Hard to Heat Homes - Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Hard to Heat
Homes Final Report

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Acknowledgements
The Housing Executive would like
to express its gratitude to all those
involved in the production of the
Hard to Heat Homes Report and in
particular the following:
The tenants who particpated in the
various pilot projects throughout
Northern Ireland.
The Partners: The Belfast Energy
Agency, (now the Northern Ireland
Energy Agency), N.I. Electricity,
DETI, Northern Health and Social
Services Board, DSD.

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Contents
Page
Chapter 1: Hard to Heat?
What exactly is a ‘hard to heat’ home? 4
How many? 5
Where are they? 6
Why are there no easy solutions? 7
Chapter 2: Why bother?
Fuel poverty
What is it? 8
What causes it? 8
What are the effects of it? 8
Why tackle it? 8
Government Targets
Kyoto 9
HECA 9
Air Quality 9
Fuel Poverty 9
Market Transformation
Reduce costs 9
Accessibility 9
Influence Policy 9
Other alternatives 9
Chapter 3: Who Cares?
Partners 10
Funding 10
Chapter 4: How to?
Steering Group 11
Property selection 11
The Technologies 11
Measures installed 13
Monitoring 16
Chapter 5: Getting it sorted
Difficulties encountered 17
Solutions 18
Chapter 6: Meet the tenants
Tenant case studies 19
Chapter 7: Lessons Learnt
Outcomes 22
Learning points 22
Recommendations 22
Conclusions 22

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter One:
Hard to Heat
“The ethos behind Hard
to Heat Homes is to
bring new solutions to a
very old problem”
Jenny Pyper, DETI
WHAT IS A HARD TO HEAT
HOME?
The widely accepted definition of a
hard to heat home is:
“A solid walled property which will
never be on the gas network”
For the occupants of this type of
dwelling, many of the standard
energy efficiency measures taken
for granted by the vast majority such
as highly efficient natural gas central
heating systems, or cavity wall
insulation, offer no solution to high
energy bills and a cold home.
The recommended temperature for
a healthy home is 18ºC for young
healthy adults and up to 24ºC for
elderly or very young children (World
Health Organisation). The cost of
maintaining these temperature
levels in an uninsulated solid walled
property would be significantly
higher than that of an insulated
cavity constructed dwelling. These
higher running costs can lead
low income households to take
other measures to reduce bills.
Information drawn from the Housing
Executive’s tenant omnibus survey.
indicates that 14.7% of Housing
Executive tenants feel it necessary
to take measures in winter time to
keep bills lower.
Table 1 shows the breakdown of
typical measures taken by tenants
to reduce heating costs. It would be
reasonable to conclude also, that
low income households in the owner
occupied and private rented sectors
would take similar measures to
control household bills.
Table 1: Measures taken to
reduce energy bills
No. %
Keep heating low/switch off 11,421 82.7
Minimise hot water use 3,659 26.5
Heat only one room at a time 4,801 34.7
Shower rather than have a bath 1,132 8.2
Stay in bed, wrap up warm 2,009 14.5
The most popular method for
reducing energy costs is either
turning off heating altogether or
turning off heating in unused rooms
only. This, coupled with a lack of
insulation in solid walled properties
can have the effect of creating
cold spots in the home leading
to condensation problems. Left
unchecked, mould growth created
by condensation will have a negative
impact upon the health of the
occupants as well as contributing to
disrepair within the property.

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Condensation and mould growth
HOW MANY HARD TO HEAT
HOMES IN NORTHERN
IRELAND?
Table 2: Wall Insulation in
Northern Ireland
1996
No.
% 2004
No.
Full CWI 219,600 36 406,500 60
Partial CWI 0 0 77,100 11
Dry Lining/Ext 0 0 44,900 7
No Wall Ins 382,900 64 151,500 22
Total 602,500 680,000
Table 2 shows the levels of wall
insulation in Northern Ireland and is
taken from the Housing Executive’s
2004 Interim House Condition
Survey. There has been a significant
improvement in the levels of cavity
wall insulation since 1996 but
some work still needs to be done
in this area. However, most of the
77,100 dwellings with partial cavity
wall insulation will be dwellings of
solid wall construction with cavity
wall extensions. Of the remaining
151,500 properties with no wall
insulation, a significant number of
these, over 50% are of solid wall
construction and therefore unable
to avail of the DSD’s Warm Homes
Grant or of the cash backs funded by
various organisations including the
Energy Efficiency Levy fund managed
by Northern Ireland Electricity.

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
WHERE ARE THEY?
Table 3: Wall Insulation
- Dwelling location
Cavity Wall
Insulation
Partial Cavity
Wall Insulation
Dry lining/
External
Insulation
No Wall
Insulation
Total
No % No % No % No % No %
BUA 105320 53.3 17700 9.0 20430 10.3 53980 27.3 197430 100.0
District Town 147300 67.7 21050 9.7 12130 5.6 37150 17.1 217630 100.0
Other Town 46010 70.1 5400 8.2 2400 3.7 11860 18.1 65670 100.0
Total Urban 298630 62.1 44150 9.2 34960 7.3 102990 21.4 480730 100.0
Small Rural
63240 71.2 6640 7.5 3080 3.5 15880 17.9 88840 100.0
Settlement
Isolated Rural 44610 40.4 26260 23.8 6890 6.2 32670 29.6 110430 100.0
Total Rural 107850 54.1 32900 16.5 9970 5.0 48550 24.4 199270 100.0
Total 406480 59.8 77050 11.3 44930 6.6 151540 22.3 680000 100.0
Table 3 shows the urban/rural split.
However, the two key factors in a
hard to heat home are not only wall
type but also access to the cheaper
and more efficient fuels. Phoenix
Natural Gas supplies the Belfast
Metropolitan Area, Larne, Bangor
and areas of Lisburn with Natural
Gas. The map opposite shows the
route that the new gas pipeline being
developed by Firmus Energy will
take. From this we can conclude that
the properties most hard to heat will
be the solid walled properties in rural
isolated or small rural settlements.
