Efficiency
Draught-proofing works on air exchange rather than on materials
Uncontrolled air movement carries heat out of a building through a route insulation cannot touch, and…
· 3 min read
Efficiency
The unglamorous measures that beat generation on cost per unit saved.
20 articles · page 1 of 2
Insulation usually beats generation on cost per unit saved
A unit of energy never needed is worth more than a unit generated, and the measures that avoid needing it are generally cheaper than the ones that produce it.
By Kabir Anand · · 4 min read
Efficiency
Standby power is real and smaller than the folklore claims
The advice to switch everything off at the wall dates from equipment that no longer exists, and the…
· 3 min read
Efficiency
One degree on the thermostat, and the physics behind it
Heat leaves a building in proportion to the temperature difference across its fabric, which is why a small…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
Hot water is the load most households never look at
Water has an unusually high heat capacity, so heating it is one of the largest energy demands in a home…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
Sealing a house without ventilating it is how damp starts
Households generate several litres of water vapour a day, and the draughts that used to remove it are…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
Replacing windows is among the least rewarding energy measures
Glazing is expensive per square metre and windows are a modest share of a building’s surface, so the energy…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
Lighting stopped being a large number, and the advice has not caught up
The change from filament to solid-state lighting was close to an order of magnitude, which quietly demoted…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
The refrigerator never stops, which is why where it stands matters
A small load running every hour of the year outweighs large loads used briefly, and ambient temperature is…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
Keeping a house cool is mostly about stopping heat getting in
Once sunlight has passed through glass its energy is inside the building, so external shading beats every…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
Insulation is several different products solving several different problems
Fibre, rigid board, blown fill and reflective foil behave in quite different ways, and choosing by…
· 4 min read
Efficiency
A thermal bridge is a shortcut through the insulation
Heat concentrates wherever the path conducts best, so a small area of poorly insulated structure carries…
· 4 min read