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Whether panelised or not was not decisive for me, although building around an existing steel structure was easier with a stick built frame. More important was a robust buildup designed to be able to deliver the air tightness I was after and an experienced frame erection "crew" capable of delivering the quality required to deliver the air tightness target. I also had some tricky detailing to work out around the existing steel frame so needed to be confident the design team could come up with bespoke solutions that resolved these issues without compromising thermal bridging and air tightness. I talked to a lot of companies but was only left with one in the end that I had confidence in which was Touchwood Homes. The downside to that was I had to fit in with their timing and I wasn't in the strongest position to negotiate down the price as I didn't really have a plan B. Very happy with the outcome though, the frame is excellent, and nothing was left to chance. All the tricky detailing was designed and engineered before they got to site so there were no surprises that required a quick fix during the build phase.

Yes, I'm half clad in Oak (other half Sapele). For European Oak, fresh-sawn feather edge 27 x 175 (2.5m - 3.5m lengths), I paid £2.48 per linear m delivered on a 1,500m order. I thought the price was very competitive.

Hi Amanda, and welcome! Looking forward to seeing your project progress. We to are cursed with great views that demanded more glazing than is sensible on a low energy home. Our planning (PD) didn't allow fixed brise-soleil shading as we had to keep within the existing building (cow-shed) envelope. Our solution were external venetians connected to a little automation to optimise slat angle to sun position. These are a big success and I now wish we'd put them on more windows than just the ones that were adding to the excessive solar gain. Fitted behind the cladding, when they are retracted they are not visible so for us did not cause any issues with the planners.

Good spot. Elsewhere in the Essential Guide for Applicants it specifically states water cooling https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/09/essentialguideforapplicants_rpiia_september2017.pdf So, cooling via UFH is OK, but if you plan to cool incoming air through the MVHR with a wet duct heat exchanger then perhaps not.

I agree, an MCS installer is unlikely to install an ASHP you purchased from elsewhere, even if it is an MCS Approved ASHP. You could always sell it again on eBay, if the numbers work out and you'd rather hand over the install and commissioning to a 3rd party.

It could make enough difference. The RHI is based upon the as-built SAP/EPC heat demand figure for the property. The "as-built" term is a little ambiguous of course, it's really still a theoretical figure as no physical metering or testing is needed. If you choose not to go to the expense of an the air permeability test (as is your right for a single property development) then the default figure of 15 m³/m²/h at 50Pa would go forward to your SAP calcs and if you haven't had the true Ψ-values calculated for your thermal bridging (as most people haven't) then default values would also be used. You'd probably find the SAP calculated heat demand figure to be a little higher than you were aiming for, but alas, that is the one that Ofgem insist on using for calculating RHI. I've just had a play on the Ofgem RHI Calculator and picking some numbers at random, that to me do not feel to unreasonable, ie. 7500 kWh space heating + 2500 kWh hot water, heat demand per annum, then for an ASHP with an SPF of 4.2 the RHI would contribute £5460 to your heating system costs over the 7 years. The SPF of the ASHP does have a significant impact on the RHI payment. If you were to allow a budget of say £1500 for the installation of a non-MCS installed ASHP, then the break even figure for the MCS installed version is just under £7K. Considering only the ASHP and not the cylinders, pumps and valves that both installs require I think it is possible to get an MCS installed ASHP for £7K.

Parliament must have done its bit as the increased rates did come in for any applications registered after 14.12.2016. But energy caps were also introduced for any registrations after 20.09. Max payment will now be capped to 20,000 kWh per annum

Quite right.

Interesting, I've not been required to do the Air Test (so a figure of 15 ACH went forward to the SAP), but BC have requested a registered EPC for the completion cert. -mine's a CoU Agri to Resi I didn't look into this as I needed the EPC for RHI anyhow.

My request for the same was politely declined, but the assessor offered to run all the different scenarios I wanted.

Hopefully that was for an "official" SAP, that can then go forward to produce the as-built. If he's not an accredited energy assessor then he's likely to have contracted that out and you've been charged a management fee. The most cost effective route may be to go back to him to produce the as-built. If the Design SAP was official, it should be a minor update to produce the as-built

But you still need an EPC for you BC completion Cert... don't you?

