Post occupancy evaluation of social housing designed and built to Code for Sustainable Homes Levels 3, 4 and 5

In the housing sector, carbon emissions arise primarily through the consumption of energy to heat, light and ventilate our homes. Significant improvements in UK housing energy performance have been driven both by changes in legislation, and by the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2007. Compliance with certain levels of this Code has been adopted as policy by Local and Regional Authorities, and social housing providers. The evaluation of the performance of low carbon housing requires the assessment of increasingly complex building services technology, and occupant behaviour. This added services complexity, and the expectation that tenants understand how to use it, has led to a number of unintended consequences which have resulted in a higher risk of performance failure. This study comprises the detailed evaluation of seven new social housing dwellings, designed and built to Code levels 3, 4 and 5, including comprehensive environmental monitoring, measurements of the consumption and generation of resources, and social surveys of the occupants. The results show that as the Code levels increase there is a reducing energy and water consumption rate, and an increasing energy generation rate, but only at the expense of a significantly increased risk of services system failure

Key stakeholders’ perspectives towards UK new-build housing defects

Purpose: Research on housing defects has limited its enquiry to the classifications of defects, potential impact of defects, and their detection and remediation during construction and the builder’s liability period, without considering the warranty period. This paper aims to better understand which impacts of defects are perceived as important by the key stakeholders involved in their detection and remediation over the construction, builder’s liability and insurer’s warranty periods. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire survey approach was used. The questionnaire distribution list was drawn from the UK’s largest warranty provider and approved inspector’s records. The questionnaire was distributed to 2003 people, receiving 292 responses, a response rate of 15%. Findings: This research challenges the assertion that the house building industry (i.e. house builders, building inspectors and warranty providers) is predominantly cost focused and finds that the potential impact of defects on home occupants are their primary concern. In contrast, the home occupants’ appear solely focused on the disruption defects caused on their daily lives and perceive a lack customer focus in the house building industry. Originality/value: This study provides empirical evidence of the contrasting view of the house building industry and home occupants with respect to the prioritisation of the impacts of defects. Further, this research offers house builders an alternative approach to determine which defects should be targeted for reduction purposes which may lead to improved levels of customer satisfaction

Carbon regulation and pathways for institutional transition in market-led housing systems : a case study of English housebuilders and zero carbon housing policy

In this paper, we argue that current research on carbon regulation neglects the complex interactions of institutional norms and market behaviour that characterise responses to regulatory change. We draw on empirical research undertaken with English housebuilders and housing market stakeholders to examine how transitional pathways towards a low-carbon housing future might be advanced and consider the implications of such for carbon regulation and low-carbon economies. Our core proposition is that carbon regulation research can no longer ignore the impact of institutionally constituted market behaviour in shaping pathways and transitions towards low-carbon futures

The Thermal Behaviour of Three Different Auger Pressure Grouted Piles Used as Heat Exchangers

Three auger pressure grouted (APG) test piles were constructed at a site in Richmond, Texas. The piles were each equipped with two U-loops of heat transfer pipes so that they could function as pile heat exchangers. The piles were of two different diameters and used two different grouts, a standard APG grout and a thermally enhanced grout. Thermal response tests, where fluid heated at a constant rate is circulated through the pipe loops, were carried out on the three piles, utilising either single or double loops. The resulting test data can be used to determine the surrounding soil thermal conductivity and the pile thermal resistance, both essential design parameters for ground source heat pump systems using pile heat exchangers. This paper uses parameter estimation techniques to fit empirical temperature response curves to the thermal response test data and compares the results with standard line source interpretation techniques. As expected, the thermal response tests with double loops result in smaller thermal resistances than the same pile when the test was run with a single loop. Back analysis of the pile thermal resistance also allows calculation of the grout thermal properties. The thermally enhanced grout is shown to have inferior thermal properties than the standard APG grout. Together these analyses demonstrate the importance of pile size, grout thermal properties and pipe positions in controlling the thermal behaviour of heat exchanger piles

