Joseph Craig

Permalink Gallery
Can I include MVHR in a Passivhaus?

Can I include MVHR in a Passivhaus?

The Passivhaus Trust provides guidance about how to build homes that offer significant comfort, build with impressive amounts of attention to the finest detail. The design is rigorous, complementing construction practices that have been developed by Germany’s well-respected Passivhaus Institute.

Passivhaus buildings are famous for the high levels of comfort they provide to people who live there, while using minimal amounts of energy for both heating and cooling the home. More and more people are building to Passivhaus standards and saving a great deal of money on energy as well as enjoying a healthier internal ‘climate’. So can you include MVHR in Passivhaus builds?

Yes, you can! And it’s a marvellous cultural fit. Get it right and your new build can be Passivhaus certified: something that’s future-proof, attracting buyers and investors as well as dramatically reducing the occupants’ heating and cooling costs.

How do mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems work?

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery acts as a […]

By Joseph Craig|Passivhaus|2 Comments|

Permalink Gallery
How does MVHR comply with building regulations UK?

How does MVHR comply with building regulations UK?

You’re interested in fitting Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery technology into your next new build, development or redevelopment project. But first, before making a decision, you need to know how the technology complies with the UK building regulations. Here’s the information you’re looking for, bearing Britain’s current construction regulations in mind.

MVHR compliance with Building Regulations part E7

Part E7 of the UK Building Regulations 2010 deals with sound-proofing. In the words of the planning regulations themselves, it means that “Rooms for residential purposes shall be designed and constructed in such a way that they provide reasonable resistance to sound from other parts for the same building”.

Building Regs Part E7 also insists on performance standards for the sound insulation materials used between walls and floors. But it’s worth bearing in mind that some landlords and local authorities sometimes specify alternative maximum noise levels, depending on the use of the rooms and buildings concerned. And there […]

By Joseph Craig|Building Regulations|0 Comments|

Permalink Gallery
Designing a high-specification house with MVHR in mind

Designing a high-specification house with MVHR in mind

As reported by Strutt and Parker in summer 2013, good schools, a garden and reliable transport links are no longer enough to satisfy modern homebuyers. We want more, and ‘more’ covers all sorts of things from marble floors and smart flooring to greener heating, intelligent ventilation systems and integral energy saving gadgetry.

At the same time Aviva reported how more and more of us are being seriously tempted by ‘grand’ interior design. And the Daily Mail recently reported at some length on the sale of former England cricketer Graeme Swann’s beautiful eco-friendly home, heated via an air source heat pump and featuring solar reactive double glazing.

Energy saving is in the news, and it is being given a higher priority by homeowners. This is the age of the high spec building… but high spec means much more than mere appearances. Yes, we want our homes […]