These talks have concluded. Below is a summary of the issues discussed.
Insulation, Insulation: improving the performance of your home.
This talk was given by Adrian Pickering, the owber of a Superhome in HIghfield, and a retired engineer with extensive experience in the area of insulation and heat measurement.
In this talk, Adrian looked at:
Why insulate, the facts (before considering heat pumps)
Evidence from local IR surveys and experience
Doing your own investigations
Making a plan to cut your upcoming and enduring costs/carbon
The slides for this talk are available here:
Draughts, Damp And Well Being: Cheap and effective ways to save energy and money
This talk was given by Roger Munford who was part of a team at the Southampton Environment Centre that carried out a Scottish Power funded project to help people with little or no DIY skills install effective draught proofing on windows, doors, floors and chimneys and give advice on managing energy. Roger helped create Retrofit Southampton, a forum for local people to share experiences of retrofitting such as insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.
Roger discussed:
Why are our houses draughty?
Draught proofing windows, doors, floors, chimneys
Floor Insulation
Secondary glazing and double glazing
What causes damp and how to combat it
What makes people feel comfortable?
Heat Pump And Be Merrie: Can I install a heat pump in my house? Will it work well? Will it save me money?
This final talk was given by Graham Hendra, an engineer with over 30 years’ experience in heating, the last 13 in heat pump technology, who was instrumental in bringing Samsung air to water heat pumps to the UK. He now acts as a heat pump consultant for anyone who is interested in heat pumps, specifying units, designing systems, and helping promote the technology to architects, builders, installers and homeowners. Graham explained, “Don’t worry I’m not here to sell you anything, I just love heat pumps and I want you to love them too!” He was joined by a panel of local residents who have already installed heat pumps in their homes.
Graham discussed:
A few myths busted about heat pumps
Are they noisy (No!), do I need new radiators (sometimes), do they work in old houses (usually)?
A case study of a house in Highfield
A few pointers re costs, savings etc
Overview of how a heat pump has worked in a Graham’s 1920s Southampton house
Energy Saving Tips and sources of help and advice
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/ https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-tips/ https://environmentcentre.com/
https://www.comparethemarket.com/energy/content/energy-saving-tips/
Retrofit Southampton https://retrofitsouthampton.org/
