Rethinking household energy use – the importance of insulation.

A lot of existing buildings in the UK are poorly insulated and draughty, resulting in loss of heat and higher energy demand. To address climate change and rapidly reduce emissions we must both make the switch to renewable energy sources and reduce our energy use.

Better insulating our homes and buildings will make them more comfortable to live in and helps us to massively reduce our energy use, making it easier to rely on small scale renewable energy or reduce our energy bills.

Key information

• Duration: one day
• Upcoming date: Saturday 23rd November 2024
• Start and finish times: starts at 9:30am and ends at 4.00pm
• Fee: £125
• Includes: tuition, buffet lunch.
• What to bring: waterproof clothing is recommended
• Please note: B&B on Friday 22nd is NOT available at CAT
• Terms and Conditions:
  • you must be 18 years or over to attend our courses.
  • For full list of terms and conditions click here

What you will learn

The course will offer an accessible guide to calculating heat loss and understanding ‘R’ and ‘U’ values. You’ll learn how to identify draughts and air leakage, and how improving them could result in better thermal comfort, efficiency, and economic savings.

Through a mixture of lectures and hands on sessions, you’ll also explore different insulation types and understand appropriate insulation material for different locations.

For anyone looking to run off grid or mainly rely on their own renewable energy source, reducing your energy use will be key to success, helping you better plan and understand what energy you require and better inform decisions about what system is right for you.

A basic knowledge of MS Excel (or equivalent) is desirable for this course.

Renewables for Households courses

This course is part of a series exploring renewable energy technologies for households. Each course can be taken as a standalone or as a series where they will equip you with the skills and knowledge to implement different renewable technologies in your home.

• Renewables for Households: Wind Turbines – Saturday 11th January 2025
• Renewables for Households: Heat Pumps – Saturday 8th March 2025
• Renewables for Households: Solar PV – Saturday 12th April 2025

Meet your tutor

Alan Owen is a Chartered Energy Engineer and lecturer on our postgraduate courses here at CAT. His research ranges from numerical modelling of sustainable energy systems and resources in Europe, to developing international sustainable energy policy and strategy in post-conflict/post-disaster areas of South East Asia.