Below is a list of the towns to be
visited by Firmus Energy. The map is
provided courtesy of Firmus Energy.
North-West
Towns:
• Newry
• Banbridge
• Armagh
• Craigavon
• Antrim
South-North
Towns:
Ballymoney
Ballymena
Londonderry
Coleraine
Limavady
New gas pipelines

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
WHY ARE THERE NO EASY
SOLUTIONS?
The lack of access to a choice
of clean and efficient fuels is the
first and major problem in tackling
hard to heat homes. Natural gas is
the cleanest burning of the fossil
fuels; however, supply companies
are unable to bring the pipeline to
all dwellings. As existing customer
numbers grow the gas companies
are able to reinvest money to
develop the pipeline. However,
the considerable costs involved in
bringing the pipeline to rural isolated
dwellings or indeed small rural
settlements would result in huge
price hikes for existing customers
to fund the work. It is simply
uneconomical to bring gas supplies
to such areas. Whilst oil is available
the location of many of the dwellings
result in higher costs due to longer
delivery routes.
few new dwellings are of solid wall
construction the demand for solid
wall insulation is unlikely to increase
sufficiently to reduce costs to
affordable levels.
Payback time
“the length of time it
would take to recover
installation costs from
savings on energy bills”
There are two possible insulation
solutions for solid wall properties:
• Internal dry lining with insulation
• External stone cladding/rendering
with insulation
Of all of the basic energy efficiency
measures which can be taken to
reduce household bills, solid wall
insulation often proves to be the
most expensive. The high costs
and associated disruption that can
be caused by the installation of
solid wall insulation, particularly
internally, make it unsuitable in
many circumstances. Coupled with
that, the lengthy payback period (in
some cases up to 40 years) means
that it is not a very cost effective
solution and many householders and
landlords are unwilling or unable to
make the investment. The potential
for costs of solid wall insulation
to fall is low, given that since the
1930s, the majority of properties
use cavity wall construction, and new
building regulations are demanding
higher and higher standards. As

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter Two:
Why bother?
“Just because a job is
difficult, doesn’t mean
we shouldn’t do it”
Noel Rice
Northern Ireland
Housing Executive
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS
OF IT?
• Greater risk of ill health, flu, heart
disease, respiratory problems
etc;
• fuel debt and disconnection;
• excess winter deaths;
• greater discomfort - impairs
quality of life;
• social isolation;
• impairs opportunities for children;
and
• adds pressure to H&SS.
The flow chart shows possible
outcomes of ignoring the fuel
poverty challenge. Tackling the
problem of a cold home at source,
i.e., improving the thermal efficiency
of the dwelling can go a long way to
reducing longer term implications
not only for the occupant of the
dwelling but for society as a whole.
REASON ONE -
FUEL POVERTY
WHAT IS IT?
“A household is in fuel poverty
if, in order to maintain an
acceptable level of temperature
throughout the home, it would
have to spend more than 10% of
its income on all household fuel”
WHY TACKLE IT?
Aside from the obvious fact that
shelter and warmth are basic human
needs and that society should strive
to ensure that they are available
for all, there are other reasons to
tackle fuel poverty which are in the
interests of society as a whole and
not just the fuel poor themselves.
The cost to society
Fuel poverty
DSD’s Ending Fuel Poverty:
A Strategy for Northern Ireland.
Cold Home Property
Consequences
Cold Home
Society Consequences
Cold Home
Occupant consequences
WHAT CAUSES IT?
Fuel Poverty has three main
contributing factors:
• thermal efficiency of the dwelling;
• high fuel prices; and
• low income.
Damp and mould growth
Disrepair – property
becomes unfit for
habitation
Housing Stock reduced
Increased spending
on social housing
homelessness
Increased spending on
health and social services
High levels of debt
and less money for local
economy
Fuel debt/disconnection
Higher risk of ill health
Social isolation
– higher instances of
depression etc
Table 4:
The Northern Ireland Context
2001
No. %
2004
No. %
Total fuel poor 203,262 33 153,530 23.9
Vulnerable 181,000 30 126,000 20
households

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
REASON 2
- GOVERNMENT TARGETS
Table 5 - Solar Thermal Usage in
Europe
Tackling the issue of Hard to Heat
Homes will also have an impact
on various Government and global
targets.
• The Kyoto Agreement has a
target to reduce greenhouse
emissions by 5.4% with the UK
contribution being a reduction of
12.5%.
• The Home Energy Conservation
Act 1995 - introduced following
the Rio Earth Summit (1992)
named the Housing Executive as
the Home Energy Conservation
Authority for Northern Ireland
with a target to improve energy
efficiency of existing stock as at
April 1996 by 34%.
• The various City and Borough
Councils across the Province have
air quality and pollution targets to
meet.
• The DSD’s Fuel Poverty Strategy
has targets to eliminate fuel
poverty in vulnerable households
by 2010 and in non vulnerable
households by 2016.
“The Housing Executive
is currently reporting
a 20% improvement in
energy efficiency”
REASON 3 - MARKET
TRANSFORMATION
Belfast Energy Agency (now Energy
Agency) and Energy Action in 2001
produced the report ‘Solar Water
Heating - A Pilot Project’. In the
report they detailed the usage of
solar thermal technology in Europe.
Table 5 shows the situation in 2001.
Table 5 clearly shows that Ireland
lags behind even its colder
neighbours in the use of solar
thermal energy. Pilot Demonstration
Projects like Hard to Heat Homes
are designed to show the potential
of all of the renewable technologies
to a sceptical Northern Ireland
public. It is hoped that the market
for renewables can be transformed
and costs reduced by increased
investment from both householders
and developers once they see the
clear benefits being reaped.
There is much in the news lately
around energy issues in the long
term. Security of supply, high costs
and remaining stocks of fossil fuels
against ever increasing demand are
all concerns for Government who
clearly must act now to ensure the
long term future for energy supply.
