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| The terraced house inside a laboratory | The terraced house inside a laboratory |
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| In order to help the UK meet its energy reduction goals, scientists have dismantled a terraced house and rebuilt it inside a laboratory. The aim is to look for ways of making the rest of the country's homes greener, cheaper and warmer. | In order to help the UK meet its energy reduction goals, scientists have dismantled a terraced house and rebuilt it inside a laboratory. The aim is to look for ways of making the rest of the country's homes greener, cheaper and warmer. |
| Richard Fitton, lead researcher on the University of Salford's Energy House, spends a lot of time in a small red-brick terraced house. He turns the television on, he adjusts the thermostat, he opens and closes drawers, and draws the curtains. | Richard Fitton, lead researcher on the University of Salford's Energy House, spends a lot of time in a small red-brick terraced house. He turns the television on, he adjusts the thermostat, he opens and closes drawers, and draws the curtains. |
| But this typical Victorian-era home isn't where he lives, it's where he works. The building has been carefully taken apart and rebuilt inside a chamber at the university's School of the Built Environment. And this house could be key to helping Britain meet its energy reduction goals. | But this typical Victorian-era home isn't where he lives, it's where he works. The building has been carefully taken apart and rebuilt inside a chamber at the university's School of the Built Environment. And this house could be key to helping Britain meet its energy reduction goals. |
| "You could be saving 60% or 70% of your energy bills year-on-year. You'll also end up with a more comfortable house, a house that's easier to heat and where the acoustics will be better," he tells BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money programme. | "You could be saving 60% or 70% of your energy bills year-on-year. You'll also end up with a more comfortable house, a house that's easier to heat and where the acoustics will be better," he tells BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up to Money programme. |
| The house itself is simultaneously normal and bizarre. Normal because it's an everyday end-of-terrace, a common sight in every town and city. | The house itself is simultaneously normal and bizarre. Normal because it's an everyday end-of-terrace, a common sight in every town and city. |
| Bizarre because it's built in the centre of a large, pipe-filled laboratory, where a team of white-coated scientists freeze it, heat it and soak it with rainwater as they test the best ways to conserve energy. | Bizarre because it's built in the centre of a large, pipe-filled laboratory, where a team of white-coated scientists freeze it, heat it and soak it with rainwater as they test the best ways to conserve energy. |
| "[It's] a large environmental chamber, arguably a large fridge. We can make the conditions in there change according to the weather we're looking at, so we can take it down to -12C or we can put it up to 30C," says Dr Fitton. | |
| The house isn't occupied during testing; it's dotted with white cylinders that give off the same amount of energy as a person. But if someone were to move in, they would find everything they need. | The house isn't occupied during testing; it's dotted with white cylinders that give off the same amount of energy as a person. But if someone were to move in, they would find everything they need. |
| "Everything works, the TV, the fridge, the DVD player," he explains. "They all have to work to generate the correct amounts of energy and generate the correct amount of heat." | "Everything works, the TV, the fridge, the DVD player," he explains. "They all have to work to generate the correct amounts of energy and generate the correct amount of heat." |
| Much of the research carried out by the Salford team highlights how much can be saved just by changing our behaviour. For instance, drawing the curtains across a single glazed window can save around 20% of the heat normally lost. | Much of the research carried out by the Salford team highlights how much can be saved just by changing our behaviour. For instance, drawing the curtains across a single glazed window can save around 20% of the heat normally lost. |
| Controlling the boiler by turning down thermostats or turning off unused radiators can lead to savings of around 40%. | Controlling the boiler by turning down thermostats or turning off unused radiators can lead to savings of around 40%. |
| And the house can demonstrate the significant savings that can be made with retrofitting. | And the house can demonstrate the significant savings that can be made with retrofitting. |
