Notes from an eco house. (2025 Update)

I haven't seen a decent new build anywhere. Despite a tour of the county a few years ago of at least 20 developments.

The fact that you can get companies to manage dealing with all the faults of new builds on your behalf speaks for itself.

As you were.

In message <vkooet$2h2mo$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, at 11:46:37 on Sat, 28 Dec

I agree with both of you. As does Lyn.

I think the previous owner built it. It goes beyond 'meets regulations technically

Yup. wheelchair access is a moveable feast

I think they'd have to repeal the second law of thermodynamics to fix that, unless they get all the people with gas boilers to subsidise the heat pump users - and cope with all the millions of people freezing to death as they can't afford to heat their homes.

Nuclear electricity will render heat pumps both cost effective first and then irrelevant, as electricity will be so cheap that spending money on using less simply wont be worth it...

Looking a some Youtube videos and there are quite a few saying how successful are ASHPs BUT the further you get into the videos you find that they have all also invested in 10+kW batteries which charge at a cheap off peak rate during the night to run the house/ASHP during the day.

If the grants were removed I'll bet the heap pump installation business would collapse overnight.

What I have yet to see is people posting about having a ASHP installation in a older terrace house which is the typical housing stock where I live, and for many miles around. I have yet to see people posting about operating costs where they haven't also invested in batteries, or solar to offset costs between winter and summer.

Err, that's what they said 70 years ago, and we are still waiting.

Humph.

a) Where would they put it such that it wouldn't annoy themselves or the neighbours. Such properties can be quite narrow.

b) Most such blocks of terrace would presumably also require all the downstairs floors taking up and being insulated.

We've done a number of things here - such as cavity wall and attic insulation, replacing the old boiler with a condensing one. The north-facing wall is hanging tile, and if you lift the floor on the inside in those rooms (next to the outside wall), you can feel the pointy ends of the nails that attach the battens to the 8x4 sheets of cardboard or whatever it is, that the tiles are hung on. The walls there are studwork and although insulated, its only with rock wool, not celotex, so the wind can go straight through. And under the floor, where the nails can be felt, there's no insulation. Previous owner did that bit of extension on the cheap.

No, that's not what they said.

Anyway the purpose of "power stations" like Chappelcross was the production of Pu239, the electricity was a by-product.

Actially they should use the roof space. would recycle any wasted heat

Many are suspended wood. A layer of concrete then massive foam then UOFH in screed would work well

At some level its worth going to a bare shell on some houses or even demolsihing and starting again. But most people move...

Ah, yes where have I heard something like that before? Back in the 50/60’s nuclear generated electricity would be so cheap it would not be worth metering it and sending out bills. Well that never happened no matter how cheap it might be to generate as long as someone is willing to pay for it someone will sell it.

Don’t get me wrong I am totally in favour of nuclear generation and feel we are missing a trick here when you look at the likes of France but as is the British way will we ever produce enough power plants and be doomed to blackouts just because someone spotted a great crested newt where they are about to build one?

If the level of insulation and heat recovery is really great, there should be no need for under floor heating.

That makes no sense. I suspect there's something wrong with their calculations.

Plus the triple glazing - that has to be approaching Passivhaus. Should be possible to heat with very little energy.

Are you nodding off or something? That witticism has already been suggested in response to TNP's post and larfed at as irrelevant, relating, as it did, to

As well as the Magnox station at Sellafield.

The problem there seems to be the same as with fusion i.e. nobody actually has a working prototype yet, and won't for some years. Presumably existing ship/submarine reactors are not suitable.

e.g. Google: "The initial phase of work is intended to bring Kairos Power’s first SMR online quickly and safely by 2030"

Rolls Royce: "The European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors aims to facilitate and accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of the first SMRs projects in Europe in the early 2030s."

"On 18 September, Czech Prime Minister Fiala announced that CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR would enter a strategic partnership to enable the development and construction of SMRs in the Czech Republic. CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR will work collaboratively on plans for the deployment of up to 3 GW of clean, affordable energy in the Czech Republic. CEZ and Rolls-Royce SMR will work to finalise contractual order terms for an order of the first unit with early works expected to commence as soon as 2025."

'Development' and 'Early works' sounds like being a long way from 'off the shelf'.

Each room with its own zone? the Designer has not got that right then. It's a perfect install for a totally open system. Having zones reduces any heat sources efficiency, as it is the on/off that causes more energy use.

Eh? Change filters every 6 months, or whenever they are required. Two minute job.

The Heat Pump is nothing to do with the higher bills. It should easily put out a SCOP of 4 if designed properly, for which, see above, this houses heating system has not been well designed. If a gas boiler was fitted, it would have the same result if the system has been designed badly, it will use more gas. The only way the bills should be higher is if the new property is a lot bigger, and the temperature is kept at a higher level than in the old house. He needs a consultant in to inspect his heating system to see where it is failing.