Projects like Hard to Heat Homes
seek to inform Government Policy by
offering real solutions and ensuring
a “mixed bag” of energy options
for the future. It can demonstrate
the potential for renewables to be
a real alternative to the current
dependency on fossil fuels.

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter Three:
Who cares?
“The wealth of expertise
that partnership working
provides is absolutely
vital if we are to ensure
we get the best possible
solutions for the fuel
poor”
Katie Pilkington
Northern Ireland
Energy Agency
FUNDING
“The Partners”
In addition, a considerable amount
of ‘in kind’ support was provided by
the partner organisations in terms of
staff time, e.g., meetings, dwelling
surveys, tenant consultation, on
site supervision, post installation,
monitoring etc.
THE PARTNERS
Experience of similar style projects
in the past clearly demonstrates
that the most effective way to bring
such a project forward is for all
organisations concerned to work
together. The innovative nature of the
project was not only reflected in the
technologies used but in the range
of organisations (listed below) who
came together to make it work.
The Belfast Energy Agency
(now the Northern Ireland Energy
Agency)
Northern Ireland Housing
Executive
Northern Ireland Electricity
Department of Enterprise Trade
and Investment
Northern Health and Social
Services Board
Department for Social
Development
INCOME £
Northern Health Board 5,000
NIE Eco Energy Fund 22,000
NIE Energy Efficiency Levy 2,000
NIE Smart Programme 10,000
NIE PV top up grant 1,939
DTI PV 6,464
DETI Energy Demonstration Scheme 16,000
Northern Ireland Housing Executive 13,027
Warmflow 600
Action Renewables 5,796
Bryson House (in kind) 11,101
Total 93,927
Expenditure £
Energy Efficiency Measures 1,510.00
Monitoring 7,992.00
Consultant 9,101.00
Wind Turbine (Portrush & Cushendall) 14,590.00
Solar Collector, GSHP and Underfloor heating
10,170.00
(Ballycastle)
Nuaire System (Markethill) 7,478.00
PV (1.28Kw)(Portrush) 8,746.67
PV (1 Kw) and SWH (Killyleagh) 10,500.00
Workflow boiler 600.00
Project Management 23,239.00
Total 93,927.00
10

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter Four:
How to?
“By taking a pro active
approach to installing
these new technologies,
the Housing Executive
can gauge what is cost
effective and practical
in alleviating fuel
poverty”
Barry Steele
Northern Ireland Housing
Executive
STEERING GROUP
Once the partners had been
identified, a Steering Group
with members from all of the
organisations was formed. It was the
job of the Steering Group to move
the project forward. Criteria were
drawn up for property selection
and potential funding streams
were identified. Here, the wealth of
experience was crucial in maximising
funding potential. The Belfast Energy
Agency took on the role of project
management and their experience
with previous schemes assisted
them in making successful funding
applications. It was decided that
regular meetings of the steering
group were vital to keep all partners
updated on progress and to quickly
resolve any problems which might
occur. Monthly meetings were
arranged but a degree of flexibility
meant that ad hoc meetings could
take place as required.
PROPERTY SELECTION
A trawl of the Housing Executive’s
37 District Offices was carried
out to get a list of properties that
might be suitable for inclusion in the
scheme. Each District Manager was
requested to submit addresses of
properties that met various criteria;
• Rural isolated
• Solid walled
• Outside the gas network
• Settled tenancy
From the list of properties that were
submitted, which totalled over 50,
a survey of each was carried out.
The survey was to establish not
only if the dwelling was suitable
for inclusion in the scheme but
also, would the tenant be willing to
partake in what was essentially a
research project, with no guarantees
that the installed technologies
would be trouble free. Since it was
a research project there would also
be occasions when people would
want to visit the house for a variety
of reasons. This could include
monitoring, people from different
organisations wanting to see the
technologies and ask questions and
also possibly take part in publicity
events surrounding the installations.
Four properties, from the original
list of over 50, stood out from the
rest. Not only were the properties
suitable for the installations of the
various technologies, but the tenants
were also very positive and willing to
take part. The properties selected
were also widely distributed across
the Province with one in Killyleagh,
Co. Down, one in Markethill, Co.
Armagh, one in Ballycastle, Co.
Antrim and one in Portrush, Co.
Antrim.
THE TECHNOLOGIES
Solar Thermal Panels
Solar thermal panels are roof
mounted panels that use solar
radiation to heat water. Panels do
not rely entirely on direct sunlight
but can also use infrared rays,
which can penetrate clouds, on days
when there is no direct sunlight. The
panels are normally used to provide
domestic hot water only. There are
two types of solar thermal panel,
evacuated tube and flat plate.
The evacuated tube panels are
generally considered to be the
most efficient because they have
a greater surface area for a given
size of panel. The tubes are installed
individually and each tube contains
a heat collector plate and heat
transfer tube sealed in a vacuum.
The flat plate panels come in various
shapes but most will contain an
absorber plate to collect the solar
radiation and infrared light which
is converted into heat. This heat
is transferred to copper pipes
containing a solution of water and
anti-freeze.
A new hot water cylinder containing
twin coils is required for solar
thermal installations.
The panels will work best on south
facing roofs but can also operate
successfully between South
East and South West. It may be
necessary to install a larger panel
as the orientation gets further away
from south.
To get the most from the hot water
provided by the solar panel it is
best to have a shower fed from the
cylinder rather than an instantaneous
electric shower.
Other factors also need to be
taken into consideration with any
solar technology. The surveyor
should ensure that there is no
shadowing on the panel from other
buildings. Tree growth also needs
to be monitored where there is
potential for shadowing in the
longer term. Anyone considering
a panel should look at their overall
hot water demand. A large family
will get maximum benefit from the
11

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
panel leading to a shorter payback
period. A single person household
may never actually use all of the
hot water being generated and
will therefore have a much longer
payback.
