Energy efficiency

Dear All,

Just a quick note to say that Anna and I are keen to get a draft-busting project running soon (as well as several other projects!)

Whilst it's true that draft-busting isn't particularly sexy or ground-breaking it does significantly reduce heat loss from old buildings and it is also very apt for a community organisation.  It should also be quite an easy "first project" to demonstrate that Peckham Power actually does stuff!  The proposal is that we'd copy Hyde Farm Carbon Action Network's excellent "Draft Busting Saturdays".  I'll briefly describe the "Draft Busting Saturday":

The event is held about once a month.  Each event is held at a different home.  Demonstrations are run in the house (e.g. "how to attach draft proofing to a sash window" or "how to draft proof a front door").  Materials are sold in handy kits.   Printed instructions are displayed.  People eat cake and drink tea.  The events are advertised through email, the web and by leaflet-dropping the local streets.  Large, friendly signs are displayed outside the location.  Several volunteers are on hand to help out with the cash flow and packaging of the materials.

The materials are sourced directly from the supplier (GTi insulations) and the supplier also ran some training for a small number of people from Hyde Farm CAN.  The matterials are of a higher quality than can be found in most large DIY shops and are supplied at a lower cost.

At the moment, I'm about to contact GTi to ask about the training sessions.

Please do let me know if you have any ideas about the Draft Busting project or if you'd like to help out with the organising.

Thanks,

Jack

The Energy Efficiency group had our second meeting on Thursday 12.03.09.  At that meeting, Hal-Luke made a persuasive argument that Peckham Power should get involved in the business of Infrared Thermography.  What is Infrared Thermography?  It's the use of a camera which can see infrared radiation and hence can quickly determine where heat is leaking from a property.  Here is a photo from WikiPedia showing a normal house in the background and a Passivhaus in the foreground:

Hal-Luke's idea is that Peckham Power should ask Southwark Council for the funds to buy an IR camera so that Southwark can commission Peckham Power to undertake IR surveys of social housing stock.  The performance of housing stock which has been insulated (e.g. with cavity wall insulation or with solid-wall insulation) can be checked with the IR images and if the insulation proves to be faulty then claims can be made against the guarantees supplied with the installation.  There is evidence that many insulation installations do not perform as well as they are supposed to (e.g. large gaps in cavity fills).  With luck, the IR images will help to ensure that all the insulation installed in the borough performs well, hence reducing energy consumption and improving comfort for occupiers.

Is IR Thermography a suitable project for Peckham Power to take on?  Are there lower hanging fruit (e.g. draft-proofing) that we should address first?  Is IR Thermography sufficiently community orientated for Peckham Power?  Voice your opinion in this forum thread!

Dear all,

I have just been reminded that CGS programme applications close tomorrow!  Sorry to be so badly behind the curve with this.  Too many balls in the air as usual. 

It would be great to have at least one PP- supported scheme in this round.  Applications must relate to capital projects with community benefit, and a realistic budget for an individual application is generally around the £10-15k mark. 

The web link is http://www.southwark.gov.uk/cleanergreenersafer .
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Hi,

I wondered if I could pick your brains for a moment on solid wall insulation…  It would be good to have a ball park figure for internal and / or external measures.  Energy Saving Trust estimate £42 per m² for internal, but I think they are looking at the cheapest end of the market.  We’d probably want something higher spec.

Thanks,
Jessica

Dear Peckham Power folks,
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Very interesting (and brief) blog post.  It concisely illustrates the magnitude of the challenge of reducing emissions associated with existing housing stock:
 
http://carbonlimited.org/2009/02/02/climate-act-requires-all-homes-built-after-1917-to-go-zero-carbon/
 
Here's the important graph from the blog post:

OK. Here's something worth exploring. If you have a solid wall house and have minimised draughts as much as possible, installed double (or secondary glazing), radiator panels and keep the doors to rooms closed...how much heat can you retain in the house? What would change if you used insulating paint? Oh and have you sealed your floorboards...and if you do all this, how does the house breathe? And of course - a relative concept - how cold is cold?Read the rest of this post

I’d be interested to know what kind of insulation measures you are looking at for solid walled houses. There are a range of products on the market, of different levels of effectiveness and cost. Unfortunately, treating this type of wall is much more difficult than injecting insulation into an un-insulated cavity wall. Interior insulation is going to require re-decoration and likely loss of internal area; exterior insulation is highly costly, requires scaffolding and isn’t suitable in conservation areas for example.Read the rest of this post

Dear All,

I met up recently with Jo Pickett-Baker from Homes Going Green [Southwark FoE] to discuss whether we could make secondary glazing [which Jo and her husband, both professional model makers, have already done, and which they recommended as part of the Homes Going Green project]. I don't want to tread on the energy efficiency group's toes, but I'd like to explain one possible set of activities for the DIY-inclined that is worth considering.