Transition Derby

As part of a Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire chamber of Commerce presentation on Environmentally Sustainable Construction at the unique state-of-the-art Sir Colin Campbell Building, there was an opportunity to visit the award winning University of Nottingham Jubilee campus and take the optional tour around six recently completed ‘emissions-free homes’. The first part of the visit was an interesting talk by Dr Mark Gillott and highlighted most of the drivers that have been mentioned in the Transition Derby meetings – wasted heat from houses being paramount and the huge 38% carbon footprint that the Built Environment has in terms of carbon emissions. Certainly the Institute of Sustainable Energy Technology at the School of the Built Environment at the University of Nottingham are working on the challenge of measuring the effects of living in different types of houses and are also testing ways of improving old houses to bring down their carbon footprints and make them leak less. At the moment they have built: a 1930 semi detached house sponsored by Eon, which will be retro-fitted in an attempt to bring it up to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6 (zero emissions) standards.

Stoneguard’s steel framed house is an attempt at code 6 with lightweight design,

The BASF house demonstrated its expertise in energy efficiency,

Tarmac is contructing pair of 3 bed homes that meets the minimum requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and 6 incorporating, where possible, masonry materials.

Two of the most interesting ideas presented was “enveloping” for the Eon 1930's detached house with lightweight timber framing,and the fact that the earth further than 1.5m down varies between a constant 10C and 12C winter to summer. Therefore any house air can either be cooled in the summer to 12C or heated to 10C but does need 60m of buried underground pipe.

Based on cost, availability and simplicity, Wood Newton’s Code 6 timber frame house that we saw at the Quad last Wednesday on June 22nd presented by John Green wins as it goes up in 5 days, is available now and only costs £60,000.

-William