Next step advice for those inspired by Guy Martin’s House Without Bills
For those inspired by the Passivhaus retrofit projects featured in Guy Martin’s House Without Bills (that aired on Monday 9 February on Channel 4) the Passivhaus Trust is offering a wide range of resources to help homeowners and construction professionals take the next steps. The Channel 4 programme followed the nine-month renovation of a semi-detached house in the Manchester suburb of Stretford, with the ultimate aim of driving its heating bills as low as possible. This involved a total transformation to Passivhaus retrofit standards, with Guy Martin working on each of the key installations.
Whatever the budget, the Passivhaus Trust can point would-be-retrofitters to the technical know-how needed and ways to keep costs down and make the project manageable. The Passivhaus Trust is spotlighting ways that retrofits can be implemented gradually over time, staged with home improvement measures. It is highlighting step-by-step and alternative routes to certification to make Passivhaus retrofit more affordable.
The Passivhaus Trust’s top 5 tips for affordable Passivhaus retrofits include:
- Work with an experienced Passivhaus Designer/ Consultant and independent Certifier
- Get the retrofit modelled in PHPP (Passivhaus Planning Package)
- Develop a whole-house plan for the retrofit, even if all the measures can’t be undertaken at once
- Consider a component-based route, which offers greater flexibility in achieving Passivhaus retrofit certification.
- Consider a step-by-step approach, with the retrofit implemented in stages, alongside other home improvements.
Jon Bootland, Chief Executive of the Passivhaus Trust, commented:
“Passivhaus retrofit delivers wide-ranging health, comfort and energy saving benefits, and the security of a gold standard quality assurance process. The new stepped approach to Passivhaus retrofit will provide a series of affordable steps to deliver Passivhaus levels of performance and peace of mind.”
The Passivhaus Trust is offering range of resources on Passivhaus retrofit for both homeowners and construction professionals:
- Case studies and ‘Lunch & learn’ webinars sharing examples of Passivhaus retrofit projects on a range of housing typologies, from terraced houses to barn conversions, and heritage cottages to 1970s semis.
- Masterclass webinar series on Passivhaus retrofit for building professionals interested in improving their retrofit skills
- Passivhaus Learning Hub offering guidance papers, training videos, and interactive courses