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Work begins on our passivhaus refurb
After months of modelling, planning and problem solving work began on our Retrofit for the Future PassivHaus refurb on 11th November. During the first week we encountered some unwelcome surprises including asbestos, uneven foundations, and delays to reroute electricity cables.
The aim of the project is to test a whole-house refurbishment system to reduce CO2 emissions from these houses by at least 80%, in line with UK Government targets for the domestic housing sector. The project is funded by the Technology Strategy Board, North Devon Homes, Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund and in kind support from partners and suppliers, which will be named in due course.
The two semi detached houses are owned by North Devon Homes and were built in the 1930s, the walls are solid concrete poured on site. We are going to wrap the whole structure with Warmcel insulation in a new timber frame, the floor will be dug out and a new slab laid to incorporate insulation. The windows and doors will be replaced with triple glazed PassivHaus standard windows. What little heat the tenants will need will be provided by a small wood pellet boiler connected to both houses. There will also be high efficiency mechanical ventilation with heat recovery because the houses will be extremely air tight.
More information can be found on the project pages and on the blog.