Case Study: BCHG Changing Rooms that don’t Cost the Earth - SHELTER Project

Short Description

Four individual dwellings as part of a single demonstrator project called "Changing Rooms that don’t cost the Earth" (located in North Street, Smethwick. B67 7DA, Birch Street, West Smethwick. B68 9RU, Emily Street, West Bromwich. B70 8LH and Antrobus Road, Handsworth. B21 9NX).

Funded by a local agency “Urban Living”, which was set up to help renew failing housing market areas that have the potential to improve, this was their first project to explore energy renovations.

The objective was to demonstrate to home owners that they can improve their homes, making them more desirable aesthetically and, at the same time, reduce the environmental impact and running costs.

One dwelling was de-converted from two flats into one large family dwelling (having been converted to two flats some twenty years previously). The other three dwellings were purchased on the open market specifically for the project; one of those had been a small shop at the end of a terrace. This flagship project was intended to stimulate similar projects in the area.

Key Elements

Certification

No Energy performance certificates were issued. Before and after Standard Assessment Procedure energy ratings (SAP-ratings) were undertaken to predict pre- and post-renovation fuel use. The properties were empty before the project and were purchased by the project.

Asset Management

This project was to act as a catalyst in a predominantly privately owned housing area. The demonstrators were shown to social landlords and home owners to stimulate others to improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings when undertaking renovation work. 

The partners worked in a framework because there was more than one site and more than one building owner. More than one architect worked in the partnership; however that was because the first architect withdrew from the region during the project and was unable to service the project cost effectively from a remote location.

There was a different main contractor for the last property to be treated. This came about because there was a change of management within the project manager organisation and a cost saving was perceived to be available from an alternative contractor.

Project Management

Black Country Housing Group acted as project managers, appointing architects Employers’ Agent and cost consultant, acting as energy consultants also and appointing contractors.

Work with Residents

These properties were empty; however they were open to the public daily for one month and once a month for the next 18 months after completion in order to demonstrate what can be done to neighbours with similar properties, most in need of major renovations.

The energy consultant ran the project and briefed architects and the first contractor to ensure that parties understood what was required. That briefing did not extend to sub-contractors and the energy consultant was not included in the decision to employ lower cost contractors on the final site.

As a demonstrator the project was about building scale by encouraging and influencing other property owners to learn from and copy the project; building the area’s capacity to undertake effective energy renovations.

Funding

A special grant was secured from a local agency “Urban Living” set up to help renew failing housing market areas that have the potential to improve. Other funding came from Black Country Housing Group and another social landlord, Jephson Housing Association Group.

Thermal Insulation

All dwellings had an improved thermal envelope at the end of the project. Roof insulation was increased to 350mm of mineral fibre quilt – or a combination of mineral fibre quilt and higher performance insulation boards where sloping ceilings restricted the space available to improve thermal insulation, giving a Thermal Transmittance (U-value) of 0.14W/m2K.

Walls had 65mm of Phenolic insulation-backed plasterboard internally except the rear addition (ground floor w/c and kitchen) at Birch Street, where the 65mm of Phenolic foam was applied externally and then rendered.

A new extension in factory-insulated timber frame was added at the first floor at Emily Street. Where floors had to be replaced or where they were of suspended timber construction, 100mm of mineral fibre quilt or expanded polystyrene was included. Replacement windows and doors had U-values of 1.5W/m2K.

Air Tightness

Insulating the solid walls improved air-tightness. Before the work the dwellings typically achieved an air tightness of 5.5m3/m2.h @ 50Pa. After improvement this was between 3 and 3.5m3/m2.h @ 50 PA.

Windows and Shading

No measures were included to increase daylight access or limit overheating in summer, although a solar shading device had been designed for the North Street dwelling. This was not implemented because the two-storey rear addition provided adequate over-shading.

Ventilation

Where mechanical ventilation fans were installed these were of an individual through-the-wall heat recovery type.

Heating and Hot Water

Efficient gas-fired boilers were installed together with full time and temperature zone control. The solar water heating supplied a twin-coil heat store.

Solar Thermal

The properties received solar water heating with solar photovoltaic electricity generating systems to power the solar water heating system pump.

Other Renewables

Antrubus Road received a building-mounted wind turbine – although this was found to be ineffective due to localised turbulence.

Electricity Saving Products

Dedicated compact florescent lamp holders and bulbs were installed in all rooms and, at North Street, A-rated domestic appliances were installed. Elsewhere information about low-energy and water consuming domestic appliances was provided and to all visitors.

Water Saving

Low water consumption sanitary appliances (taps/showers/WCs) were installed. Rainwater butts and composters were provided. Roof covering and timber material was reused, in these renovations; where possible – reducing waste arising by 85%. At North Street, old rail-way sleepers were reused to provide a base for a large garden shed that also provided secure cycle storage.

Main Results

Predicted fuel bills for space and water heating and artificial lighting and carbon emissions fell by 50% and between £300 and £700 per year and 5 – 9 tones of CO2; this range entirely due to the difference in the size of the properties.

Several projects did replicate this project, including: Summerfield by Family Housing Association (Birmingham), 264 Selly Oak Road by Bourneville Village Trust the Handsworth project (see A above) by Birmingham City Council and the Sustainable Warmth project in Greets Green by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. Black Country Housing Group has provided the energy renovation consultancy services for all of these projects.

Reports of private sector improvements, stimulated by the project were received for two years after the works were complete. It is estimated that this project has directly influenced energy renovations in over 1000 dwellings in the region and some across the nation.

Lessons learned

Project briefing needs to include specialist sub-contractors. In complex energy renovations, where new technologies are employed, the specialists need to be selected and involved at the outset. The English “Design and Build” contracting model is counter-productive in this regard.

Changing architect and changing contractor proved to be problematic. In both cases, the original choices were made on best value (not lowest price) basis. Where lower costs were subsequently sought the quality of output suffered, in the case of the change of contractor the quality of workmanship was considerably below standard, but very cheap.

Working with a contractor who goes from one site to another enables lessons to be learned and efficiency to be gained. Lowest price usually equates to lowest quality and is to be avoided.

Additional Information

Contact:

Kim Cherry
BCHG - Black Country Housing Group
E-mail: cherryk@bcha.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)121 561 1969