction, and one of the most helpful was the AECB CarbonLite Passivhaus/Gold Standard advice document which assisted with several design decisions.”

“We are really pleased to have received recognition for all the hard work put in to designing and detailing these houses. Passivhaus is a challenge for UK construction but the emphasis on quality means that these houses aren’t just energy efficient, they are comfortable, well-built, quality homes. We are already on site with another 14 unit Passivhaus scheme at Ditchingham in Norfolk and we have a number of other Passivhaus schemes under development. This is not just an exemplar; this is the first step on the way to making the methodology a mainstream option for those wanting comfortable living environments with low fuel bills”.

For more information about Parsons + Whittley Architects, please go to www.parsonswhittley.co.uk

For more information on the AECB CarbonLite Programme please click here

 

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Ecology Building Society relaunch website

Posted on January 12, 2012 by emma

Ecology Building Society are pleased to announce the relaunch of their website at www.ecology.co.uk.  The website has a completely new look, more information about their range of products available, values, stories from savers and borrowers, and links to useful resources for living more sustainably.  The website is intended to give more of a flavour of their work and their members.

The website includes a link to the AECB in their partners section. The new blog and e-newsletter will mean that Ecology Building Society will be able to share news from their partners on a regular basis.

Ecology Building Society would welcome any feedback on their new look.

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Milton Keynes Group Talk on 16th January on Heat and Moisure Movement in Solid Walls

Posted on January 11, 2012 by debbie

Dan Browne has agreed to talk to the Milton Keynes on Monday 16th January on hygrothermal analysis of solid walls! (heat and moisture movement).

Dan has recently carried out some interesting research with SPAB on heat and moisture movement through the solid walls, brick, cob and stone, where actual in situ U-values can vary greatly from those calculated using single state BR443 models. Dan has modelled these also with the dynamic modelling software – WUFI, and will explain his findings.

The venue is as usual – the function room at the New Inn, New Bradwell, Milton Keynes, 7:30 for 8pm.

The February meeting will be on Monday 20th February – speaker to be announced shortly.

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A consultation on the proposed changes to the Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)

Posted on January 7, 2012 by emma

The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is used to assess the energy performance of dwellings and thereby helps deliver many of Government’s energy and environmental policy objectives.

A consultation is being undertaken on proposed changes to SAP to make a revised version of the methodology (SAP 2012), which is anticipated to come into operation in 2013.

There are a number of documents that form a part of this SAP consultation.  The key one is the revised SAP specification but there are also some technical documents that provide details of the reasoning behind the main changes.  All of these documents can be accessed at http://www.bre.co.uk/sap2012

Comments are invited and should be sent to sap2012@bre.co.uk not later than 28 March 2012.

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