Assessing overall energy efficiency - Pre Build

Quack13

We’re starting to build our house soon (month or so) and are still unsure as to which type of heating system we are going to install.
Although a bigger issue for me is the overall energy efficiency of the house and how the different factors will work together as a whole.

At the moment we are looking at implementing the following:

- HRV
- Air Tightness
- UFH
- Extra insulation
- South facing back of house, lots of Glazing
- Initially designed as a block build – although currently looking into the possibility of timberframe or ICF


I really am totally new to all this building stuff and am learning as I go. This forum has proved invaluable for information so far and we have also been speaking to friends/family about their experiences.

My question however is this:
is there someone I can speak to at this pre-build stage, show them our plans, outlay our wants and needs re: energy efficiency and what we have planned for the house, and get them to assess the best approach for this particular build as a ‘package’.
By ‘package’ I mean looking at all the factors above (HRV, UFH etc) and finding out if they will work efficiently as a unit in our particular build, are they all necessary or perhaps even a different course of action is required.

I’m just getting a little wary at this point as the realisation kicks in that we’re going to be spending a LOT of money on this area of the build and I find myself second guessing a lot of these solutions and pulling bits and pieces from friends, threads on here etc..when the reality is I know next to nothing about the whole subject.

So to ensure I am getting value for money and am not wasteful, I think I might need to call on the services of an expert.

Who I would need to speak to about something like this…would it be an ‘energy consultant’?

Can anyone recommend anyone who does this?
Does anyone know much something like this would usually cost?

If anyone on here has a great knowledge in this area and fancies a look at our plans, feel free to make some suggestions. Drop me a PM!

Thanks,

Q

sinnerboy

Locate an SEI BER assessor

http://193.178.2.42/SearchAssessors.aspx

Charges vary . Don't select on price alone - ensure you BER assessor is also an experience construction professional

sydthebeat

+ 1 ON SINNERBOYS ADVICE.

make sure they have a good relevant construction background such as architecture and architectural technology. You are looking for advice as to building technology so dont use an estate agent or mechanical engineer.

JerryQ

I'm starting a build pretty soon and have run into the same issues. Luckily, a friend of mine is in the middle of his build and he's put a lot of research in..
He's put in some extra items that were surprisingly cheap, but would affect your choice of build:
concrete floors upstairs
industrial insulation on roof

The floors are fantastic - no noise, very solid - but means you'll need block construction.
The roof insulation is also fantastic - same stuff as you see on commercial warehouses - so quite cheap. Comes in large sheets (metal/insualtion/metal) that butt up against each other on top of the roof beams (i.e. the slates go straight on to the insulation). He's used steel for the roof beams - pre-welded and lifted into place by crane - entire roof (beams and sheets of insulation took just 3 days!)


After that - from my own experience with an extension:
fill the cavity with beads
put 25mm insulated plasterboard on the inside
put in a HVAC system for ventilation (recovers outgoing heat from the air); also, for me, works well as I've got a timber stove and a pellet stove, (would only ever use one of them depending on whether I want to bring in logs), neither of which is connected to the central heating - HVAC system distributes the heat thru the house.

Quack13

I wasn't fully sure if BER assessors could do full assessments like this pre-build. (Excuse my ignorance )
Do all BER assessors do this as standard?

Thanks a lot for the link, very helpful!

Q

sydthebeat

Quack13 wrote: »

I wasn't fully sure if BER assessors could do full assessments like this pre-build. (Excuse my ignorance )
Do all BER assessors do this as standard?

Thanks a lot for the link, very helpful!

Q

all assessors can put the plans and specifications through the software to get a rating... all assessors are supposed to be able to give supplementary advice as to how best reduce energy demand... but it would be my opinion that the best advice would be given by a competent architectural professional who would view the building a whole interconnected entity rather that as a series of stand alone elements....

Quack13

Yeah I hear you Syd.

Thats more what I'm looking for..someone to view the overall picture and not to simply put the dimensions in to a piece of software and look at each space individually.

No6

What you need is an independant BER assessor with a professional construction background, Architecture, Architectural Technology, Engineering or Surveying. Whatever you do don't go to someone who is also selling something like insulation, or renewables. Get a preliminary assessment done, look at what you want to put in, the cost and the result and then play around with it. Assessments on new houses can be done off the plans and so can be carried out by any assessor anywhere in the country for you. There are no site visits required.

Retro-Fit

BER assessment is very simplistic, you can have an inefficient building with waste energy offset by bolt on renewable technology. If you are building or renovating you should be using Passive house software (PHPP) to minimise your heat load through systems design, Integrating your heating with your ventilation system for instance. You may well find that you can suffice with a tiny boiler.

Material selection is critical and your consultant should be able to advise on suitable materials. Using industrial insulation in a roof is not advisable, domestic rrofs require significantly higer moisture management measures and sloped roof insulation for attic rooms needs to have good thermal storage capacity to regulate ' the caravan effect' you get in dormers on sunny days.
Air tightness is a critical factor. Energy is now a more tangible commodity than money, look at the long term picture and invest wisely. Dont spare the pennies on the build only to squander the pounds living there. It also worth visiting a house with natural materials and a mechanical ventilation system, just to get an impression of how fresh and comfortable it feels.