Children living with ‘sustainable’ urban architectures

This paper considers the everyday geographies of children living in new large-scale urban developments in which multiple forms of ‘sustainable’ urban architecture are characteristic features. We argue that children’s experiences of living with materialities, politics and technologies of sustainability have too-often been marginalised in much chief research on childhood, youth and sustainability. Drawing on qualitative research with 8-16-year-olds living with materialities of ‘sustainable’ eco-housing, urban drainage, wind turbines and photovoltaic panelling, we explore how sustainable urban architectures are noticed, (mis)understood, cared about, and lived-with by children in the course of their everyday geographies. In so doing, we highlight the challenging prevalence and significance of architectural conservatisms, misconceptions, rumours disillusionments and urban myths relating to sustainable urban architectures

Comparison of two different models for pile thermal response test interpretation

Thermal response tests (TRTs) are regularly used to characterise the thermal resistance of borehole heat exchangers and to assess the thermal conductivity of the surrounding ground. It is becoming common to apply the same in situ testing technique to pile heat exchangers, despite international guidance suggesting that TRTs should be limited to hole diameters of 152 mm (6 in.). This size restriction arises from the increased thermal inertia of larger diameter heat exchangers, which invalidates the assumption of a steady state within the concrete needed to interpret the test data by traditional line source analysis techniques. However, new methods of analysis for pile heat exchangers have recently been developed that take account of the transient behaviour of the pile concrete. This paper applies these new methods to data from a multi-stage TRT conducted on a small diameter test pile. The thermal conductivity and thermal resistance determined using this method are then compared with those from traditional analytical approaches based on a line source analysis. Differences between the approaches are discussed, along with the observation that the thermal resistance may not be constant over the different test stages

Resilience, redundancy and low-carbon living: co-producing individual and community learning

There is an acknowledged need for buildings and communities to be more resilient in the face of unpredictable effects of climate change, economic crises and energy supplies. The notion and social practices involving redundancy (the ability to switch between numerous available choices beyond optimal design) are explored as an aspect of resilience theory. Practice and Social Learning theories are used as a lens through which to explore the available redundancy in housing and home environments to help prevent performance failure through unexpected circumstances or in response to varying user needs. Findings from an in depth UK housing case study show how redundancy is linked with the capacity to share resources and to learn both individually and collectively as a community. Such learning in relation to resilient low-carbon living is shown to be co-produced effectively through participatory action research. The benefits of introducing extra redundancy in housing design and community development to accommodate varied user’s understanding and preferences are discussed in relation to future proofing, value and scalar issues. Recommendations include better understanding of the design, time and monetary contribution needed to implement social or technical redundancy. These costs should be evaluated in context of savings made through greater resilience achieved

Critically Interrogating Eco-Homes

Eco-homes have only been researched in fragmented and partial ways, which fail to adequately examine their complexities and possibilities. Numerous myths about eco-homes persist in the public imagination and policy support has been mixed with, in practice, little change to the construction of contemporary homes. The ecological and social potential of eco-homes are being undermined by a technocratic focus, the capacity and behaviour of occupants, and a weakening of design as developments are scaled-up. This intervention identifies five ways in which eco-homes need to be more robustly interrogated to strengthen their potential, through their breadth and diversity, dynamic nature, socio-material interdependencies, place, and understanding of their political economies. Crucially these interrogations need to be researched simultaneously to ensure that the full diversity of eco-homes is understood through their multiple interdependencies, multi-scalar practices and materialities

The problem of clothes drying in new homes in the UK

The current focus on air tight construction to minimise energy use in homes in the UK requires analysis of the behaviour of the occupants. The aim of this paper is to review current literature and explore the methods used to dry clothes, to assess current standards and reccomendation for the drying of laundry in new homes and the issues arising with increased moisture within the building envelope where there may be inadequate ventilation caused by impermeable design Design/methodology/approach: Literature is reviewed on new housing in the UK and as part of a wider study of behaviour questionnairres were delivered to occupants of a recently completed housing estate in the uk to ask the questions with regard to their laundry practice. Findings: There are inherent problems in drying laundry in new air tight homes. This case study identifies 95% of residents on a new estate own a tumble dryer and use either this high energy method for clothes drying or hang clothes internally within the property leading to higher energy use or potential mould growth. Research limitations/implications: Further research is required into how drying laundry impacts on internal air qaulity in new homes designed to be energy efficient Practical implications: The design of new houses needs to be considered to provide a shift in people's behaviour with regard to low energy clothes drying Social implications: Originality/value: Other research has focussed on tenants in social housing in properties of mixed ages. This is the first study which focusses specifically on new energy efficient housing for owner occupiers