Before retrofit works the council house was emitting an estimated 3.5 tones of Co2 per annum, following the electrification of the house thats estimated to drop to an incredible 0.2 Tones of Co2. Demonstrating the incredible saving possible through the use of new technologies.
#carbon #netzero #sustainability #resilience #economics #architecture #retrofit #sustainability
External Insulation
In order to make home more efficient, one of the most important things, is proper insulation. UK homes are typically much smaller than that of those on the continent. With such limited space available, its not always possible to provide further internal insulation, as such, the only option is to put this externally. Ben shows here how this works and looks, and introducing this is a big reason why the home is able to achieve such significant reductions in heating costs.
#architecture #retrofit #sustainability #councilhouse #netzero #carbon #insulation #resilience #lowcarbon #retrofit
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are incredibly efficient and as Ben explains in this clip some new heat pumps can reach an incredible efficiency of 400% so for every unit of energy put in, four can be put out. As the grid becomes greening, having moved to a larger % of renewable energy sources, of course the carbon footprint assosciated with the electricity production also comes down. Furthermore, the government are helping to fund the roll out of heat pumps, with a grant to help support homeowners with the current high costs to encourage their uptake, which can reduce their cost by around 50%.
#heatpump #netzero #carbon #renewableenergy #electrification #resilience #lowcarbon #retrofit #grants #costofliving #sustainability
Bill Savings per House
Bill Savings per House From £2000 to £500 energy bills per annum. A huge cost reduction in terms of ongoing council costs passed directly onto the residents in their council owned homes. Its important to iterate that this project is about saving costs and demonstrating the new technologies available that can lead to these significant cost savings.
So the high cost of installation for this project is of course high, as its a pilot to trail these technologies and the learnings and their impact and performance is closely monitored, allowing for better decision making and targeted application to inform future projects.
#carbon #netzero #sustainability #resilience #economics #architecture #retrofit #sustainability #costofliving
External Landscape
The external landscape is a really important element as we come to retrofit and redesign our cities to help with water management. As we redesign and create new places its important that they are utilised to help mitigate current and future challenges such as flooding. Hydrorock is a really interesting technology which can help when there is both too much, and too little water. By attenuating excess amounts of water, but also making that available to plants when suitably designed. Hydrorock is a really interesting new innovation in the urban water management world, as well as that in the agricultural world too for certain crop types, such as orchards.
You can find out more about the Hydrorock here: https://www.hydrorock.com/
#engineering #landscape #landscapearchitecture #gardendesign #resilience #civilengineering #drainage #highways #technology #water #waterresilience #flooding #architecture #urbandesign
Carbon Saving, Reporting & Energy
Combating Council Carbon About 40% of Southend on Seas Council's carbon is tied up in its housing stock, so in order to reduce the councils carbon footprint, it has to target these areas as effectively as possible. In the full episode with Ben we explore how the council has delivered its first retrofit home, and what has been implemented and learned through this pilot project.
#carbon #netzero #sustainability #resilience #economics #architecture #retrofit #sustainability
Heat Recovery Systems & Window Rules
Do you need triple glazed windows?
Improving the efficiency of existing homes can be really challenging. This project saw some solutions above that of typical projects like introducing triple glazing oppose to just replacing the double glazing. In this clip we talk briefly around why triple glazing might be worth considering, and how you need to consider window selection depending on the type of project you're involved with.
#interiordesign #architecture #renovation #retrofit #lowcarbon #energyefficiency #sustainability #lowcarbon #costofliving
Hedges for Fodder
Traditionally its likely that many trees were cut to provide fodder for animals, and that animals were allowed to more freely graze surrounded by significant numbers of trees, or adjacent to regularly laid hedges in the UK. Now we are looking for more nature positive farming methods, and ideas of how livestock and wildlife can live together, utilising trees and plants for multiple uses is becoming more and more popular. Hedges are fantastic for wildlife, and if they can provide a home for bugs, birds and bees, whilst also providing food and shelter for livestock, that has to be a win win win. Remembering how we used to do that however, and what works best, now needs to be relearned, and places like the Knepp Estate are helping lead that charge.
#hedges #trees #plants #animals #nature #wildlife #farming #forestry #agroforestry #silvopasture #grazing #food #fodder
Following the Animals Instinct
Watching animals and spending time in nature helps you learn and observe different behaviors. It's well know that many animals will self medicate by eating certain things. Ted remarks thoughout his new book on how these observed behaviors likely led to us learning about what might help treat various alements. A good example being shepherds, oberserving a sick animal, and following it to a certain bush it may perhaps not usually eat.
#animal #animalhusbandry #sheep #nature #medicine #environment #farming #food #forestry #conservation #trees #plants
Algae for Water Quality
Algae can be used in a wide range of ways, from food to fuel. But new innovations like those of Ramon allow for cleaning of water as well. This new solutions means we can tackle water contamination issues, whilst also producing useful products like fertilisers and fuels.
#innovation #climatetech #biotech #naturebasedsolutions #greenjob #science #waterquality
How ALIS Algae Work Started
Always interesting to hear how sometimes a problem can be turned into a solution, or a frustrating challenge can turn into fascination leading to new ideas, innovations and technologies! In this clip that's exactly what Ramon aludes to. How trying to get rid of Algae in their hydroponic systems led to them researching it more to uncover the secrets it holds.
#technology #biotech #sustainability #resilience #watersecurity #environment #waterquality #netzero
Romanian Ancient Wood Pasture
In Romania today you can still see links back to how we likely used trees in the UK and across many other nations. Today we consider fruit trees only those that produce the fruits we know like, apples, cherries etc. However, the range of edibles and uses of most trees are far beyond what most people would consider. This doesn't just relate to Humans either, its important to understand these range of uses to go back to how we might be able to help build more biodiverse and multifunctional landscapes alongside livestock and other means of food production too.
#nature #grazing #farming #landscape #trees #forestry #shorts #woodland #biodiversity #agroforestry #silvopasture #regenerativefarming #naturefriendlyfarming #food
How Grazing Animals Influence Forests
Understanding how our woods and landscapes have come to be is critical, and its easy to interpret the world today as the status quo. However, when you look back through history and how animals act in different places around the world, you see that how different combinations, of animals and typical impacts at a large scale can seriously influence our landscapes. The UK is a good example of how much things have changed, with many of our large herbivors and extensive herds of grazing animals long gone, our landscape has become one guided by humans, opose to one guided by nature, signs of which are still visible more clearly in other nations. Understanding this, and how our landscapes formed and thrived, is key to helping build a better basis for biodivesity enhancement, and the likely conditions many of our species actually prefer.
#nature #grazing #farming #landscape #trees #forestry #shorts #woodland #biodiversity #agroforestry #silvopasture #regenerativefarming
Algae & Agriculture
New innovations in the use of Algae are creating a wide range of new applications, potential for products and alternative ways of working across existing industries. Understanding the possible application for Algae is the first step in further potential innovations, efficiencies and solutions it may possibily provide!
Combating Council Carbon
About 40% of Southend on Seas Council's carbon is tied up in its housing stock, so in order to reduce the councils carbon footprint, it has to target these areas as effectively as possible. In the full episode with Ben we explore how the council has delivered its first retrofit home, and what has been implemented and learned through this pilot project.
#carbon #netzero #sustainability #resilience #economics #architecture #retrofit #sustainability
