Pennyland project
Encyclopedia
The Pennyland project was one of a series of low-energy building experiments sparked by the 1973 oil crisis
. It involved the construction of an estate of 177 houses in the Pennyland area of Milton Keynes
, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
. It compared possible future UK building efficiency standards with newly introduced Danish
ones.
Although identical externally, half the Pennyland houses (Area 1) were built to the proposed 1982 UK Building Regulations
energy efficiency standards. The other half (Area 2) were built to the much more demanding 1977 Danish BR77 standard. (In Europe, BR77 and the Swedish
SBN-80 standards set the benchmark for low-energy housing at the time.)
Sponsored by the UK Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Milton Keynes Development Corporation
, and using the technical expertise of the Open University
Energy Research Group, the houses were constructed during 1979 and 1980.
For comparison, two additional groups of control houses, already built in 1978, were studied on an adjoining site at Neath Hill. A further group, the Linford low energy houses were built to the Pennyland Area 2 standards and used for more detailed tests.
. The majority of houses faced south with the main living rooms located on the south side. They were designed with an insulated cavity wall
with a poured concrete
inner leaf to provide thermal mass
. This had the added benefit of increasing airtightness. Nearly all were fitted with conventional radiator central heating systems.
Several levels of insulation, heating system efficiency and passive solar design were compared:
At Neath Hill most houses featured
About 20 of the Neath Hill houses were retrofitted with foam cavity fill wall insulation.
The Pennyland Area 1 houses featured:
The Pennyland Area 2 houses (almost Danish BR77 standards) featured:
Among the lessons learned were:
demonstration project and exhibition.
The issue of mould growth in air-tight houses has since been tackled by Building Regulation requirements for specific ventilation in kitchens, bathrooms and toilets.
The levels of insulation tested at Pennyland and Great Linford
in the early 1980s were only surpassed in the UK Building Regulation requirements in 2002.
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
. It involved the construction of an estate of 177 houses in the Pennyland area of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It compared possible future UK building efficiency standards with newly introduced Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
ones.
Although identical externally, half the Pennyland houses (Area 1) were built to the proposed 1982 UK Building Regulations
Energy efficiency in British housing
Domestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010...
energy efficiency standards. The other half (Area 2) were built to the much more demanding 1977 Danish BR77 standard. (In Europe, BR77 and the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
SBN-80 standards set the benchmark for low-energy housing at the time.)
Sponsored by the UK Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Milton Keynes Development Corporation
Milton Keynes Development Corporation
Milton Keynes Development Corporation was established on 23 January 1967 to provide the vision and execution of a "new city", Milton Keynes, that would be the modern interpretation of the Garden city movement concepts first expressed by Ebenezer Howard 60 years earlier...
, and using the technical expertise of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
Energy Research Group, the houses were constructed during 1979 and 1980.
For comparison, two additional groups of control houses, already built in 1978, were studied on an adjoining site at Neath Hill. A further group, the Linford low energy houses were built to the Pennyland Area 2 standards and used for more detailed tests.
Design
The Pennyland estate was laid out to take advantage of solar gainPassive solar building design
In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer...
. The majority of houses faced south with the main living rooms located on the south side. They were designed with an insulated cavity wall
Cavity wall
Cavity walls consist of two 'skins' separated by a hollow space . The skins are commonly masonry such as brick or concrete block. Masonry is an absorbent material, and therefore will slowly draw rainwater or even humidity into the wall. The cavity serves as a way to drain this water back out...
with a poured concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
inner leaf to provide thermal mass
Thermal mass
Thermal mass is a concept in building design which describes how the mass of the building provides "inertia" against temperature fluctuations, sometimes known as the thermal flywheel effect...
. This had the added benefit of increasing airtightness. Nearly all were fitted with conventional radiator central heating systems.
Several levels of insulation, heating system efficiency and passive solar design were compared:
At Neath Hill most houses featured
- conventional 'heavyweight' gas boilers
- 50 mm roof insulation
- no cavity wall insulation
- Single glazing
- No floor edge insulation
- No special passive solar measures
About 20 of the Neath Hill houses were retrofitted with foam cavity fill wall insulation.
The Pennyland Area 1 houses featured:
- low thermal capacity gas boilers
- 80 mm loft insulation
- 50 mm cavity wall insulation
- Single glazing
- No floor edge insulation
- Passive solar layout and features
The Pennyland Area 2 houses (almost Danish BR77 standards) featured:
- low thermal capacity gas boilers
- 150 mm loft insulation
- 100 mm cavity wall insulation
- Double glazing
- 25 mm insulation under the edge of the floor slab
- Passive solar layout and features
Lessons learned
The houses were monitored over the winters of 1981 and 1982 with energy and internal temperatures being measured in a large sample of houses on a weekly average basis. More detailed monitoring on an hourly basis was carried out on the Linford houses.Among the lessons learned were:
- Overall the Pennyland Area 2 houses demonstrated a halving in gas consumption for space and water heating compared to the 'normal' Neath Hill houses.
- The low thermal capacity gas boilers showed large energy savings compared to the conventional 'heavyweight' type.
- The poured concrete construction used at Pennyland made the houses extremely airtight.
- The overall package of energy conservation measures had a payback time of only four years.
- The passive solar features were popular, but the energy savings were modest and their use constrained estate layout. The savings were limited by the use of net curtains and privacy considerations.
- The Pennyland houses suffered from minor mould growth in kitchens and bathrooms; a downside of the good airtightness.
Impact
The short payback times encouraged Milton Keynes Development Corporation to introduce its own Building Regulation standards for new housing within the city leading to the major 1986 Energy WorldEnergy World
Energy World was a demonstration project of 51 low-energy houses constructed in the Shenley Lodge area of Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The project was promoted by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation and culminated in a public exhibition in August and October 1986 that attracted...
demonstration project and exhibition.
The issue of mould growth in air-tight houses has since been tackled by Building Regulation requirements for specific ventilation in kitchens, bathrooms and toilets.
The levels of insulation tested at Pennyland and Great Linford
Great Linford
Great Linford is a historic village, district and civil parish in the northern part of Milton Keynes, England, between Wolverton and Newport Pagnell.-Great Linford village:...
in the early 1980s were only surpassed in the UK Building Regulation requirements in 2002.
See also
- Energy WorldEnergy WorldEnergy World was a demonstration project of 51 low-energy houses constructed in the Shenley Lodge area of Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The project was promoted by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation and culminated in a public exhibition in August and October 1986 that attracted...
- Energy efficiency in British housingEnergy efficiency in British housingDomestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010...
- Energy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use and conservation in the United KingdomEnergy use in the United Kingdom stood at 3,894.6 kilogrammes of oil equivalent per capita in 2005 compared to a world average of 1,778.0. In 2008, total energy consumed was 9.85 exajoules - around 2% of the estimated 474 EJ worldwide total...
- Sustainable developmentSustainable developmentSustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
- Energy conservationEnergy conservationEnergy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
- Passivhaus low-energy building standard
- :Category:Low-energy building