Energy Calculations

At The Green Home, we realise that before any renewable energy systems are installed the 'envelope' of the building needs to be as efficient as possible. It is always better to minimise your energy requirement than rely on renewables. For many existing dwellings, improving the envelope can be very difficult, the insulation values and construction materials are literally cast in stone. However, for new buildings there is the opportunity to reduce the running costs of the property through careful design and the use of energy calculations. That is why we have teamed up with Melin Energy Consultants who can advice you on a variety of energy calculations and assessments, which will help you reduce your future energy bills. 

Air Tightness Testing

Gaps and cracks within the building fabric are often difficult to detect simply by visual inspection. The only satisfactory way therefore to ensure that the building fabric is airtight to a reasonable standard is to measure the air leakage of the building as a whole. Air tightness testing is a recognised method of measuring the extent to which air is lost through leaks in the building fabric. By identifying draughts and uncontrolled air flow, corrective measures can be taken to improve the overall efficiency of your building.

Performance Certificates

Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates educate the general public and house buyers on the efficiency of the building they are looking to purchase or use. It is now a legal requirement that all new, recently sold and rented commercial and domestic properties have an EPC.

Code for Sustainable Homes

As from September 2010 compliance to the Code for Sustainable Homes (Level 3) became mandatory. A buildings performance is based against 9 sustainability criteria to produce an overall environmental impact. The code sets new standards for energy efficiency, with the mandatory requirement level becoming progressively higher. Melin Energy and The Green Home and help assess your project and find the right technology that will help you meet the criteria.

BREEAM Assessments

Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method is a criteria similar to the code for sustainable homes, for commercial and public buildings. Like the code for sustainable homes, the criteria to pass will become progressively higher as the Government moves the building industry towards a zero carbon future. 

SAP and SBEM Calculations

SAP and SBEM use calculations that estimate the energy efficiency of a proposed building project. The calculations are based on specialist software which assigns energy based properties to the materials proposed in the construction to estimate energy usage of the building.