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Q&As
What renewable technologies can I install in a barn conversion?
Hi,
I am looking at a series of barns to convert in to an amazing home. I am concerned about the possibility of achieving high airtightness and high insulation standards. I would like to know about the possibility of heating the building using a heat pump, underfloor heating and even a MVHR system. I would be most grateful for any advice.
Here is a link to the property I have in mind : https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/62301985/?utm_source=zoopla&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=propertyalert_sale_instant.
One Answer
Hi Samantha,
It is difficult, but not impossible, to insulate an existing building to the standards necessary to make a heat pump work effectively. It’s unclear what wall fabric you will be required or will choose to retain, but I presume the brick and stone of the original barn will need to remain visible externally. If you install insulation on the inside of masonry walls (which will need to be vapour open), then you will lose quite a lot of floor space unless you use a high-performance product such as aerogel insulation. The same argument applies to the floors — remember that a little insulation goes a long way, and a lot more insulation only does a little more work. You should also bear in mind the embodied energy of the materials you’re using (how much energy was used to produce them), rather than just how much energy is consumed when they’re in use.
As for airtightness, if you want sufficient levels to use MVHR in an old building, this will need to be one of the first things you install during the build, and you’ll need to have an airtightness expert on board to ensure you reach the required levels so that the system will perform effectively. Overall, this will be an expensive process, and you might question whether this is the right strategy for old buildings such as these which have been constructed in a certain way that makes the level airtightness and insulation required for these renewable technologies tricky to achieve.
Nigel Griffiths (Build It’s sustainability expert)