C O N T E X T 9 9 : M A Y 2 0 0 7 17 Chris Wood English Heritage focuses on energy Guidance from English Heritage explains how to combat climate change without harming the appearance, character and performance of historic buildings. The Conservation Department of English Heritage is producing guidance on combating the potential effects of climate change, reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency within buildings. The aim is to highlight effective measures which avoid harming the appearance, character and performance of historic buildings. This advice will not be restricted to listed buildings. It will be applicable to any building of traditional construction, which mainly includes pre-1919 solid wall structures built with permeable materials without the use of barriers and membranes. Renewables in the Historic Environment This guidance on renewable energy aims to provide practical advice for householders. It will comprise a series of nine separate documents, three of which will be produced by the end of the year. The General Guide for Homeowners will be the first because it is sensible to try to reduce current energy use and make building improvements before installing a renewable. It focuses on saving energy by simple methods such as increasing insulation; draughtproofing; and lowenergy lighting. It is more at the DIY level rather than the professional. More complex methods will be discussed, but not in detail. Each of the renewable energy documents will refer back to this homeowners guide to remind them to tackle basic issues first. The guides will all be webbased, available on the HELM website and on a new English Heritage Climate Change website (see below) that is being developed by the Conservation Department. Pole-mounted wind turbines (assuming they are acceptable to the local authority) avoid the need to be attached to a historic building, but a number of technical issues will need to be satisfied. English Heritage’s forthcoming guidance Small-scale Wind or Solar and Traditional Buildings (in the series Renewables in the Historic Environment) gives advice on the size and depth of foundations and cabling, and information on different electrical installations. It also warns of the need to avoid buried archaeology. (Drawing: English Heritage) A wind turbine makes the most of an exposed site in Scotland. (Photo: The Energy Saving Trust)
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