09/07/2013 11:19 AM
Homes insulated under the government's flagship Green Deal scheme could be at risk of overheating during the summer months, experts have stated.
The UK is experiencing some summery temperatures at the moment with parts of country seeing highs of 28 degrees C today (July 9th) and this is putting pressure on ministers to address the issue of overheating. Professor Chris Goodier, from Loughborough University's department of civil and building engineering, explained that the Green Deal energy-saving measures designed to reduce bills in winter and protect the environment could have an adverse effect during the summer.
He added that properties in densely populated urban areas such as London could be facing the most risks. Prof Goodier noted that heat can build up during the day and have no place to escape during the night leading to a poorer air quality. This has the potential to cause heat stress and in some rare cases even kill.
Along with Professor Li Shao, from the University of Reading, Prof Goodier conducted research which suggested that flats at the top of tower blocks, built in the 1960s, and modern detached housing were the most at risk of overheating. It was heightened if a person's home was south facing and if elderly or infirm people lived in them.
Prof Goodier told the BBC: "Overheating is like the little boy at the back of the class waving his hand. It is forgotten about because the other challenges are so big. If you are in the wrong type of house, facing the wrong way, in the wrong street and you don't deal with heat in the right way, it is a problem."
The UK is set to experience a heatwave over the coming week with temperatures soaring all over the country. While people are jetting off to more exotic climates Britain is enjoying a proper summer after seeing torrential rain over the past few years.
Contact us for a security fencing quote.
The UK is experiencing some summery temperatures at the moment with parts of country seeing highs of 28 degrees C today (July 9th) and this is putting pressure on ministers to address the issue of overheating. Professor Chris Goodier, from Loughborough University's department of civil and building engineering, explained that the Green Deal energy-saving measures designed to reduce bills in winter and protect the environment could have an adverse effect during the summer.
He added that properties in densely populated urban areas such as London could be facing the most risks. Prof Goodier noted that heat can build up during the day and have no place to escape during the night leading to a poorer air quality. This has the potential to cause heat stress and in some rare cases even kill.
Along with Professor Li Shao, from the University of Reading, Prof Goodier conducted research which suggested that flats at the top of tower blocks, built in the 1960s, and modern detached housing were the most at risk of overheating. It was heightened if a person's home was south facing and if elderly or infirm people lived in them.
Prof Goodier told the BBC: "Overheating is like the little boy at the back of the class waving his hand. It is forgotten about because the other challenges are so big. If you are in the wrong type of house, facing the wrong way, in the wrong street and you don't deal with heat in the right way, it is a problem."
The UK is set to experience a heatwave over the coming week with temperatures soaring all over the country. While people are jetting off to more exotic climates Britain is enjoying a proper summer after seeing torrential rain over the past few years.
Contact us for a security fencing quote.
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