BANZAI

Bruntsfield Area Net Zero Action Initiative

Tag: home energy

  • Home Energy and Retrofit Meeting — a brief update

    Informal sketch of draughty room to illustrate issues of home energy and retrofit needs

    On 20th June, we held a very successful public meeting on Home Energy and Retrofit. About 40 people attended, roughly half of whom were residents of Bruntsfield. Others came from further afield, including most parts of Edinburgh — Marchmont, Morningside, Tollcross, Polwarth, Meadows, Southside, The Grange, Leith, Duddingston, Portobello, Willowbrae, Bellevue, Comiston and Meadowbank.

    Questions considered included:

    • What retrofit measures can individuals take to improve energy efficiency in their homes?
    • Does it make better sense to look at retrofitting groups of properties, for example in a whole tenement, rather than just on an individual level?
    • How might we deal with the social and financial challenges of retrofit and low-carbon energy distribution at a communal level?

    There were brief presentations from three experts, followed by a panel Q&A:

    • Jo McClelland — RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Conservation accredited architect with EALA Impacts, a social enterprise for sustainability in the management of our built environment
    • Calum Duncan — Calum Duncan Architects, locally-based RIAS (Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland) Sustainable Building Design and RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Conservation accredited architect
    • Cat Magill — Dark Matter Labs, a non-profit collaborating with communities to shape institutions and infrastructure for response to the climate crisis

    We will shortly publish a more detailed report on the ideas, questions and challenges that emerged from the presentations and ensuing discussions. In the meantime, we thought it would be useful to make copies of the three presentations available.

    Presentations

    MP3 audio files of the three presentations can be downloaded from this Google Drive folder.

    Cat Magill (Dark Matter Labs): Redesigning the Retrofit Experience

    Photo of Cat Magill
    Cat Magill slidesDownload

    Joanne McClelland (EALA Impacts): The ABC of Community Resilience

    Photo of Joanne McClelland
    Joanne McClelland slidesDownload

    Calum Duncan (Calum Duncan Architects): Don’t Panic!

    Photo of Calum Duncan
    Calum Duncan slidesDownload

  • Home Energy and Retrofit Meeting, 20 June 2022

    Example of how thermal imaging can help visualise the energy efficiency in a home
    Thermal imaging can show heat loss through domestic windows
    Register for tickets

    We will be holding a public meeting on the topic of Home Energy and Retrofit, 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm, Monday 20th June, at Bruntsfield Evangelical Church, 70 Leamington Terrace,=.

    The Retrofit Challenge

    Home energy and retrofit present major challenges, both for individuals and for society as a whole. This public meeting will focus on how to approach the task of retrofitting typical Edinburgh tenement flats and homes in order to increase their energy efficiency. On the plus side, fixing the problem of wasted heat will reduce bills and improve domestic comfort. It is also going to be crucial in realising the Council’s ambition of making Edinburgh a net zero city by 2030. On the other hand, retrofitting older buildings, especially tenements, requires money, good planning, and reliable, skilled contractors. So it is important that we gain as much information and insight as we can about the options open to us.

    Finding the resources to change the fabric of our homes is daunting. This meeting will address topics such as:

    • What retrofit measures can individuals take to improve energy efficiency in their homes?
    • When does it make better sense to look at retrofitting groups of properties, for example in a whole tenement, rather than just on an individual level?
    • How might we deal with the social and financial challenges of retrofit and low-carbon energy distribution at a communal level?

    Meeting Schedule

    We will start with brief presentations from three experts:

    • Jo McClelland — architect with EALA Impacts, a social enterprise for sustainability in managing our built environment
    • Calum Duncan — Calum Duncan Architects, locally-based RIAS Sustainable Building Design and RIBA Conservation accredited architect
    • Cat Magill — Dark Matter Labs, a non-profit collaborating with communities to shape institutions and infrastructure in responding to the climate crisis

    The talks will be followed by a refreshments break, a panel Q&A session and an opportunity for informal discussions in breakout groups. The panel of presenters will discuss how their different areas of interest align and address questions from attendees, both in the plenary session and in informal discussion time.

    Register for tickets