House Planning Help Podcast

Alex Rice, Senior Engineer at Green Tomato Energy, explains that there are few technical challenges that remain when retrofitting a period home into a low energy building and it is a case of how you apply those solutions to the given building.

Tom Pakenham from Green Tomato Energy describes the practical challenges of making a Victorian house energy efficient. Plus how passive house principles helped a Norwegian explorer in the 1890s.

Tahir Sharif, a client who built an energy-efficient home, discusses his expectations and challenges in building an eco house, including battles with planning authorities and internal layout issues. He emphasizes the importance of understanding building performance and finding the right architect. The hosts also talk about building knowledge through dialogue and research, challenges with planning permission, and tips for building your dream house.

Hear from Ted Stevens, Chairman of the National Self Build Association, as he gives advice on finding affordable land. Discover the benefits of self-build housing and the challenges of buying land in the UK. Explore the successful self-built community in Almeer, Holland and the importance of building strong communities.

Adam Dadeby from Passivhaus Homes talks about some of the challenges he faced when retrofitting his own home to the Passivhaus standard. He's also co-author of a new book called The Passivhaus Handbook.

Dr Wolfgang Feist describes how better energy efficiency opens a path to making us less dependent on fossil fuels and we have that knowledge now.

Pat Wilkinson from Touchwood Homes shares his decision to build to the Passivhaus standard. They discuss the frustration with larger companies for not prioritizing sustainability and the components of a Passivhaus, emphasizing insulation and airtightness. The shortage of qualified tradesmen in energy efficiency and the challenges of dealing with planning authorities are also addressed. The Passivhaus standard and the Sustainable Building Association in the UK are explored.

Topics covered in this podcast include energy efficiency, consumer mastermind group on LinkedIn, the importance of building things to last, ground source heat pumps in old houses, sustainability of energy efficient houses, limitations of rating systems, and tips for a large building project.

Simon Lewis, MD of RW Armstrong, discusses challenges in UK construction industry, importance of energy-efficient homes, and tips for finding a reliable builder. He also emphasizes the significance of consulting with a renewables consultant when building an energy-efficient house.