Photovoltaic Panels
Generally speaking,
it will be more cost
effective to use any
electricity generated
rather than spill to the
grid as the price per
unit to sell is less than
to buy.
Photovoltaic panels are solar panels
that convert light into electricity. The
panels are normally roof mounted
but can be manufactured in other
forms e.g. wall cladding. The panels
generate the maximum amount of
electricity around mid-day, when light
intensity is at its highest. Panels are
normally connected straight into
the electric system. If the electric
generated is not used it is lost
back into the grid. Import/export
meters can be used to determine
the amount of electricity spilled
back into the grid. NIE will pay a
remuneration for spilled electricity
and NIROCS (Northern Ireland
Renewable Obligation Certificates)
can be applied for, to supplement
the spillage payment.
Ground Source Heat Pump
A Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP)
is a central heating system which
makes use of solar energy, which
has been absorbed into the ground,
to heat water.
A ground loop/array, or ‘slinky’, is
buried in the garden at a depth of
about 1 to 1.5 metres depending on
ground conditions. Water, circulating
around this ground array, settles
at the ambient temperature of the
surrounding ground. The heat in
the water is then transferred to the
heat pump where it is compressed
and goes through a process of
evaporation and condensation which
raises the temperature to about
35°C. Water at this temperature is
perfectly suitable for an underfloor
heating system. It is too low for
normal radiators unless they are
oversized to compensate for the
lower temperature. The water
returning from the heat pump to
the ground array is now at a lower
temperature, having given up its
heat. It circulates back around the
garden re-absorbing the heat in the
ground and repeating the process.
A GSHP normally provides central
heating only. The water temperature
is too low for domestic hot water
which should be at about 60°C in
order to destroy bacteria in the
cylinder. The GSHP is normally
used in conjunction with a solar
thermal panel on the roof to
provide domestic hot water with an
immersion heater back-up.
Ground loop/array
Wind Turbine
Any wind turbine
installed with grant
aid must be grid
connected.
Wind turbines are now available as
small scale roof mounted units as
well as free standing. Turbines can
be connected, through an inverter
which changes the direct current
to alternating current, straight into
the grid. They can also be used in
conjunction with batteries, although
they tend to be expensive, have
a limited life and require regular
maintenance. Turbines, to be
successful, should only be erected
in exposed sites which will give
them the correct wind conditions to
operate at their maximum potential.
Small scale turbines are normally
bolted onto a wall such as a
structurally sound gable wall.
Chimneys are not recommended
because of the load placed on them.
A structural survey should be carried
out on the wall to be used to make
sure it is capable of bearing the
load.
Solar Ventilation System
As insulation levels increase and
houses become more and more
airtight, the need for mechanical
ventilation becomes increasingly
important. Nuaire Ltd have
developed a solar powered
ventilation system which utilises two
solar air panels on the roof. The
air in the solar panels, which must
be facing due south, is heated by
solar radiation and blown down into
the dwelling through an outlet in the
ceiling. The air is filtered through an
air handling unit in the roofspace.
12

Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Ducts also lead into the roofspace
and to the outside of the dwelling
on the north side. A simple control
device allows the householder to
select warm air or cool air. If warm air
is selected, the unit in the roofspace
decides whether the warmest source
of air is in the solar panels or the
roofspace and draws that air through
the filter and blows it into the house.
If cool air is selected it draws the air
from outside the house, filters it and
blows it in through the outlet. If there
is warm air in the solar panels which
is not needed it is diverted through a
heat exchanger to heat water in the
hot cylinder.
The system should generate
significant energy savings by
providing pre-warmed air or
domestic hot water. It should also
provide improved comfort levels with
constant air changes using filtered
fresh air.
Oil Condensing Boiler
Oil condensing boilers are a recent
improvement on high efficiency
boilers. Condensing boilers have
been available in gas installations
for some time but have not, until
recently, been available in oil. The
hot flue gas normally given off from
the boiler is re-circulated to provide
additional heating. The flue gas
eventually given off is cool, having
given off all its heat. This makes
the boiler much more efficient than
non condensing boilers since nearly
all the heat produced is used. Cool
flue gas makes the unit prone to
condensation, which is why the
boiler is constructed from stainless
steel. The condensate, which is
slightly acidic, is drained to a nearby
gulley trap.
MEASURES INSTALLED AT
EACH PROPERTY
Portrush
This dwelling, a two storey semi
Oil condensing boiler being tested
detached house, is situated on a
hillside overlooking the Atlantic
Ocean. The site is completely
exposed to the Atlantic and the
house has a southerly orientation.
The obvious technologies to
consider therefore were wind
and solar. Planning Approval was
sought for the erection of a 2.5kW
proven wind turbine. This turbine
is mounted on an 11m high tower
and was erected in the corner of
the large side garden. Consideration
was given as to which of the solar
technologies would be of more
benefit to the tenants, solar thermal
or photovoltaics. It was decided that
photovoltaics would contribute more
savings so 1.5kW of photovoltaics
were installed on the rear, south
facing roof.
The house had a solid fuel central
heating system fed from a glass
fronted room heater. Since we
were installing two renewable
technologies in the house it was
felt that we couldn’t walk away
leaving one of the most polluting
fossil fuels in place. At the time
of the installations we were aware
that Warmflow, a major boiler
manufacturer based in Lisburn, was
developing an oil condensing boiler.
Warmflow was approached and they
were delighted to provide an oil
condensing boiler for the scheme.
It was an opportunity for them to
trial the boiler under real conditions
rather than the laboratory.
The wind turbine was the last
installation to be completed and was
erected just before Christmas 2004.
Early in January 2005, a complaint
was received by the Housing
Executive from a neighbouring
householder with regard to
noise from the turbine. Following
discussions with the neighbours, it
was decided to remove the turbine
and find an alternative location. It
should be noted, however, that all
necessary procedures had been
fully complied with by the Housing
Executive in erecting the turbine.
Full planning approval had been
granted and a noise assessment had
been carried out which determined
that noise levels were well within
acceptable levels. The decision to
relocate the turbine was taken in the
interest of ensuring good neighbour
relations and not as a result of
the turbine breaching any legal
requirements.
