This case study is a little bit different from others we have written about, as it is the house and home of PBT Directors, Pete and Laura Toth.
Their house is a 1940s built, end terrace, ex council house in the north of Cheltenham. They bought it in 2014 and have been slowly altering it to suit their large family and to reflect their interest and belief in renewable and smart technologies.
First steps
The property, when first purchased, was 90m2 in size, with minimal loft insulation and no cavity wall insulation, despite the EPC indicating to the contrary. They quickly updated the old non-condensing boiler to a condensing one and installed multi room thermostats with opentherm communication.
After two years, Pete and Laura built into the loft, knocking down the chimney and creating a 4th bedroom. The loft spaces in the eaves were painstakingly insulated and solar panels were added to the roof.
After another six years, having been focusing on growing their family and their business, Pete and Laura felt ready to add to their home again, and to put into practice much of what they had learned through their work. They added an L shaped extension to the rear and side of their property, almost doubling the original size, to an area of 170m2.
Next steps
They laid underfloor heating throughout the whole downstairs. This was perfect to work in conjunction with the low temperature heating system provided by their STEIBEL ELTRON WPL A 07 heat pump which they installed along with a 400l cylinder. The size of the cylinder allows the couple to benefit from a cheap electricity tariff.
A Stiebel Eltron LWZ 180 Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) system was put in throughout the entire house, to ensure a supply of pure, fresh air through the building, even in winter when the doors and windows are shut.
More solar panels were added to the roof of the extension, which directly feed into storage batteries housed at the bottom of the garden.
Other technologies
A Rainwater Harvesting system was placed at the back of the property under the patio. This provides enough water to use for toilet flushing and the washing machine.
With underfloor heating across the lower floors, upstairs the couple have chosen to install JAGA fan assisted radiators in the 4 bedrooms. In the main bedroom, the radiator is built into the wall leaving wall space free and uncluttered. Vents in the wall allow the air to be circulated from the radiator built in behind. Fan assisted radiators are a great choice for homes requiring heating and comfort cooling. Through the summer, the heat pump pushes cold water through the system and the fans on the radiator draw air over the cold surface and out into the room. This helps to decrease the temperature in the rooms by a few degrees making the space more comfortable.
LOXONE building management system was installed to manage many modern features of the house. All lighting, heating control and audio are controlled by the system, with the audio being provided by speakers both internally and externally to the building. Shading is managed with control over blinds and curtains.
The couple also used LOXONE to create an Energy Management System for the property, to include solar generation, battery storage and EV charging through their dedicated LOXONE EV charger. To further save money, the system also controls secondary hot water circulation and lighting with PIR / presence sensors built into every room. The house is also proofed against the installation of future technologies, with the addition of three-phase electricity.
If you would like to see any or all of the technologies in situ, you are very welcome to look around the property by appointment.
