Category: Using less energy
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Making your home cosier and more efficient with Ecoalex
Alex spoke at the Green Conversations event held by the St John’s Society in Deptford and brought along the retrofit dollhouse to demonstrate how external and internal wall insulation may be used to maximize heat conservation while preserving historical featuresin a solid wall property. The retrofit dollhouse serves as an educational tool, showcasing the possibility…
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Hackney retrofit green roof
This was a really cool extension using reclaimed materials in Hackney. The green roof was a bit tricky to photograph but you can see the effect of the plants blowing in the wind above the skylight.
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My Shabbihaus eco retrofit project part 2 Boiler replacement
This came about through problems with the old boiler rather than careful planning. Firstly I replaced the thermostat with a Smart controller, this was about 5 years ago and the choice was limited but I got an Owl controller which allowed us to control the heating with a smart phone. This allowed us to monitor…
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My Shabbihaus eco retrofit project – part 1 introduction
Intro to my home retrofit project
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Reclaimed bricks and cladding looking great
We have nearly finished the extension we have been working on for the last few months in Hackney. The walls, roof and floor are all in place and there is just fit out for the inside and the green roof to go on top.
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Biodiverse green roof in London
Last week I completed a ‘green’ green roof. Not only was it a green roof with plants increasing the amount of green space in central London but we also managed to use it to improve the energy efficiency of the house we were building it on. The customers were really interested in using a small…
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Dreaming of a green Christmas?
I am certainly dreaming of one, I enjoy Christmas as much as anyone but I do worry about the waste that goes on at this time of year. Presents are great but sometimes there are rather more than anyone needs, especially in a big family. Like many families we have instituted a one present per…
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Projects update
A quick update on recent projects. Green roof on bike shed I have nearly finished a green roof on a bike shed in Stockwell. It is all ready for planting and the customer has a great plan for herbs and succulents in a geometric pattern. It looks pretty good at the moment but I will…
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The National Home Improvement Show
We headed off on our bikes to Olympia for the National Home Improvement Show with mixed feelings. I had bought tickets in a two for one offer a couple of months earlier and every week since they had sent me offers for free tickets so I was a bit annoyed with the organisers but the…
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The miracle of the Owl
I hadn’t realised quite how good my new Owl thermostat and heating control is until now. I have obviously been showing off to friends about the smartphone app showing how little electricity I am using etc which is all very exciting. However the cold weather has really bought it into it’s own. When I set it…