[DrScientist]

> Frankly we might be better off just knocking down and rebuilding some of our housing stock at higher densities such is the cost of retrofitting and our housing shortages, but there is no political appetite in the UK for any radical solutions like that

Indeed. However a first step would be to put in decent building regs so that sub par new houses aren't being built! Still waiting for the new regs that were originally started in the planning back in 2006 or so.

[a_humean]

The fact that new builds are still installing gas boilers and without ventilation systems in 2024 is insanity. A family member just bought a brand new flat that has a gas boiler in it with zero space for a hot water tank and no ventilation. A brand new flat that will need retrofitting within the next 10 years.

I cannot find the source atm, but I recall that the government advice to builders is against installing ventilation systems to discourage retrofitting them in future for air conidtioning, which is makes it even harder to retrofit for heat pumps.

Insanity!

[pjc50]

> government advice to builders is against installing ventilation systems to discourage retrofitting them in future for air conidtioning

WTF? We're going to need air conditioning! We definitely need heat recovery ventilation if we're going to have proper insulation.

Not to mention that it's starting to look like "minisplit" reverse aircon might be one of the more economical forms of heatpump.

[a_humean]

Their thinking is basically if we have mass aircon then our residential energy consumption will skyrocket. New purpose built offices and retail pretty much always have aircon though because they have obvious productivity benefits.

However they also don't encourage passive cooling or low cost active solutions either such have making sure building have pass throughs for airflow, shading of windows, or fan systems. Government seems to be forgetting that current projections have us with Madrid style weather in the next 30 years and we will all be waving our fists.

[DrScientist]

Don't have to wait 30 years - the problem is here today.

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-12-05/sti...

Partly through poor design of new builds.

[rcxdude]

Yeah, the gov is doing its best to discourage aircon. For example the subsidy on heat pumps can only be claimed if the heat pump can't act as aircon, which is just the problem the US has but in reverse.

[brailsafe]

Seeing how expensive and drawn-out it seems to be just to get through the permitting process for new construction where I live, I would not favor increased regulation as a first step, but I suppose it would depend on how much of a burden the current standards are in any given area. Some places go as far as to regulate duration of shadows cast upon opposing sidewalks, and some others only seem to see development where sidewalks aren't required, so it seems like various countrys' systems suck all around. Sub-par houses now were not necessarily sub-par houses when they were built, and I'm sure they performed a hell of a lot better than had they not been at all.