Stainbeck United Reform Church – helping to keep the building warm for the community and save resources.
The Brief
Stainbeck Church is a brick-built church built around 1930. Like many pre-war churches, it is badly insulated and hard to heat.
In addition to providing regular services and meeting space for its congregation, the church is also home to a children’s daycare nursery and a community café. With heating bills spiralling to more than £3,000 per month, the committee in charge of the building contacted Mesh to see what could be done to keep the church warm and save energy.
This enlightened approach puts Stainbeck Church ahead of the curve. By thinking about the impact of the building on the planet and seeking solutions to its energy loss, Stainbeck Church is one of the first to approach the diocese for funding for energy efficiency measures with a fully evidenced rationale.
The solution
Stainbeck Church needed workable and cost-effective solutions that could be implemented quickly with minimum disruption. To secure funding for the improvements, the committee needed to be able to evidence the potential benefits of the investment they wanted to make.
We took a holistic view of the many options open to the Church and conducted a full energy survey of the building to assess which measures would have the most impact in reducing heating load.
In line with Passive House principles and using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP), we looked at airtightness, insulation, windows and excessive moisture/damp. Using our buildings, energy efficiency and design expertise we were able to give the client a roadmap to achieving the most positive impact possible within the available budget and practical limitations.
The details
- Thermal imaging was used to reveal areas of greatest heat-loss and to understand which areas were likely to feel cold. A thorough visual analysis showed areas most at risk of damp/condensation and mould.
- PHPP analysis showed that the roof was the primary contributor to heat-loss with the most scope for cost-effective insulation.
- Windows were assessed to be less significant and far more costly to improve than other areas.
- Mesh produced technical drawings and helped the client to find a quantity surveyor to accurately cost the options open to them.
- We focused on improving the ventilation and thermal comfort of the nursery and café areas – better air quality means that mould and condensation are less likely to occur and surfaces feel warmer.
Results
The Church is currently obtaining funding for our recommendations. When completed we predict that there will be a reduction of up to 85% in heating bills.
Insulating the roof alone will save £1200 per month
Our recommendations can be implemented without planning permission – a great example of how Mesh was able to offer a 360-degree for Stainbeck Church.
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After
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