Self-build

[Ted Nicholls]

Hi,

 

My name is Ted Nicholls, I'm a third year undergraduate studying Building Surveying at the University of Westminster.

 

Please find attached a link to my dissertation questionnaire- 'An assessment of self-build homes in the UK in the context of the EU’s directive for nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) plan for 2020. Through various questionnaires and interviews I hope to promote it as a feasible way to achieve nearly zero energy buildings'

 

It would be really appreciated if anyone could take part in it and also forward the survey onto any individuals or companies with self-build knowledge to help further my research. 

 

Thanks in advance and best regards,

 

Ted Nicholls 

 

https://goo.gl/forms/iBffpVYYSUjPsHu82

[ProDave]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

I have moved this to the "introduce yourself" sub forum as that seems more appropriate.

 

The technology exists to build near zero energy buildings already, it's the mass house builders that seem disinterested in doing so.  And will any EU directives in 2020 have any impact upon us?
 

[Ted Nicholls]

OK thanks for that!

 

Yes that's what I want to promote. A move in the direction to people playing a larger role in their home and not just accepting what the large housing providers build. Obviously with Brexit its a grey area whether it will be an EU Directive but we will still have legislation that moves towards zero carbon for all dwellings.

 

 

[Jeremy Harris]

@Ted Nicholls, like a few others here, our new build is zero carbon (it's actually CO₂ negative, at -0.9 tonnes of CO₂ per year, compared with a UK average home at around 6 tonnes of CO₂ per year) and it didn't cost any more to build the basic airtight, insulated, structure than a conventional house.

 

However, the problem isn't not being able to build houses like this, it's that people buying houses don't, in the main, give a stuff about energy efficiency.  When completed, our house was valued at 5% below the value it would have had if it had used energy, rather than being a net generator, because the valuation surveyor rightly pointed out that the majority of buyers just aren't interested in energy saving, and many might be put off buying our house because of it's energy efficiency rating (A107).  Apparently, buyers are more swayed by kitchen and bathroom bling than they are by energy efficiency or zero carbon, so people, as in consumers, are not likely to be the ones to drive any change in the building industry, at least whilst energy is relatively cheap.

Edited March 3, 2017 by JSHarris