With home ownership comes the responsibility of maintaining the fabric of the building to ensure it keeps its inhabitants warm and dry. Our renovation decisions are motivated by what we want to achieve and what is within our financial means. But how do we know the changes we make are climate-friendly too? Deciphering what is …
Jake Ainscough, a Senior Research Associate at Lancaster Environment Centre, and Ray Plummer, a homeowner from Birmingham, discuss their involvement in a climate citizen’s panel addressing how to achieve greener homes. They illuminate how presenting facts to everyday people with real-world experiences can deliver practical recommendations to inform policy.
Building with resources in mind One of the stand-out points of Simon Tilley’s podcast episode was when he spoke about starting the Hockerton Housing Project. At the heart of the design was the efficient use of locally sourced (where possible) resources. It was essential to view the house as a whole system rather than just lots of …
What is community energy? Community energy refers to energy generated, owned and managed by a community for the community, or when local people group together to reduce energy consumption. Energy generation projects focus on renewable energy, most commonly solar. These installations are predominantly rooftop solar PV, although some organisations are developing larger ground-mounted solar farms. …
Andy Extance is a freelance science writer and director of Exeter Community Energy (ECOE). In a bid to find a productive outlet for his frustrations surrounding climate change, Andy shares his experience of being within an organisation helping in the transition to green energy while supporting the local community.
The first episode in The Owl Hoot podcast features John Grant, a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Construction and Climate Change at Sheffield Hallam University. In this conversation, John shares his wisdom on building zero-carbon new homes and retrofitting existing homes.
