Dr Ellen Webborn (PI), Mr Simon Elam, Dr Eoghan McKenna, Professor Tadj Oreszczyn, Mr Andrew Smith

Project description

Estimating the energy efficiency of a building (particularly in the context of heat loss) has traditionally been done with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) created from a physical survey of the property by an assessor. EPCs are expensive, usually carried out infrequently, and too often show signs of unreliability. Although unable to fully replace such an “as-designed” energy label, half-hourly electricity and gas data, when linked with weather and contextual information about the household and dwelling (which SERL collects through a participant survey) has the potential to open up new methods for evaluating the energy efficiency of GB homes, which could lead to the creation of ‘smart EPCs’ for “as used” labels.

It may also be possible to identify different types of household, such as those in fuel poverty or whose energy consumption is unexpectedly high for their dwelling efficiency, which could be useful for targeting valuable information, support or initiatives. This project will also seek to identify when home improvements have been made within the period of study, and quantify the reduction in energy consumption they have been able to achieve.