The Ecological Built Environment Research and Enterprise (EBERE) Group

jlittlewood@uwic.ac.uknievans@uwic.ac.uk

www.wirad.ac.uk/research-themes/ecological-built-environment

Theoretical Research

Posing a question/a series of questions or a hypothesis.

Often not applied and tested in the market with business for realism

and the validity of the question, methodology, findings or

recommendations.

Activity to develop the knowledge of staff & students.

Applied Research/Knowledge Transfer

Applying existing knowledge or developing existing knowledge to a

given market challenge/s, question/s and scenarios.

Testing the validity of theoretical research with business.

A transfer of knowledge between all parties.

1. How is it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from space heating?

2. Is it thus, possible to design out space heating, yet keep comfortable internal temperature ranges for a two-storey earth sheltered dwelling occupied by one adult, or by a family of two children and two adults, in the UK;

3. Will passive solar design principles suffice in terms of space heating?

4. Is the depth of earth cover important for zero space heating?

5. Is a passive solar collector necessary for zero space heating, such as a solar space or Trombé wall?

6. What is the best method to solve these questions without building the dwellings and monitoring their thermal performance?

Resultant temperatures in the lounge and bedroom compared with the external temperatures on the two coldest days of the year, for single adult housing

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-5

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5

10

15

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25

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47

Hour

Tem

per

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egre

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C)

Lounge ESH UNIT Bedroom ESH UNIT Lounge NO EARTH Bedroom NO EARTH Outside Temp

bed 2en-suite

dress

bed 1

corridor

bed 3 bed 4 t.v. room bath

hall

kitchenliving room

dining larder

utility

w.c.

EARTH BUNDING

EARTH BUNDING

What happens in a single storey earth sheltered housing unit, in the UK once constructed, will it perform as designed/modelled, will it maintain internal comfort temperatures without space heating?

Will Trombé walls work in practice, to provide pre-warmed ventilation to internal spaces with the UK’s climate?

What is the best method to answer these questions post completion and occupancy of the dwelling?

The Low Carbon Built Environment (LCBE) Project brings academics in Wales and industry

together, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with the built environment.

The LCBE project operates for 39 months across six work packages.

WP6: to develop guidance on how to assess performance of low carbon buildings

Completed 2010 To be completed 2012/13/14

To be completed 2011 To be completed 2011

Investigating the environmental performance of low-carbon apartment buildings in-use:

How this is influenced by design, construction and occupant factors

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE)

Does low-carbon design translate in to low-carbon construction and performance in-use?

How do occupants rate building performance?

Investigating and monitoring the thermal performance of refurbished dwellings in Swansea, UK, circa 1900

Investigating how choice of materials and renewable energy systems and controls installed affects thermal performance, energy usage, carbon emissions and reductions in fuel poverty;

Also, investigating how occupant attitudes, behaviour and lifestyle choices affect thermal performance before and after improvement measures;

Methodology includes physical and social monitoring.

Professional Doctorate in the Built Environment: Doctor of Ecological Building Practices (D.EBP)

This doctoral research degree offers the opportunity to:

explore, develop test and evaluate practice in relation to environmental issues and is open to practitioners working in the built environment professions including:

Current students/businesses operating in the UK, Canada, Seychelles, France, Kosovo.

The focus of a professional doctorate is to undertake a ‘change’ project. So for the D.EBP, a student will look to investigate and implement a significant change from an ecological building perspective in their professional practice, which can include a process, a product, an approach, a new tool etc.

Thank You