The wind turbine has since been
successfully relocated to a rural
cottage in Cushendall with no further
problems reported.
Wind turbine at Portrush
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
ground source heat pump was not
considered because of the necessity
to provide under floor heating.
Funding had been received from the
DETI for the installation of a solar
powered ventilation system. Since
the orientation of the cottage was
suitable for a solar installation and
the property had condensation and
ventilation problems it was decided
that this was the most appropriate
technology. The system installed
was the Nuaire Sunwarm ventilation
unit.
Ballycastle
Solar panels at Killyleagh
Killyleagh
Markethill
This property is a typical single
storey labourer’s cottage with a
modern kitchen/bathroom extension
at the back. The cottage is situated
on a large site on the outskirts
of Killyleagh in Co Down. The
property was renovated a few years
previously when the extension was
added and oil fired central heating
was installed.
The cottage has a south facing roof
at the rear making it suitable for the
installation of solar panels.
The site is sheltered making wind
unsuitable. The cottage is situated
on a fairly large site making a
ground source heat pump an option
but this was discounted because
of the need to provide underfloor
heating and the disruption that it
would entail.
A Viessmann flat plate solar thermal
panel was installed on the roof to
provide domestic hot water and a
1kW photovoltaic panel was also
installed to help with the electric bill.
Both panels were installed in May
2004.
Solar ventilation system in Markethill
This property is another typical
labourer’s cottage with a modern
kitchen/bathroom extension at the
rear. This property had also been
renovated in the recent past with
the inclusion of oil fired heating.
The cottage had a southerly aspect
to the rear and was situated on an
extensive site on the outskirts of
Markethill.
The site again suited solar. Wind
was discounted because of its
reasonably sheltered position and a
Solar panel at Ballycastle
The property in Ballycastle is a
semi-detached house situated on the
outskirts of the town. It is in a very
exposed position with a south facing
orientation.
The position suited both solar
and wind technologies but a wind
turbine was discounted because
of the number of electric and
telephone wires that were crossing
the site. The house was going
to be renovated under a major
improvement scheme and the
tenant decanted, so it was a good
opportunity to consider a ground
source heat pump. The rear garden
was large enough for a ground array
although it was an awkward shape,
being long and narrow.
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
A Thermomax solar thermal panel
was installed on the front, south
facing roof. This was to provide
domestic hot water because the
GSHP will only provide hot water for
central heating.
The ground floor was removed
as part of the renovations and an
underfloor heating system was
installed as part of the newly laid
concrete floor. Oversized radiators
were used upstairs to give sufficient
heat. A boiler house was built at the
back of the house to contain the
heat pump, which is a Transen unit
manufactured locally in Garvagh.
The ground loop was installed in the
back garden at a depth varying from
1 to 2 metres. The ground loop
has to have a minimum separation
between pipes in order to allow the
ground to regain the heat it lost to
the circulating water. The narrow
nature of the garden meant that
some of the pipes had to be buried
at a greater depth to achieve the
separation.
A small 1.5kW wind turbine was
considered in order to offset the
electric used in running the heat
pump. The turbine, a Windsave
unit, was small enough not to
interfere with the overhead lines
but eventually had to be rejected
because the gable wall, where it
was to be mounted, proved to be
structurally unsuitable.
Cushendall
The Steering Group set about the
search for a new site suitable for
the re-erection of the wind turbine
following its removal from Portrush.
A trawl of the Housing Executive’s
District Offices threw up several
possible sites. After a survey of
the sites and consultations with
the various tenants, the site in
Cushendall was eventually selected.
The site offered very good wind
resources, since it was situated on a
prominent position overlooking the
Irish Sea and was sufficiently remote
to have little or no impact on any
neighbours.
The tenant was taken to see
a similar turbine, installed at a
different location, to make sure she
knew what the turbine both looked
and sounded like. The tenant was
happy with the installation and
gave approval to go ahead with the
erection of the turbine. A suitable
location was selected, on what was
an extensive site, and the turbine
was erected in April 2007 after
Planning Approval was received.
Monitoring:
Turbine at Cushendall
A company specialising in monitoring
energy use was appointed by
the Steering Group. Monitoring
equipment was then installed in all
four properties and included data
loggers, electricity meters, internal
and external temperature sensors,
relative humidity sensors and oil flow
meters. This equipment should give
a comprehensive picture of energy
use and the energy provided by the
various renewable technologies.
The monitoring equipment was to
be installed for a period of twelve
months with results reported on a
monthly basis. Special telephone
lines were set up by BT in each
property so that the data could be
downloaded remotely.
In reality the results were supplied
on an irregular basis with large
quantities of data missing.
This was attributed to faulty
equipment or disconnected call
signs. The data provided fell well
short of what would be required to
make any meaningful conclusions
and has been discounted as having
any value.
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter five:
Getting it
sorted!
“The whole point of pilot
projects like this one
is to identify barriers
to mainstreaming and
more importantly, find
ways to overcome
them”
Jenny Boyd
Northern Ireland Electricity
Difficulties Encountered:
1. One of the primary difficulties
with renewable technologies is
ensuring that the site meets the
requirements of the technology.
Many sites at first glance can
appear to be ideal; however it
is essential to carry out detailed
investigations to ensure that
the technology will continue
to function at optimum level
into the future. Examples of
difficulties which are likely to be
encountered in relation to sites:
• Off site trees or buildings
blocking wind flow or causing
turbulence affecting potential
turbine performance
• Shadows from buildings or trees
falling onto solar panel position
• Insufficient outdoor space to lay
pipe work for ground source heat
pump
• Inability to install under floor
heating system due to disruption
for tenants
• Working tenants who would not
be in a position to maximise
usage of electricity from PV
panels as they are not at home
during the day
• South facing roof suitable for
solar thermal panel but very low
hot water demand in the home
• Good south facing roof but
insufficient space in the loft
or lack of access for solar
ventilation ducts
RECOMMENDATION: It is critical
that any technologies installed
especially for vulnerable
households, be guaranteed
in the long term and are cost
effective for the householder.
