Case Study: Old Home SuperHome

Short Description

Old Home SuperHome is an award winning project which helps homeowners to open their homes to the public to educate them in energy efficiency measures and inspire them to go on to undertake an energy efficient refurbishment themselves.

The homes are all different and have been renovated in very different ways. This reflects the homeowners’ own motivations and priorities and access to funding. Some have concentrated on superior levels of insulation, others have emphasised the use of renewable technologies, but all have achieved in excess of 60% carbon emissions reductions.

Over 25,000 people have now visited SuperHomes and research has shown that following a visit 27% of people go on to spend over £5,000 on their own renovations, much higher than action following normal advice systems.

The scheme is successful because it provides visitors with a unique touch-and-feel experience; this is reinforced because information comes from the homeowner, a trusted source. The experience helps visitors to move on from intellectual into emotional belief, which is essential for action to be sustained.

Many of the homeowners have become experts in their fields as they have undertaken substantial investigations prior to embarking on work on their own homes. These SuperHomers are able to give constructive advice to visitors and some are even able to provide bespoke surveys, advice and project management services.

Key Elements

Thermal Insulation

Virtually all the properties have installed superior insulation. Some have achieved virtually passivhaus levels.

Air Tightness

Many of the SuperHomes have focussed on achieving high levels of airtightness. Two have achieved readings of less than one air change per hour, at 50 pascales.

Windows and Shading

Use has been made of south facing windows, or in some cases additional conservatories to maximise solar gain. Also reducing northerly facing openings has been used in some homes to reduce heat losses. Many of the homes have upgraged their windows. In some cases there have been limits on what is possible due to listing or conservation status, but more have installed at least secondary double glazing. The use of low-emissivity glass is prevalent as is argon filling. A limited number of homes have installed triple glazing.

Ventilation

Many of the homes have used single room ventialation and heat recovery systems, many of which are moisture activated. Those properties which have achieved the highest airtighteness readings have installed whole house heat recovery ventilation systems.

Heating and Hot Water

By far the majority of the homes have installed Solar Thermal Hot Water systems (see below). Many have used renewable energy systems for their heat provision and a good proportion have used biomass as their main fuel.

Solar Thermal

Many of the homes have used Solar Thermal systems for heating hot water. These vary between flat plate and evacuated tube systems. One has more than 6sqm of system which feeds a 1100lt thermal store.

Solar Photovoltaic

Many of the homes have installed Photovoltaic systems to supplement or replace their electricity use. Two of the homes now generate more electricity than their average use.

Other Renewables

Other renewables include air source and ground source heat pumps and wood pellet boilers.

Electricity Saving Products

Most homes will have utilised A-rated white goods. Many have electricity monitoring devices and all will be interested in reducing their electricity burden.

Water Saving

Many homes have grey water recycling and/or rain water harvesting.

Main Results

After a visit to a SuperHome, 27% of visitors surveyed said that they went on to spend £5,000 or more on their own refurbishment, and on average visitors said they spent over £2,000 on energy conservation and carbon saving.

We now have over 50 houses spread geographically across most of the UK, and a network of Superhomers who meet regularly to learn from each other and improve visitor experience.

Visitor numbers have doubled over the last 2 years.

We continue to increase the number of SuperHomes. We are aiming for 200 houses within 5 years.

The web site includes a MyGreenBuilder register where Advisors, Builders, suppliers and installers are star rated, like Trip Advisor or EBay, so that we can help good companies to be known and therefore be rewarded by more work.

Lessons learned

Visits used to be arranged on an ‘open house’ basis where an event was advertised and as many people as wanted to would visit the homes. This inevitably involved people queuing outside some homes, and the homeowners having a non stop task of escorting visitors around their homes. We have now brought in a booking system. This means that visitor numbers can be limited and the homeowner can give a proper tour around the property with bespoke advice as part of the visit.