A Hereford based company, and well-known local family, have developed a new and innovative technology that is revolutionising the way energy assessments are carried out in domestic buildings.
There is significant evidence to suggest that modern and older homes are performing well below their potential. A recent Government led study of 826 dwellings found that most underperformed compared to their designs. The project demonstrated that in-use energy performance can be 3 to 5 times worse than the EPC rating suggests, with fuel bills and CO2 emissions being increased by a similar factor.
It was concluded that national policy targets for carbon reduction cannot be met without first minimising and quantifying the energy performance gap between design intent and reality. However, until recently the only available test to measure ‘actual’ energy loss in buildings takes approximately three weeks at a cost of £5000 per home, making it only practical for research purposes.
With housing contributing for one third of the UK’s total emissions academics and organisations worldwide have been attempting to develop a market ready tool to test actual energy performance in buildings. We are pleased to report that Hereford company, Redbarn Group, are the first to have successfully commercialised a unique and patented solution that can produce the same results within twelve hours at just a fraction of the cost at £500 per home.
The breakthrough technology, VERITHERM, is now set to transform the way we measure and verify energy efficiency and will help to improve the quality and standards of UK homes. The fast and affordable test can confirm, or otherwise, whether the house you intend to rent or buy has the thermal efficiency that is advertised.
The UK’s Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government stated “[Veritherm] could contribute to reducing CO2 emissions from homes, reducing occupant bills and to the UK meeting its carbon budgets.”
This did not happen overnight; the Fenton family have taken five years to develop their idea into a useable product and service that is now readily available to the construction industry. We caught up with Co-Founder and CEO Tom Fenton, a former Whitecross student, Co-Founder and Director Clare Fenton, a former Aylestone Student and Co-Founder and Director Mark Fenton … who said “There has long been a need for a quick, simple, and cost-effective test that can accurately measure as-built thermal efficiency in buildings. It has been a difficult journey, but it was just a case of persevering because we knew we had found a solution that was a possible game-changer. We are now working with industry to upskill hundreds of organisations across the country that will carry out thousands of Veritherm tests every year.”
VERITHERM has now launched an Approved Testers Scheme providing the opportunity for thousands of green jobs nationally. There is also the opportunity for companies that need to test their own buildings, products or services to become an accredited VERITHERM Partner.
More information can be found at www.veritherm.co.uk and if you are interested in either of these opportunities you can register by emailing enquiries@veritherm.co.uk
Well done to all at Redbarn Group, it is a thumbs up from us!