Attention should be paid also
to potential future problems
such as small trees which
may grow and throw a shadow
on solar panels or affect the
performance of a wind turbine
in the future. Consultation with
potential recipients should point
this out.
2. The second major difficulty
involved the Ballycastle property.
The Ground Source Heat Pump
installed requires a certain
amount of electricity to operate.
It had been decided to offset
the electricity usage by installing
a roof mounted wind turbine.
However, when we came to
install the turbine it was found
that because of the age of
the dwelling and the type of
construction, the wall would not
be capable of holding the load
created by the turbine and the
installation had to be abandoned.
Whilst every effort was made at
the outset to ensure suitability, it
is almost impossible with brand
new technologies like the micro
turbines to anticipate every
eventuality.
RECOMMENDATION: It is critical
that detailed expert advice
is sought before any work is
undertaken.
RECOMMENDATION: We would,
in the circumstances, advise
caution during consultation with
prospective recipients to ensure
that expectations are not raised
too far beyond what can be
delivered.
3. In returning to some of the
tenants some months after the
installation of the technologies, it
was discovered that some faults
had developed. Tenants had
experienced a degree of difficulty
in accessing the right person to
correct the faults. This had led
to delays in repair and in some
instances to the technologies
being out of action for a period
of time. It is easy when putting
together a scheme to focus on
installations and the benefits
these will bring to recipients with
less emphasis being placed on
follow up once the scheme is
complete. Whilst the Housing
Executive does have clear
routes for tenants to follow in
getting repairs etc, even a small
breakdown in communications
can lead to someone perhaps
being left without heat at a crucial
time. This can be a particular
problem with new or innovative
technologies. An additional
difficulty with renewable
technologies is that there are
smaller numbers of qualified
installers who are often extremely
busy on other installations. This
can lead to situations where it is
difficult to get a quick response
when maintenance or repairs are
required.
RECOMMENDATION: It is
essential to have a long
term plan in place for the
maintenance and repair of the
system. It is even more vital for
schemes in the private sector
to have a long term plan where
householders will not have
Housing Executive back up.
Whilst the scheme itself cannot
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
be responsible for technologies
indefinitely; they do need to
leave householders with clear
instructions on how to access
help if and when required.
RECOMMENDATION: Any
scheme should ensure that
the householder can afford to
maintain the system in the long
term.
4. Control panels and time clocks
can be difficult to manage for
people moving from coal fires
to other types of central heating
systems. Verbal consultation on
using the system may not always
be enough.
RECOMMENDATION: A one to
one consultation should take
place on the operation of the
system with written instructions
left for the householder.
5. When it came to monitoring of
the properties to determine how
effective the technologies were
in reducing energy consumption,
a monitoring company was
appointed to provide the data.
However, the reports received
were not in a format which was
meaningful to the layman. A clear
breakdown in communication had
occurred.
RECOMMENDATION: A clear
brief needs to be drawn up by
the Steering Group prior to the
appointment of any contractor to
ensure that the data is presented
in a format which is accessible
to all. Ask to see previous similar
monitoring reports to ensure
they meet the criteria.
6. Some of the technologies installed
require either Building Control or
Planning Approval. It should be
remembered that these costs
need to be included in any budget
at the outset. The main difficulty
encountered by the scheme was
in getting planning approval for
the wind turbine. This took around
one year. This timescale could
badly affect schemes where
funding has been allocated and
needs to be spent within a certain
time frame.
y across the Province.
RECOMMENDATION: Ensure
funding in place for necessary
approvals.
7. The situation which arose with
the 2.5kW wind turbine at
the Portrush property clearly
demonstrates that problems
can still occur even when all the
correct procedures have been
followed.
RECOMMENDATION: Whilst
these situations can never
be completely eliminated, it
demonstrates the need for
detailed consultation not only
with the householder but also
with others in the immediate
area that may be affected by
either noise or disruption of any
kind, e.g. bringing in diggers to
lay a Ground Source Heat Pump.
8. As a ground source heat pump
uses a certain amount of
electricity, negotiations took place
with NIE to allow the heat pump
to be run on the Economy 7 tariff.
There was a delay in changing
the electricity tariff which led to
the tenant paying the higher tariff
longer than necessary.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consideration should be given
at the outset to what tariff
is most appropriate for the
technology installed and this
should be negotiated prior to the
installation.
9. Metering difficulties can arise
when electricity generating
technologies are feeding into
the grid. Renewable Obligation
Certificates (ROC) confirm the
amount of generation per annum
and are available from the energy
company. This has a value for
the energy company and can be
sold to them annually. The ROC
application process can be time
consuming.
RECOMMENDATION: Ensure
that import/export meters
are in place where generating
technologies are to be installed.
RECOMMENDATION: Ensure
that the recipient applies for the
ROC and assist in the application
process.
10. Lengthy timescales involved
in getting all necessary
documentation for grants
meant that we nearly missed
grant deadlines. The difficulty
was that there were too many
people involved - BEA Scheme
Manager, Housing Executive
as property owners and the
appointed consultant. Information
regarding installation details and
grid connection (G83) was sent
to different people which caused
delays.
RECOMMENDATION: Where there
are a number of organisations
involved in a Project, clear
administration procedures should
be laid down at the outset. All
documentation and instructions
need to filter through one central
person who will be responsible
for passing the information to
the steering group thus avoiding
unnecessary delays.
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter Six:
Meet the
tenants
“The heat from the
pump is great. It is nice
to be able to walk about
in bare feet and feel the
warmth”
Elsie and Sam’s Story
Dorothy
Elsie and Sam live in a two
storey semi detached rural
dwelling. They had an array of
photovoltaic panels and an oil
condensing boiler installed along
with upgraded insulation levels.