| "Heat rises and that's a big problem with heat loss in buildings," says Dr Fitton. "If we take a typical 100mm (4in) of insulation, which a lot of people have got in their lofts, and we upgrade that to 270mm (10in) we can make about a 5% saving." | "Heat rises and that's a big problem with heat loss in buildings," says Dr Fitton. "If we take a typical 100mm (4in) of insulation, which a lot of people have got in their lofts, and we upgrade that to 270mm (10in) we can make about a 5% saving." |
| Because the lab is capable of measuring tiny changes in energy use and efficiency, some of the savings it can demonstrate are simply not worth the effort. | Because the lab is capable of measuring tiny changes in energy use and efficiency, some of the savings it can demonstrate are simply not worth the effort. |
| "[The colour] of the walls makes a difference to how the wall absorbs and transmits heat. A black wall will absorb heat more than a white wall and a silver wall will reflect heat." | "[The colour] of the walls makes a difference to how the wall absorbs and transmits heat. A black wall will absorb heat more than a white wall and a silver wall will reflect heat." |
| So should we be painting rooms silver in our quest for greener homes? "You're not going to notice any considerable differences so I wouldn't advise it." | So should we be painting rooms silver in our quest for greener homes? "You're not going to notice any considerable differences so I wouldn't advise it." |
| About 30% of the energy used in the UK is used within homes and a fifth of those homes are similar to the Energy House, meaning that without extensive upgrades they are draughty and very inefficient. | About 30% of the energy used in the UK is used within homes and a fifth of those homes are similar to the Energy House, meaning that without extensive upgrades they are draughty and very inefficient. |
| Most new-build homes benefit from the latest developments in energy-saving technology, and are typically £629 a year cheaper to run than older properties. | Most new-build homes benefit from the latest developments in energy-saving technology, and are typically £629 a year cheaper to run than older properties. |
| That's why the Salford scientists want to test ways to upgrade existing, older housing stock - to lower energy bills, to create warmer homes and to cut emissions. | That's why the Salford scientists want to test ways to upgrade existing, older housing stock - to lower energy bills, to create warmer homes and to cut emissions. |
| A home like the Energy House that has not been upgraded could be made significantly more energy-efficient but only with considerable investment. | A home like the Energy House that has not been upgraded could be made significantly more energy-efficient but only with considerable investment. |
| "To make substantial savings involves things like floor insulation, wall insulation, new windows and doors," says Dr Fitton. | "To make substantial savings involves things like floor insulation, wall insulation, new windows and doors," says Dr Fitton. |
| "That doesn't come cheap, that package of work might be £15,000 to £16,000 but ultimately you'll be saving 60-70% of your energy bills, year-on-year." | "That doesn't come cheap, that package of work might be £15,000 to £16,000 but ultimately you'll be saving 60-70% of your energy bills, year-on-year." |
| Such savings could make a huge difference to some of the poorest households in the UK if they could access them. | Such savings could make a huge difference to some of the poorest households in the UK if they could access them. |
| The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) says that improving energy efficiency could permanently reduce typical household energy bills by £300 a year and lift nine out of 10 UK homes out of fuel poverty. | The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) says that improving energy efficiency could permanently reduce typical household energy bills by £300 a year and lift nine out of 10 UK homes out of fuel poverty. |
| It could also be key to meeting tough emissions targets. | It could also be key to meeting tough emissions targets. |
| Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UKGBC, has expressed concern that the country is not doing enough to retrofit older homes. | Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UKGBC, has expressed concern that the country is not doing enough to retrofit older homes. |
| She said earlier this year: "To achieve our national carbon target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050, we will need to improve almost all of the UK's 26 million homes with energy-efficiency retrofits. | She said earlier this year: "To achieve our national carbon target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050, we will need to improve almost all of the UK's 26 million homes with energy-efficiency retrofits. |
| "That means we need to retrofit more than 1.5 homes every minute between now and 2050!" | "That means we need to retrofit more than 1.5 homes every minute between now and 2050!" |
| Salford's terraced-home-in-a-lab is demonstrating exactly what work is needed. | Salford's terraced-home-in-a-lab is demonstrating exactly what work is needed. |