Passivhaus principles applied to refurbishment: Pass-Net webinair

[Andy Simmonds]

This is the place to post your questions ready for the forthcoming Pass-Net webinair.

After viewing the virtual tour videos on the AECB website, please post any questions you would like answered on this thread, and the panel will answer as many of them as possible during the live webinair event.

Please keep an eye on the AECB website for the videos (expected to be ready for viewing from 30th July) and the date of the webinair (hopefully in the second week in September).

[Kate de S]

You can now view the videos at www.carbonlite.org.uk/carbonlite/webevents.php. Go and have a look! (click an extra time to get the bigger YouTube view)

[Mark Siddall]

Watched the webinar last night. Great! Really enjoyed the four parts. Lets hope that it is the first of many.

Mark

[Bruce Newlands]

 
These webinars are really excellent, agree with Mark, hopefully these will be extended.

The format will be particularly useful for RSL's and giving them the confidence to see what can be achieved ina  very practical way.

Well done!

Bruce

[Philip Jordan]

I'm very glad that such attention is being paid to existing buildings/homes, but
having worked for decades on public/social housing, I have to say that perhaps
the acid test isn't what the professionals think, or what the occupants do, but
will/are those in charge committed & firm in their committment & resourcing:

with the current coalition cuts committment, will we see any true realisation of
passive principles in any public/social housing (or other public building)?

[Jerry Evans]

Great to see these projects. On both the terraced house and the community centre there was a combination of external and internal insulation. It would be interesting to know how the designers dealt with this potentially trick interface to avoid cold bridging.

[Ralph E Massie]

The videos were very informative and useful, but I'm concerned that the ideas will get out into the wild! especially for the bulk of the housing stock. Internal insulation will reduce the overall size of rooms, some of which can be small(ish) already, and external insulation is very difficult to achieve; front elevations, especially in streets, cannot easily be altered and lots of rear elevations to terraced houses usually, in my experience, have limited space between reveals and walls.

[Daren Thomas]

As others before have commented, I found the videos very interesting. It would be nice to have some practical demonstrations/drawings of how some of the cold bridging was overcome.
It would be interesting to get some idea on costs to achieve this against current building regs standard. I realise that it is on a case by case basis, but as there are hundreds of thousands of terrace homes throughout the country, I wonder whether in fact the % increase is not significant.

[Kate de S]

Bit of advance notice - we expect the webinar to be held on September 17th, probably in the afternoon. Watch this board for confirmation.

[Kate de S]

Sorry - but owing to technical problems we have had to postpone this event till October. All members will receive a mailing once we are able to confirm the new date.

In the meantime, don't miss the videos (see above for link) - they're getting great reviews.

WEBINAR ON OCTOBER 8TH AT 2.30 PM. MORE INFO COMING SOON.

[Kate de S]

Here is how to sign up for the webinar on the 8th:

We will be using a online meeting software called Netviewer Meeting. 

STEP 1 Go to the following link and download a copy of the Netviewer Meeting 'Participant' program for you to install:
http://www.netviewer.com/en/service-support/downloadcenter/.  It's a very small program and once installed will enable you to access the online conferencing service. 

STEP 2 Please then email webevents@aecb.net to tell us you wish to attend, and to request your event joining code -- then keep it in a safe place till Friday!

STEP 3 In order to ‘attend’ the webinar on Friday the 8th, you will need to start up the Netviewer Meeting 'Participant' program on your computer shortly before 14.30 pm, and enter the event joining code when asked.

The event will begin with a viewing of the video tours. This will be followed by a panel-led discussion and conclude with a question and answer session where all participants will be invited to submit their questions. 

The seminar will address your technical questions about the detail of these retrofits, and will also answer questions relating to the overall benefits to landlords, occupants, and the wider sustainability agenda.

The experts present to answer your questions include PHPP expert, trainer and Passivhaus Certifier Peter Warm, architects Justin Bere, Mark Elton and Bob Prewett; and Jack Skinner, sustainability manager from Hyde Housing, to talk about the client perspective.

A great opportunity to get your particular questions answered by people who have been there too!

If you need anything else explaining email the address above or better still,  post your question here.

[Frances Voelcker]

Just seen the video clips. Very glad at last that the existing stock is being tackled. Interesting as a start  but thin on detail:
1.In the brick terrace house, film showed only joists in rear wall with external insulation. Did the joist hangers used to support the joists at the front wall bear on the brickwork and if so was there a DPM between masonry and joist hanger/joist end? or was the joisthanger supported by the studwork/insulation/sheathing sandwich?
2. There was no info on vapour barriers and their locations when using internal insulation. Is the sheathing considered to form the vapour barrier? In the community centre roof, the architect confirmed an airtightness membrane outside the insulation but not a VB inside.
3. Except for towers, little info on types of insulation - 280mm of what plus render on rear of terraced house? What was the insu in the internal sandwich? In community centre, 200mm of what below ground, of what above ground?
4. Costs. Ballpark info on rates/m2 wall area of each type of upgrade; and for MVHR wouild be a great help.

 

[Paul jennings]

I have just viewed the video clips and found them useful - but I suspect that to get them really useful will take significant extra works. Basically we'll need diagrams/ sections showing us precise details of the specific elements or insulation materials (e.g. Bob Prewett's joist hanger) and the airtightness strategy, also cost breakdowns and explanations are going to be requested - although with Retrofit for the Future projects those preparing the case studies will have to be careful to identify those costs which would apply in general use, rather than those which were specific to a demonstration/research project.

Could I make a plea for a standard format of case study to be developed - ideally that meshes with the low energy building database - if this is not already in the pipeline.  I would hope that this operated as a summary with a bunch of additional documents available to download e.g. Plans & elevations, sections, before & after photos, details of particular elements, RfF report (if applicable), an explanation of the air barrier strategy, airtightness testing results & experience, problems experienced and dealt with, costings, monitoring experience (in time) etc. etc.

Well done for this project, hopefully we'll see more video information like this in due course.  Regards,  Paul Jennings

[Rob Rickey]

I agree that the details are highly valuable. My first question to all of the designer is: what would you do if your budget were cut in half? Second, in this era of austerity, what is the most likely funding mechanism for the wholesale upgrading of housing? Should we join together in lobbying for government support for this essential work?