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Energy Assessment: porch dilema in rdSAP

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012 edited
     
    On having an EPC conducted (for PV) I was told by the assessor that porches are not included –generally fair enough you may say.

    The porch covers an old & drafty (but pretty) front door and about 15m2 of mostly sold wall with 0.2 walls, 0.1 floor, 0.15 roof, 0.7 window and 1.0 door to the point where is essentially at internal temperatures without heating. It is also built into an interior corner so actually reduces the wall are of the house (see diagram)

    I am gutted that after all our effort to address this (last) thermal weak point the assessment assumes that the porch is outside!

    Is there a magic phrase I can use when we next have an EPC conducted to explain the lunacy of this to the assessor as this is going to make achieving an A impossible!
    •  
      CommentAuthorJSHarris
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012
     
    The porch does form part of the assessment, or should do, as it should be considered as a "draught lobby", I believe. Certainly FSAP includes provision for the effect of a draught lobby on an entrance door.
    • CommentAuthorsnyggapa
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012
     
    I'd adjust the plan and remove the word "porch" and replace it with "lobby" , "hallyway" (or other non-porchy sounding word)

    Or take the front door off temporarily..
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012
     
    FSAP does indeed have a draft loby check box (in the ventillation section) but thermally whether our porch is incuded in the heat loss is ambigous.

    SAP 2009 p8
    Porches:
    · should be included if heated by fixed heating devices;
    · should not be included if unheated and external. In this context ‘external’ means an addition
    protruding from the line of the external wall of the dwelling;
    · should not be included if unheated and thermally separated from the dwelling.

    I might be able to argue that they should use section 3.3
    U-values of elements adjacent to an unheated space

    However it is rdSAP that I am primarily concerned with...
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012
     
    Front door removal is an option although only for EPC (a surveyor might have issues with building control).

    I'd much rather get the system to correctly calcualate my heat loss as is though!
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012
     
    Next time the do one take the inner front door off and hide it til after the EPC is done!
    • CommentAuthorDarylP
    • CommentTimeJun 1st 2012
     
    RdSAP is used for 'PV' EPCs, not SAP.

    SAP2009:

    Porches:
    · should be included if heated by fixed heating devices;
    · should not be included if unheated and external. In this context ‘external’ means an addition
    protruding from the line of the external wall of the dwelling;
    · should not be included if unheated and thermally separated from the dwelling.

    An unheated draught lobby in the form of an external porch should not be counted as part of the area of the
    dwelling. However, the door between the dwelling and the porch is a ‘semi-exposed’ element and its Uvalue
    should be calculated accordingly (see section 3.3).

    ... and from RdSAP:

    Porches
    If heated always include (separated or not).
    If external and not heated, disregard.
    If internal, not heated and thermally separated, disregard.
    (‘external’ means an addition protruding from the line of the external wall of the dwelling)


    I think the last line my be the 'key'...?

    Good luck...:smile::smile:
  8.  
    I have realised that the EPC doesn't reflect our retrofitting input or in some cases levels of insulation, etc. in new built properties. I am just doing the Domestic Energy Assessor course and recall the case for adding a porch to the property is having a heating source present in the porch and no external door between porch and house, maybe ideally no door at all.

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