In June 2023 our first online educational event was an expert presentation on the building physics to be considered in contemplating energy efficiency retrofit interventions “Insulation vs Ventilation: How buildings ‘work’ in relation to retrofit“.
Our speaker was Dr Jon Stinson, of Building Research Solutions, based near Edinburgh. The recorded presentation is available for reference on our YouTube channel, and the notes include links to reference copies of the slide deck and outline speaker script.
Jon’s slides were excellent and his overview was comprehensive; there’s a lot of really useful information to be learned from being able to review the material at leisure.
The aim is to give Edinburgh residents an overview of the technical fundamentals to help puzzle through energy efficiency and building performance uncertainties (but without the scary maths). By the end of the session you should, for example, understand the distinctions between unwanted draughts and essential ventilation, and why commonplace foam block internal wall insulation might not be a good idea for traditional (pre 1919) buildings in the city. You will also have a clearer understanding of why skilled expert professional advice is a good idea when considering more significant energy retrofit interventions in an existing property.
We want to help create an educated public able to:
- understand why energy efficiency is not as simple as blocking every draught and insulating everything;
- gather the information advisable for making informed decisions;
- understand when ‘obvious choices’ may benefit from careful consideration or expert advice;
- ask the right questions and
- understand when recommendations may be based on poor understanding or insufficient knowledge.
Every building is different and every tenement is more than a collection of independent flats. Fully informed choices on what best to do in a particular property require knowledge of the particulars of that property/building. Generic recommendations given without such knowledge (for example from telephone advice services) are not always the best advice, but individual detailed analysis and advice can be expensive. This presentation will help you advance more confidently.