MVHR and building physics knowledge for healthy, comfortable and energy efficient homes
This article will explain the full itemised costs to fit a high performance MVHR system in a new build or renovated home in the UK. It has been updated for 2024 prices based on our cross-industry experience of specifying hundreds of MVHR systems over the last few years. How much does an MVHR system cost … Read more
As much as 25% of the heat loss of a building is via air leakages in the building fabric (ie, draughts). The airtightness of the building fabric is therefore an important metric to measure and improve as much as possible when building or renovating a home. Equally, a more airtight building also improves comfort, acoustics … Read more
Heat, Space and Light Ltd has recently completed the design, supply and commissioning of an MVHR system with cooling via a reversible air source heat pump at a Dutch barn-style new build in Northamptonshire. The home has been built with a series of cross-laminated timber beams gently curved to mimic the dutch barn shape. Now … Read more
Forensic Airtightness Testing and Strategy by Heat, Space and Light Ltd has helped a new build home in Dorset achieve a drop in its final airtightness rate that will result in £100s of heating savings every year, turning it from a leaky home to an airtight home. Forensic air testing improves Air Permeability from 6.4 … Read more
Heat, Space and Light Ltd technicians have conducted forensic airtightness testing on a renovated London Victorian end-of-terrace. The results of the four-hour visit will have improved its comfort, energy efficiency and acoustics by up to 30 per cent, and lowered the home’s heating bills for life. The forensic airtightness pressure test was conducted over four … Read more
We have completed the design and first fix installation of a Zehnder Q350 MVHR system with ComfoTube ducting into a 100-year-old cottage that’s undergoing a low energy retrofit upgrade. The MVHR system will improve the indoor air quality, comfort and energy efficiency, but also protect the century-old building fabric by ensuring indoor humidity is dealt … Read more
It is subtle and understated in its impact on UK housing, but this new build bungalow home is one of the most energy efficient buildings in the world – and represents the future of housebuilding in the UK and Europe. We pressure tested the home this December using a calibrated airtightness testing fan and it … Read more
30 years ago house-builders in the UK would have never considered how airtight they were building new homes. “Aren’t all homes fairly airtight, once you put the windows and doors in and pump the gaps with insulating foam?” Well, not necessarily. Fireplaces used to be for both heating and ventilation Traditionally, homes built before our … Read more
Building Regulations Part F wants to know how much air (in m3hr) passes through each metre square area of the fabric (m2). This is the Air Permeability (AP or m3.hr/m2) figure of the building. To get the AP figure, one calculates the volume of air in the property. Then one calculates the total external envelope … Read more
If you’re building or renovating your home and making the property’s building fabric more insulated and airtight then you may be wondering where, how and from which company to buy MVHR (it stands for Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery) system products. Also known as Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV), the premium brands in MVHR systems are … Read more