They also had a 2.5kW wind
turbine installed which later had
to be removed - see chapter 5.
Elsie and Sam say:
“When we were first approached
about the scheme we were very
happy. We had a bit of prior
knowledge about the technologies
and have always been in favour of
them. The staff we encountered
were very helpful - everything was
explained well. The contractors
who did the work were also very
good and always cleaned up after
themselves.”
Installation
“We were surprised at how little
disruption there was during the
installation - we had actually
expected it to be worse. It took
around 2 days for the boiler to go
in and 1 day for the solar panels.
We were always told what was
happening and there were no real
problems during the work.”
The Technology
“The condensing boiler is very
efficient and no different to use than
an ordinary boiler. The PV panels
just work away and don’t need any
operation so it is very simple.”
Before and After
“We have noticed a much cleaner
atmosphere in the house since we
got the coal out. There is a lot less
dust which is good and its great not
having to lift the coal in and out. My
chest and angina feel a bit better
too”. (Elsie)
“In terms of money we find we are
paying a bit less on the electricity
and even though the oil is more
expensive now we don’t have to use
so much because the boiler is very
efficient (97%). Overall it’s a lot
more comfortable now than it was
before.”
“We would be very happy to
recommend the systems to anyone
else. Our neighbours have asked us
about the PV panels and want to get
them on their own houses.”
Roberta’s Story
Roberta lives in an old solid
walled labourer’s cottage. It was
draughty and had cold spots
with condensation in the small
front porch. She was provided
with a new super insulated front
door, draught proofing, some
low energy lighting, an ‘A’ rated
fridge, increased loft insulation
and solar thermal and solar PV
panels.
Roberta says:
“Initially when I was approached to
take part in the scheme I was a bit
cynical. I didn’t really think it would
be a big success but I was willing to
take part. The consultation process
was good and everything was well
explained. The staff I met were very
helpful.”
Installation
“There was very little disruption and
the work was done in a day. The men
were great and worked on till late to
get the job done. They let me know
everything that was happening and I
had no problems at all.”
The Technology
“Both the solar panels are great
as they don’t really need any
controls. At first I wasn’t sure what
they did but I know now what the
technologies are and what they do.
I don’t have any problem operating
them.”
Before and After
“I have noticed that I am using less
oil than I was before. The solar
thermal panel was giving me all my
hot water during the summer time
so I didn’t have to use the oil at all. I
have also noticed that my electricity
bill is about £3 less per week than it
was before the PV panel went in.”
“The insulation has also made a
difference. The new front door is
great at keeping out draughts and
the house feels warmer since the
work was done.”
“I think the systems are great and
they have generated interest from
neighbours. People will even stop
their cars as they are driving past
to ask about the panels. I am very
happy with my systems and would
recommend them to anyone.”
Joan’s Story
Joan lives in a rural solid
walled labourer’s cottage. The
property suffered from bad
condensation. Ventilation was an
issue as leaving windows open
in a ground floor dwelling poses
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
a security risk. An electric fan
provided what ventilation there
was. The property was also cold.
A Nuaire Sunwarm Ventilation
System was installed together
with increased insulation, low
energy lighting, ‘A’ rated fridge
and a new jug kettle.
Joan says:
“When the scheme was first
mentioned to me I was happy to
be picked .........but to be honest, I
hadn’t really heard of the Sunwarm
system before and wasn’t sure how
it worked. During the consultation,
however, it was all explained to me.
The staff involved were very good
- very pleasant.”
Installation
“The workers who installed the
system kept the disruption to a
minimum. Most of the work was in
the loft and on the roof and it was
all completed within 2 days. It was
great, I was kept informed during
the process and they cleaned up
after themselves.”
The Technology
“While I was unsure at the start of
the project, I am now very happy
with the system. It is very easy to
use with just the one dial.”
Before and After
“I am definitely using less oil than
before, but it is hard to know how
much since the price has gone up so
much since the installation went in. I
have also noticed a slight drop in my
electricity bill. The condensation has
been cleared up and the house feels
warmer now.”
“Since I was on UTV’s ‘Home Sweet
Home’ I have had a lot of people
asking me about the system. It
has generated a lot of interest
- especially from people who are
building new houses. I am happy to
recommend the system to anyone.”
Dorothy’s Story
Dorothy lives in a rural two
storey dwelling. The property
had an open coal fire in the
living room and no central
heating meaning it was very
cold most of the time. A ground
source heat pump with an
underfloor heating system and
floor insulation was installed
together with a solar thermal
panel to provide hot water.
The property also had increased
insulation, low energy lighting,
‘A’ rated fridge and a new jug
kettle. Double glazing was
also installed as part of a multi
element improvement scheme.
Dorothy says:
“I was not sure at all about the
scheme when I was first approached
- I didn’t know anything about the
technologies and it all sounded like
double dutch. But as time went on I
became very enthusiastic. The staff
were good and explained it all to
me.”
Installation
“As there was going to be a multielement
improvement scheme
carried out on my house which
involves a lot of work, I had to move
out of the property while all the
work was going on. This was good
because the underfloor heating
system meant that all the floors had
to be dug up. The Housing Executive
was able to get me alternative
accommodation nearby while the
work was going on, so I didn’t mind
leaving.”
The Technology
“The heat from the pump is great.
It is nice to be able to walk about
in bare feet and feel the warmth. I
am still having some trouble with
the time clock. I have no written
instructions on how to use it. I
would need someone to come back
to explain it again. It is hard to
remember everything and would be
better if I had it written down.”
Before and After
“When it is frosty outside the heat
pump takes a bit longer to heat the
property up than oil or gas but once
it is running the heat is great and the
damp and condensation is all gone
now. Before, I had to keep my sugar
and salt in the hot press to keep it
dry - but that’s all gone now.... it’s
lovely.”
“The time clock has caused
me some problems. When the
consultant came out he said it was
not set right and he would get the
installer to come back to look at it
- but no one came and I had to get
back on to the Housing Executive to
get it sorted out.”
