Happy New Year! A busy autumn - but we are still going strong!
We were pleased w ith the success of the events we put on in response to the cost of living crisis, especially the first one in October that included seven local "eco-homes" to visit around our town of Wirksworth. People came from far and wide because we offered what they wanted - to see the homes of others who have already retrofitted their homes - better to start with others' experience of the pros and cons.
At our Annual General Meeting on 18 October Richard Lomas, a  Chesterfield architect, gave an enlightening talk and slide show on how he did a "deep retrofit" on his house in Sheffield.
Thanks to a new volunteer who joined at the AGM, we have substantially increased the reach of our Facebook page!
Our Energy Efficiency Forum in Wirksworth at The Maltings in November also brought a lot of visitors to find out more from suppliers and local services, including an illustrated talk by a qualified retrofit assessor on what retrofitting old houses means.
We have completed four home energy surveys in Wirksworth so far. See more in the item below.
We are about to interview two post-graduate University of Derby students for a post of intern (total 80 hours, paid by another organisation) to help us with our website and social media.
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Money from the government for middle income residents - but not until next spring.
Find out more here.
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MPs on the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee tell the government to put the country on a 'war footing' for energy efficiency.
Find out more here.
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Derbyshire Dales District Council has government money for grants to improve home energy efficiency measures for people on low incomes.
Find out more here.
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3. SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES
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Our members and readers want to know if they are worth it.
The Centre for Alternative Technology has found out and says yes, but it needs a careful approach. Click here.
'Which' report here (October 22)
'Compare Solar' site here. (current)
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Information and pricing from green energy sites, not heat pump companies.
Eco-Quote-Today click here
GreenMatch click here
A HEAT PUMP TRIAL. Click here to find out more on how the trial "has proven common misconceptions about the perceived impracticality of heat pumps wrong."
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This is a thermal image of a Wirksworth resident's loft hatch.
The blue indicates a cold temperature, which is showing that the cover of the hatch is not insulated, so heat is being lost through it from the first floor landing up to the loft. The rest of the loft is insulated, so it shows as (warmer) red and yellow on the ceiling below. Heat is being lost much more slowly because of the insulation. Is your loft hatch insulated?
Our charitable land trust is offering home energy surveys to residents of Wirksworth and Middleton for a minimum donation of £10 ((waived for people who can't afford it).
We use our thermal imaging camera to show heat loss from houses. We are not experts and we do not take the place of qualified retrofit professionals, but we are knowledgeable about knowing where heat loss tends to occur and using the camera. We know enough to get you started on considering "energy efficiency measures" which will lower your bills and your carbon emissions.
If you would like to find out more, contact us at wirksworthtclt@gmail.com.
[If you are interested in learning how to use a thermal imaging camera and helping us with some surveys, please get in touch. We definitely need more help!]
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WHAT IS A 'ONE STOP SHOP' FOR RETROFITTING?
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It is to guide customers through the unfamiliar process of making their homes more energy efficient.
Following work done by the voluntary Derbyshire Climate Coalition and other climate change groups in Derbysire, the County Council and District Councils are investigating whether they might work together on a One Stop Shop model.
See what Ireland's experience has been with this model. click here for a short video. (You might have to "skip ads" to get to the video.)
The outline of four business models below came out of the INNOVATE Project 2020, funded by the European Horizon 2020 Program, which developed business models for "guiding customers through the full renovation journey." Click here for a webinar about it. Our service providing Home Energy Surveys is based on the Facilitation model.
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Slow but steady progress!
I started telling readers about my retrofit idea a whole year ago! I did what I thought was a full eco refurbishment in 2010-11 when I first bought my 1930s bungalow. It needed a lot of updating throughout and I added external wall insulation, more loft insulation, and solar panels in a bid to make it as "eco-friendly" as possible. I likened my house to having a tea cozy on top of it.
When our CLT started to investigate buying a thermal imaging camera in November 2021, I used Belper's camera to take images of my house. I knew it wouldn't be fully "eco friendly" but I was shocked to discover that it had more of a colander than a tea cozy on top!
The thermal image is of the southeast corner of the eaves of my lounge - clearly showing heat loss in blue. It was telling me that the loft insulation did not extend over the top of the external wall insulation. I am now trying to deal with that issue.
I am using an architect this time. He has helped me decide what needs to be done and he recommended a builder, who was working on another project but came to see my house and agreed to undertake the work. That was in mid-2022. He finished his other job before Christmas and agreed to start mine in January. I don't yet have a start date.
Hopefully, I will finally have more to say about progress in the next issue of this newsletter in the March-April issue.
Meanwhile  here is the architect's drawing of what will be done at the eaves - from the inside of the loft and in some of the ground floor rooms. It shows as it is now on the left and planned work on the right.
Mary Ann Hooper (Trustee)
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SOME USEFUL LINKS ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY
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Energy Saving Trust
An independent, long-established organisation that has up to date information about a wide range of home energy. Find out more here.
Centre for Alternative Technology
An organisation in Wales that built its vistor cente in an old slate quarry in the 1970s oil crisis, and has been working on the alternatives to fossil fuels ever since. Find out more here.
TrustMark
The company that oversees standards of home retrofitting and has a Guide to Retrofitting for homeowners. Find out more here.
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Our Board
Noel Mayes (Secretary)
Mary Ann Hooper (Chair)
Alison Clamp (Treasurer)
Mike Whittall
Richard Rowlatt
Pam Taylor
Roger Shelley
Vacancies: 3
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