A household decided to install insulation in the loft. State one environmental
benefit gained by doing this.
Environmental benefits: Any one from:
• Reduced carbon emissions.
• Increased levels of home comfort.
• Reducing likelihood of condensation and mildew
2016 Q2(c).
A family is considering putting cavity insulation into the walls of their home.
State one economic benefit and one environmental benefit of energy
conservation to be gained by doing this. {2}
2016 Q2(d).
Unfortunately, the family does not have the necessary finances to install wall
insulation straightaway. Outline two different ways in which they might changes
their day-to-day behaviour in order to minimise their energy consumption for
home heating.
Answer;
(c)
Economic benefits: Any one from;
• Reducing heating costs.
• Improving the value of your home.
• Grant assistance available for the work.
Environmental benefits: Any one from;
• Reduced carbon emissions.
• Increased levels of home comfort.
• Reducing likelihood of condensation and mildew.
(d)
An outline which covers at least two of the following;
• Turning down their heating controls / thermostat could reduce boiler
running time.
• Closing windows and doors when heating is on could reduce heat loss
through openings.
• Turning heating off at night and when house is unoccupied could reduce
boiler running time.
• Putting draught excluders on doors to reduce heat loss through draughts.
At present the family cannot afford to finance any physical measures to improve
energy efficiency. Describe one behavioural change which the family members
might take, in the meantime, in order to minimise their energy consumption for
home heating.
Any one description from the following:
* Turning down their heating controls/thermostat {1} could reduce boiler
running time {1}.
* Closing windows and doors when heating is on {1} could reduce heat
loss through openings {1}.
* Turn heating off at night and when house is unoccupied {1} could reduce
boiler running time {1}.
* Set draught extruders at external doors {1} to reduce heat loss through
draughts {1}.
* Closing curtains across windows/external doors {1} to reduce hear loss
through draughts {1}.
Describe two measures that could be taken to improve the energy efficiency of
the outside of Amy’s bedroom.
Any two from;
• Adding additional insulation (Internal / External / Cavity) to the external
wall will improve energy efficiency.
• Improved glazing (double / triple / Low E) will improve energy efficiency
of the room.
• Improving airtightness around windows will mean the building is more
energy efficient.
Describe one energy efficiency measure which could be implemented on a
window and explain why this measure would improve the energy efficiency of
the window.
Any one measure and explanation from;
• Sealing around the edges of the window {1}. This will improve the
airtightness and reduce the heat loss caused by draughts {1}.
• Install double (or triple) glazing windows {1}. These will have improved
U-values and will reduce heat loss through window {1}.
A family wants to reduce its home heating bills. Outline two different measures
which could be taken to improve the energy efficiency of the family home.
Any two measures from:
* Providing high levels of insulation {1} to floors, wall and roofs {1}.
* Improving airtightness {1}; by making sure that they seal around window
and door openings or where heating pipes/waste pipes go through external
walls {1}.
* Installing double/triple/low emissivity glazing and insulated window
frames {1} to reduce heat loss through windows {1}.
There are a number of factors which influence the energy efficiency of a
building. Discuss how the energy efficiency of a building could be influenced by
the following factors: {6}
• Insulation
• Air tightness
• Insulation to roofs/lofts will reduce heat loss and improve energy
efficiency
• Insulation can be added to floors and to solid/ cavity walls to reduce heat
loss and improve energy efficiency
• Insulating hot water tanks, hot water pipes and behind radiators will
reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency
• Poor air-tightness in the building envelope leads to draughts which let in
cold air and waste too much heat
• Improve air-tightness by blocking up unwanted gaps (e.g. by installing
draught excluders on doors/ windows; blocking up old chimneys)
• Better air-tightness will reduce heat loss & improve energy efficiency
The homeowner wants to add insulation to the walls of the house. Three
different types of insulation A, B and C have been considered.
Table 1 shows the U values of walls installed with each of the three different
types of insulation.
Table 1
Insulation U Value (W/m²K)
Wall with insulation A 1.3
Wall with insulation B 1.1
Wall with insulation C 0.95
State which insulation the homeowner should use to achieve maximum energy
efficiency.
Insulation C
Define what is meant by the U-Value of a construction material.