I was charged £175 for the Design SAP, and £35 to complete the As-built and Register the EPC

Only an Accredited and Registered (with BRE) Energy Assessor can upload the EPC that Building Regs will require, so your as-built SAP will need to be done by that Assessor. If you're going to do a Design SAP then you might as well use the same Assessor as the as-built will use the same calcs and should be a minor update at the end. The Assessor's are not supposed to use someone elses "file", so shouldn't take a home-brew design SAP and produce the as-built from it. I used Pebble Energy.

...but not in an AONB

To get a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use you need to demonstrate a breach that has existed for more than 4 years and is continuing. If that use is to be "Agricultural" then generally the LPA will also require demonstration of a business need. ie. a profitable business that requires a barn to function. In truth if there was a functioning agricultural business the building may already have a lawful agricultural use through PD if the building fits within the caveats that are allowed. If a lawful Agricultural use can be proved/achieved then there would be a slim chance of a Change of Use to Residential. Lots of hurdles to jump though. But, as I mentioned before the development that has already occurred, does't imply to me an Agricultural use. I'm thinking specifically of double glazing and a connected "cesspit". This sounds unlawful to me (unless you can find the relevant permission). An unlawful use can not be used to argue for a Change of Use.

Nope, more likely there's already (or will be soon) an enforcement order in place to normalise the development without consent, unfortunately. Assuming this was once a lawful Agricultural building (and there's not been and Change of Use granted), the development that has now occurred is stopping it from performing its lawful use. The Council will most likely require it to be returned to its original condition.

Unfortunately no Rights to Class Q in an AONB, plus the development that has already happened would stop the PD. What's the planning history on the site? Any enforcement orders? The Estate Agent is unlikely to have done much investigative work themselves unless the vendor has paid them for it. They'll be giving their opinion based on previous experience and what the vendor has told them. It does sound like a non-starter since you would have thought the vendor would have exhausted all options having invested in the barn's development. But he may well have upset the Council by developing without consent. There's likely to be some history on the planning portal where the arguments for and against planning have been played out. May give you a hint at whether there is a way around any Council objections.

I misjudged this. I've put in a traditional number of switches to cover multi-way switching of lights and a touch screen panel thinking I'd regularly need access to the app. Could have got away with half the switches and the touchscreen is now used to stream the output from the camera at our entrance Loxone has been able to control all my heating and cooling hardware. Modbus to the Nibe heat pump controller, IP directly to the Airflow MVHR and relays to vents and blinds. Not fully configured yet, that's a work in progress, but the basics are working.

I do generally like Google products and applications but... Really... £367 for 1 motion sensor, 1 keypad and 1 tag. They gotta be kidding.

Unless you've had a ground survey completed and know your soil bearing capacity I'd stick with "standard" hardcore thickness which is as per your builders suggestion. Loads are assumed to pass through the hardcore at a 45 degree angle, so for 150mm thickness of hardcore the loads is spread across an extra 300mm width of soil. Unless you know your soil can bear the extra load then I'd leave it at 150mm thick.

My data network totals around 45 points. Difficult to estimate the time for running the cables as it was done at the same time as the rest of the first fix, but I'd be surprised if it took the Spark and his lad more than 2 days (I have some long runs), so around £750. Second fix, terminating them in the rooms, at the patch panels, and into cameras etc, probably ran to about 3 days, so another £1100. So mine was close to £2K for the labour, and probably £300 - £400 on cable. Can't break out the cost of the face plates in the rooms as they are all integrated in the power sockets. I'd had separate quotes for the same work which came in between £5K and £6K

You must be "pushing the boundaries" on your Application, I've been quite envious when watching what EFDC has permitted in planning terms compared to Chelmsford, although I've only looked at Change of Use applications. Probably a case of the grass appearing greener.

Hi Jim, welcome. Where abouts in Essex? We're a little south of Chelmsford.

This was my thoughts, and on mine the 50mm vertical connection drops directly into a 110mm waste so I can't see anything getting caught up.