Whole House
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What is whole house retrofit?
Whole house retrofit approach makes sure that the work you are carrying out in your home to improve energy efficiency are done in a way that makes sense to the house. This makes sure the work complements the previous work. It will consider air quality, damp management and ventilation.
This section will look at some of the improvements that you can carry out in your home after you have considered some of the more simple parts involved in the Fabric First section. This list is not exhaustive and more products will inevitably come onto the market in time.
Solar Panels
Solar electricity panels capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home. By installing solar panels, you can generate your own renewable electricity.
How do solar panels work?
A solar panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created. The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated.
Solar systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 15 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. This electricity can be used throughout your home or exported to the grid.
If you’re planning to install a solar system in your home, you must register it (or your trader does this for you) with your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). The DNO is the company responsible for bringing electricity to your home. Usually, your installer will register the device for you.
Things to consider when looking at installing solar panels
Do you have enough space?
Do you need permission?
Heat pumps
Based on similar technology to air conditioners and freezers, heat pumps use the heat found in air, water or the ground and compress it using electricity. This causes the extracted warmth to heat up and then be released into a space through the use of water in a central heating system.
The heat energy delivered to your home is much more than the electrical energy used to power the system. some heat pumps may increase electricity bills beyond what they were before it was installed, but reduce gas bills where a gas boiler is replaced.
Electricity is becoming increasingly low carbon, as more renewable sources are connected to the electricity grid, replacing existing gas and coal power stations. This makes a heat pump an extremely low carbon heating option, not necessarily a cheaper one!
Your heat pump should also be registered on the government website here.
There are a number of different heat pumps, your installer should be able to help you decide
Air source
Ground source
Hybrid
Air to air
Water source
Solar assisted
Cascaded
Heat exhaust air
Temperature controls
What are heating controls?
Heating controls is a term covering timers, thermostats and electronic parts, which help manage when the heating should be on and what temperature your rooms should be. Heating controls range from traditional styles that are set manually, to internet-connected “smart” controls that learn your habits and adjust settings automatically.
Heating controls are improving all the time, helping us to control the heat in our homes.
Benefits of smart heat controls
Keep your home at the right temperature for you
Take control of your heating
Save money on your energy bills
Reduce your carbon emissions
What heating controls should I have?
Central heating systems, such as boilers and heat pumps, should as a minimum include a programmer (time control), at least one room thermostat and, if you have radiators, thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). Systems with a hot water cylinder should also include a cylinder thermostat.
Aside from these core elements, there are many additional control functions that can be included in a modern heating system to make it easier to operate.
You can upgrade or install heating controls without replacing your boiler. You should consider new heating controls if you don’t have a programmer. Modern room thermostats, for example, have more accurate temperature sensors, and many smart controls include additional energy saving functions.
Podcast - Whole House
Adam and Lou are joined by Faisal from HIES, a leading consumer protection organisation covering the installation of home energy products. In this Pod they talk about the ideas behind becoming 'energy independent' and take a look at solar panels, battery storage and heat pumps.
You can find an accredited installer by visiting HIES Consumer Code www.hiesscheme.org.uk.
HIES are a Trustmark approved scheme provider.