Forum Replies Created
- AuthorPosts
Maria
Velfac were showing some windows at Ecobuild which are higher spec than 200 with the same style frame – I'm not sure if they were '200i' or Helo. They don't seem to be on the website yet, but I think they were available to order, or will be soon – I'm not planning to build for a couple of years so it wasn't material for me! I'm pretty sure they were doing sliding doors, as that is what I was looking for.
I also liked the look of Rationel's Auraplus windows – I can't see the U values on their info, but I remember I was impressed. Don't know if they do sliding doors.Mark
It was a BRE speaker, and as far as I remember, he said that the same data sets that have been available for £350, were now going to be free! However, I've just been looking on their website and can't find any reference to them, either free or paid for. It would be worth a phone call, but the relevant desk is closed now, and I'll be busy on my day job tomorrow. Could you let me know if you have any luck with them?
I think there is a data set for each of a number of fairly large areas, but it would have to be better than just five options on PHPP. I'm looking at Hereford, which is pretty much mid way between London and Birmingham in latitude; London gives me 16.5kWh/(m2a) and Birmingham 22.5!I understand from a BRE speaker at Ecobuild that there climate data for PHPP is now available for free, or will be soon.
Thanks, Mark
It sounds as if your reasons for going along the basement route are much more decisive than ours.
We'll go on weighing it in the balance.
ClaireMark
We'll definitely consult in good time, though we've still got three and a half years till estimated time to start building! There are still some major design questions undecided; I'm waiting for my copy of PHPP to arrive to try my hand at playing around with the options. The basement would be rather a luxury and probably make the house a bit larger than we had originally intended, as well as being costly. It would help get the figures into PH range, but we're not dead set on certification anyway.
What are the main advantages of the basement for your design?
ClaireThanks very much, Mark. It sounds as if we might get away without it, as we definitely wouldn't be setting it up to be a sleeping area, just utility, laundry, storage, maybe workshop type functions. Though they could perhaps argue that later occupants could change that, I think it would be unlikely with so little daylight.
We'll have to discuss with building control if we decide to go ahead with the basement.
ClaireDo all basements need a separate exit? The design I'm playing with at the moment has a half flight of stairs up to the main entrance hall, but this is also the stairwell going up to the rest of the house, so I suppose a fire could spread down and block the way out. Would an escape window be acceptable? I hadn't planned an external window in, and was thinking about a big glass panel in the floor above at one end and light coming down the stairwell at the other.
Thanks
ClaireAccording to the BRE document above, there doesn't actually need to be a habitable room; if it's at last 2m high, and inside the thermal envelope, and then it's counted at 60%.
9 November 2010 at 9:18 am in reply to: Using thermally massive elements as internal solar shading #37620Mark
Yes, we are using PHPP. It's currently showing about 17 kWh/m2a on a preliminary rough figures, and we're working out how we can modify the design to improve this without losing the things we like about it.
I didn't think PHPP would take account of the position of the thermal mass?
The shading of the window is a slightly different issue which our architect has raised and I wondered if using the staircase might help, even if PHPP wouldn't recognise it.
Thanks
ClaireDon't worry, Nick, I'm not offended. I thought from your mention of non-compact form and too much glazing that you might have already made the connection. I guess I'm not alone in having those issues!
ClaireThanks, Kara. That makes it very clear. We're still undecided about what kind if heating we would use – I like the idea of the electric air heating, but judging by one of the other threads I was reading, it seems rather controversial here!
Nick
Yes, that's what I meant by 'morally dubious'. I'm just trying to think around any options that don't compromise the things we particularly like about the design (which you've probably recognised as you're PHPP consulting on it!) We're not too bothered about certification, but do want very low energy use.
I was interested in this thread for the question about how storage/utility basement space should be counted, at 60% or 100% – sounds as if it would be difficult to know, but as you say, that may be beside the point.
In real life, rather than PHPP, does it make a difference if rooms are kept shut most of the time? If they don't have a heat source, then they would only be warmed by the recovered heat in the MVHR air input. So perhaps closed storage rooms or unoccupied guest rooms would naturally stay a bit cooler and contribute less to the heating demand?
Claire- AuthorPosts