The U-value for a particular construction material is the rate at which heat is
conducted away through 1m2 of the material for each 1 degree difference in
temperature {1} between the outside and the inside of the building {1}.
Define what is meant by the term ‘U value’.
The U value is a measure of the rate at which heat is conducted through 1m2 of
a material for each one-degree difference in temperature between the outside
and the inside of the material.
The ‘U value’ for a material is sometimes formally referred to as being the
“overall heat transfer co-efficient of the material”.
In a testing facility the U values of two different materials have been measured.
Material A has a U value of 3.8 Wm-2K-1 and Material B has a U value of 2.4
Wm-2K-1. State which material is the better insulator.
Material B.
Outline two factors other than the U value which determine the rate of heat loss
through a material.
Any two from:
• The nature and type of material [1]
• The area (m2) of the material [1]
• The temperature difference between the two sides of the material [1]
Explain two core requirements for a Zero Carbon Home.
Any two from:
• The fabric performance must, at a minimum, comply with the Fabric
Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES) {1}.
• Any CO2 emissions that remain after consideration of heating, cooling,
fixed lighting and ventilation, must be less than or equal to the Carbon
Compliance limit established for zero carbon homes {1}.
• Any remaining CO2 emissions, from regulated energy sources (after
requirements 1 and 2 are met), must be reduced to zero {1}.
Outline three different measures which could be used to achieve the Fabric
Energy Efficiency requirements of the Zero Carbon Homes hierarchy.
Any three from:
• The use of an appropriate building form [1]
• Well insulated walls, floor, roof [1]
• Good air-tightness [1]
• Efficient heating and ventilation systems [1]
• Passive solar design [1]
The Zero Carbon Homes Hierarchy aims to help reduce levels of carbon dioxide
emitted during the construction of new buildings. A new building has passed the
first two requirements on the Zero Carbon Homes Hierarchy:
Requirement 1: Fabric energy efficiency
Requirement 2: Onsite low / zero carbon heat and power The building is now
deemed as being Carbon Compliant, but the
builder would like to achieve a Zero Carbon status. This means he must meet
the third requirement on the Zero Carbon Homes Hierarchy.
(i): Identify the third requirement on the Zero Carbon Homes Hierarchy. {1}
(ii): Describe two methods which would meet the third requirement on the Zero
Carbon Homes Hierarchy.
(i): Allowable solutions
(ii): Any two of the following:
Allowable Solutions can be achieved by any of the following:
• Deliberately overperforming [1] on requirements 1 and 2 to bring net
carbon emissions to zero. [1]
• Payment into a government approved fund [1] where the money is
invested into ‘green’ solutions, e.g. building a wind farm. [1]
• Developer ensures that loft insulation and/or solar panels [1] are installed
in the older buildings. [1]
The zero carbon homes hierarchy was launched by the UK Government with
the aim of reducing the carbon emissions from new homes to ‘near zero’.
Identify the two stages in the zero carbon homes hierarchy which must be
achieved in order for a home to be classed as ‘carbon compliant’.
Name two of the main environmental building performance measurement
systems for buildings in the UK.
- BREEAM {1}
- CSH {1}
Name an alternative environmental building performance measurement system
which can be used to assess buildings apart from the Code for Sustainable
Homes.
BREEAM Assessment
The Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is an environmental assessment
method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes. It measures the
assessment score across nine categories of environmental impact. Identify two
of these categories.
Any two from:
• energy & CO2 emissions (allow carbon dioxide, CO2 or CO2 for CO2) [1]
• water [1]
• materials [1]
• surface water run-off [1]
• waste [1]
• pollution [1]
• health & well-being [1]
• management [1]
• ecology[1]
Explain two challenges of the UK government’s policy to improve the
environmental performance of existing housing through the use of the Code for
Sustainable Homes.
Any two of the following:
• Poor workmanship [1] – If construction work for improvements are
carried out poorly this may lead to more problems, e.g. draughts, etc. [1]
• Difficult to implement [1] – Designers and builders are not legally bound
to carry out work in line with the Code for Sustainable Homes and there is
difficulty with knowing who will enforce it. [1]
• Economic implications [1] – Improving existing housing will cost a lot of
money. It is difficult to justify the extra cost to the client. [1]
