Green Deal 'could lead to deadly summer overheating'

BlondeHeadOn

I guess heatwaves are not usually a problem in the UK, but this article caught my eye this morning...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23180965

"Energy-saving measures designed to save on winter fuel bills and protect the environment could pose a risk to health during summer heatwaves, they add.

Homes in densely populated urban areas such as London are most at risk.

Heat can build up during the day and has nowhere to escape at night leading to poor air quality and a greater risk of heat stress for the occupants which, in extreme cases, can kill."

".... top floor flats in 1960s tower blocks, and modern detached houses were most at risk, particularly if they were south facing.

Heat was likely to have the biggest impact on elderly or infirm people who remained at home all day, the research suggests.

"If you are in the wrong type of house, facing the wrong way, in the wrong street and you don't deal with heat in the right way, it is a problem," said Prof Goodier."

Hmm. I suppose we could also install very non-green air-con units?

:cool:

rogerblack

Open a window, fit solar shading film, ...
I note that considerably more old people die from cold than hot still in the UK - something insulation helps.

The_Green_Hornet

One must assume that before the Green Deal came about the same energy saving measures didn't cause this type of problem. Terrible journalism from the BBC.

Martyn1981

Ok, can somebody translate that article for me?

I started reading it, and it said that insulated buildings were trapping heat. But I apply what my sister taught me, after living for 5 years in Perth - when it's really hot, you shut the windows and curtains and this, plus the insulation helps to keep the heat out. So are we wrong?

But then I read further on in the article that you should shut windows during the day to trap the cool air in. Isn't that what good insulation and airtightness does?

So, as far as I can see, the article is pointing out that a well insulated house (that was trying to keep some heat out!) will trap the heat in (yep!) if windows are kept closed when temps drop!?!?

Isn't this just a load of contradictory advice. Without the insulation, more heat would 'sneak' in quicker, but then be able to escape again.

Possible solution ..... do what Roger suggests and open a window.

Q. Article also suggests that modern detached houses most at risk, especially if south facing. Am I missing something, other than those(?) built directly on top of the south pole, how does a detached house not face south? Do they mean large south facing windows perhaps? [Or is it just a throwback comment to the 1960's flats?]

Mart.

zeupater

Hi All

Does this guy actually have a clue ??

We have loads of insulation which outstrip the requirements of current building standards by a considerable margin. A high proportion of our total heating requirements are from passive solar gain and the property has a relatively high internal thermal mass which retains heat.

In the summer, insulation & thermal mass effectively work in reverse and keep the property cool. As long as the windows are kept closed during the day it stays pretty cool inside the house and at night, after the outside temperature has fallen well below that inside the house we open certain windows in order to vent any heat heat-gain overnight ... this is all that is normally necessary.

Seeing that the medium-term weather forecast predicted an extended 'warm spell', we've currently got our portable aircon unit running for 5-6 hours/day .... it provides around 2kW cooling duty (well, according to the specs, it did when it was new 10-15 years ago ), which is enough to slow/prevent a daily incremental increase in the thermal mass temperature, all powered by our local star thus being 'uber-green', and still exporting >50% of current pv generation .... of course, this wouldn't be sufficient to provide full-house cooling for an exceptionally long period ~>30C (when do we ever get them ? ), but there's always the option of closing off non-living areas in order to concentrate the cooling to the areas which are necessary ...

"If you are in the wrong type of Professor, applying logic on a very selective basis, for the wrong reason and you don't deal with science in the right way, it is a problem," said Zeupater !

HTH
Z

WestonDave

Someones obviously invented strange insulation that stops heat getting out but doesn't do the same when its trying to get in! We've got a fair number of south west facing windows, along with full cavity wall insulation and yet walking into the house in the afternoons felt like walking into autumn! Obviously over time the heat builds up but if you manage it sensibly - keep the windows closed with blinds behind them during the heat of the day, and then have them open at night/early morning to cool it down - then its not a problem!

Please tell me these idiots aren't getting grant funding from taxpayers!

Ben84

WestonDave wrote: »

Someones obviously invented strange insulation that stops heat getting out but doesn't do the same when its trying to get in!

I can only guess that the worry is better insulated houses will trap solar heat gain from the windows and overheat? If however that's the issue, they didn't explain it very well.

monicaG84

alarmist newspapers, I wouldn't get too concerned. A handyman could fix this problem