Another strategy would be to switch from a light to a medium core structure with the
aim of increasing the building's thermal mass. Exposing thermal mass through the
floors can be done by taking away carpets and replacing it with a polished concrete
finish. By doing this our floors will store thermal heat, releasing it during cooler times
of the day and helping us maintain a more even temperature throughout the day and
over seasons.
Reducing the building leakage levels give a considerable 12% reduction in CO
2
production. In combination, this strategy offers a 19% reduction in CO
2
levels, a 35%
reduction in Energy Consumption as well as a 61% drop in Annual Space Heating.
Cooling has increased by 2% considering the building is now much warmer overall.
By changing the Heating Efficiency of our boiler from 0.7 to 0.9, we gain a CO
2
reduction of 7%, Energy consumption drops by 13% whilst Annual Space Heating
reduces by 22%.
Boiler Upgrade
Fig 16: Details of our shading & glazing improvements.
Fig 17: Details of our boiler improvements.
Shading & Glazing
Upgrading the facade glazing in addition to horizontal shading contributes 3% to our
CO
2
reduction but also reduces Annual Space Heating by 11%.