“When I got my first electric bill after
the pump went in I was shocked
because it was much higher than
before, but once I got used to the
fact that I now don’t have any other
bills, e.g., coal or oil - it doesn’t
seem so bad. When I compare what
I paid for coal and electricity before
I am better off by £1 a month but
now I am heating the whole house
for slightly less than it cost to heat
just one room.”
Joanne’s Story
Joanne lives in a two storey,
semi detached house in a rural
area outside Cushendall.
The other half of the house has
been vacant for some time. She
has an extensive garden with an
outlook to the Irish Sea.
Joanne says:
“I was approached about getting a
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
wind turbine installed and they even
took me to see an existing one so I
could see what I was getting. I was
initially very enthusiastic about getting
the turbine and then some people put
me off the idea. They said it would be
noisy and unsightly outside my house.
My two boys eventually talked me into
it. They were really keen and had told
everyone in their school about it. I
am glad now that I did get it installed
because I can see myself how much
electricity it is saving and I haven’t
been bothered by the noise at all.
It has created a lot of interest in the
area with a number of people calling
to ask me about it.”
Installation:
“My house was improved recently, with
a new kitchen, bathroom and heating
system installed. The wind turbine has
completed my improvements nicely.
My house is in an area that gets a lot
of wind off the sea so it is perfect for
the turbine. The installers came first of
all and put in a concrete base. They
came back a week later and installed
the turbine and put in the wiring
and meters. There was very little
disruption except they had to lift some
floorboards to get the wiring from the
front of the house to the back.”
The Technology:
“The only thing I have to do is read the
meter once a year. I then get paid by
NIE for the electricity that is produced
and not used. I also get a payment
once a year (Renewable Obligation
Certificates) because I generate
electricity. It all helps to offset the
price I would have been paying for my
electricity.”
Before and After:
“I can see a big drop in my electricity
bills since the turbine was installed.
With the price of electricity going up
and two small boys in the house any
saving is welcome.”
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
Chapter
Seven:
Lessons learnt!
Outcomes:
One of the key successes of the
scheme has been the creation of
an innovative partnership involving
partners from energy, health and
housing sectors. This partnership
has enabled joint working and shared
learning which will be used to inform
the thinking of future designers
and funders of energy and health
schemes in Northern Ireland and
throughout the UK.
The project has demonstrated a
number of successes particularly
with regard to meeting fuel poverty
and carbon saving objectives.
• It has assisted 4 vulnerable
households that have been
highlighted as at risk of suffering
from fuel poverty.
• Householder feedback about the
scheme was very positive and
showed that 100% were satisfied
with their new system.
• All householders also experienced
improved comfort levels.
• Installed energy measures
have enabled fuel savings and
households have witnessed a
reduction in energy bills.
• Some householders have also
noted the improvement in
condensation.
• Awareness has been raised of
renewable technologies leading
to the development of both the
CLEVER HOMES project which
installed 150 solar ventilation
systems across the Province
and the start of mainstreaming
renewable technologies into
Housing Executive houses.
The project has also complimented
other schemes and has referred
eligible households to a number of
energy programmes including Warm
Homes, CLEVER Homes and the
Critical Care scheme.
The Main Learning Points and
Recommendations
The difficulties and solutions have
been outlined in Chapter Five
however, the key learning points are
reiterated below:
• Project monitoring should be well
thought out and installed well in
advance of the commencement
of a project. This is not always
possible as funding timescales
and budgets usually do not allow
sufficient time to give proper
‘before and after’ data to achieve
proper scientific results.
Monitoring is a science in
itself and should be treated
as such. All too often it is
something of an afterthought
but it is central to a scheme
and should be given the time
and importance it deserves.
• The scheme involved installation
of several technologies and
energy efficiency measures
carried out by numerous
contractors and also because
there were 3 partners that were
in effect managing different parts
of the scheme (BEA, the Housing
Executive, Consultant), this often
led to confusion as to who was
responsible for what.
A clear Brief must be drawn up
at the outset outlining roles,
timescales and communication
mechanisms.
• The Housing Executive acted
as the tenant liaison - this was
important given the fact that
there were several contractors
at each house. It gave the
tenant the confidence that they
had a contact if there were any
problems.
Identify a designated
contact to liaise with scheme
participants to allow a
seamless process.
• Ensure longer term plans are in
place for the maintenance and
repair of the systems. It is crucial
that vulnerable households are
not abandoned once the scheme
is complete. They should know
exactly who to contact if anything
should go wrong further down the
line.
• Use properly qualified installers
• Be aware of Building Control and
Planning requirements and likely
timescales for approvals to avoid
missing spend deadlines
• Consultation
CONCLUSIONS
In spite of the fact that the
monitoring of the scheme only gave
patchy conclusions, nevertheless
the testimony from the householders
themselves was extremely positive.
The increased comfort levels
experienced in all cases and the
reduction in energy bills means
that the project, for these four
households, has been a great
success.
For the partner organizations, it
has been a significant learning
experience with valuable lessons for
other potential Project Managers.
Whilst there were many difficulties
and hurdles encountered along the
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Hard to Heat Homes Final Report
way, this is only to be expected in a
Pilot Project and we cannot look on
these as failures, rather as learning
points for the future.
The real success of Hard to Heat
Homes is that it has prompted a
change of thinking on Renewables.
Many projects will set out with the
intention of informing future policy,
but Hard to Heat Homes has already
succeeded in that goal, before the
final report was even drafted.
The Housing Executive was also
prompted to consider the potential
for mainstreaming solar thermal
panels and it made a successful bid
to the Environment and Renewable
Energy Fund securing the installation
of over 2000 solar thermal panels in
social housing.
From small acorns…
Following the success of the
installation of the Solar Ventilation
System, DETI through the European
Building Sustainable Prosperity Fund
was able to secure funding for the
CLEVER Homes Project which has
installed 150 solar based ventilation
systems across the province.
22

July 2008
www.nihe.gov.uk
CS/330/07/08