Grove Cottage

Grove Cottage, Hereford

low energy-low carbon refurbishment

Grove Cottage was the first refurbishment in the UK to be formally certified under the Passivhaus Institut’s new refurbishment Standard ‘EnerPHit’. Its energy performance and comfort over the last 2 years has been outstanding, with c. 80% less gas used and 45% less electricity than an equivalent sized home, whilst being maintained at 21 degrees throughout the heating season. Indoor air quality is excellent, there has been no overheating during hot weather. Gas for space heating, hot water and cooking has cost approx £250 each year.

Solid walled victorian townhouse (1869) extended and refurbished using CarbonLite principles and aiming for Passivhaus levels of energy performance.

By applying the principles and methodologies of the AECB CarbonLite programme, natural gas consumption for space & water heating has been reduced by 80% compared to the average measured performance of a typical UK house of the same size.

See a one page project factfile here from the 2012 Passivhaus Trust Awards

• See more images and its energy performance here on the AECB database here.

• The builder team (ECO-DC www.eco-dc.co.uk) was led by Mike Neate and Keith Fishburn. Other building team members included: Steve Ede, Andy Robins, Tim Crosskey. Local timber was sourced from Morgan Brothers Sawmill, Mordiford, Hereford.

Here’s a link to a Passive House + magazine article that featured an extensive review of this project six years after completion, November 2015. https://passivehouseplus.ie/magazine/upgrade/uk-s-first-enerphit-six-years-on