The primary aim of the pilot project is to better understand the potential changes required to housing to meet the Scottish Passivhaus Equivalent of a typical affordable housing development.
The project is split into three key stages:
Evaluation Stage – Each of the six pilot houses has a different performance specification to assess the impact of changes to fabric u-values, air permeability and ventilation, heating systems and renewables. These were assessed in SAP and PHPP to assess the predicted heating demand alongside an analysis of capital, running and replacement and maintenance costs
Construction Stage – A rigorous quality assurance process is being undertaken throughout the construction process which will be supplemented by air tightness and thermal imaging to ensure the houses are constructed as designed.
Monitoring Stage – Complex monitoring equipment will be installed in each of the houses to allow post-occupancy evaluation of the energy consumption, fabric performance, system performance and internal environment. The results of the monitoring can be compared to those from the evaluation stage to assess which specification performs best in reality.
