This project is at Salford University, just down the East Lancs from our site.
Several companies are collaborating, setting aside all commercial sensitivities, to contribute to this project. Two detached house styles, currently on sale at developments across the UK from different mainstream builders, have been constructed inside a climate chamber. The weather conditions can be altered to simulate general patterns across the UK or even the world. On our visit, the conditions were as extreme as -20 degrees C! One of the homes uses traditional brick construction and the other offsite modular construction. Both use the latest products and technology to offer maximum utility conservation, ensuring energy-saving performance.
The primary objective is to run the houses as living homes and assess the performance of various heating systems, water usage, lighting, power generation, and Glazing. This evaluation will provide crucial data for future energy-efficient home designs.
Regency has supplied the glass for this first stage. It is 28mm double glazing, using Planitherm Total +, 16mm or 20mm warm edge spacer with Argon filled cavity. The 2nd panes are a range of standard clear glass types to meet building regs in place at this time. (4mm clear or 6.8mm Lam)
After an evaluation, the glazing will be changed to 36mm triple glazing. These will use Planitherm One instead of Planitherm Total +. Argon-filled cavities with warm edge spacers will both be 12mm, or where laminate is required, one 10mm and one 12mm. This will be glazed into the same frame and is designed to meet the Future Homes Standard (FHS) for windows of 0.8W/m2.K.
Further evaluation will take place, and the results will show the benefits of triple glazing over double glazing, enabling new homes to be carbon neutral.
We eagerly await the results in late 2023/early 2024.
