Gain inspiration for your home in our eleventh Green Open Homes season this Autumn. Add comfort, cut carbon and reduce energy bills with up-to-date insulation, draughtproofing, heating and renewable energy.
- Visit a local home retrofitted with the planet and the pocket in mind
- Attend talks by expert speakers for practical advice.
- We can also provide contacts with local builders and installers our members have found trustworthy.
A note on home visits bookings:
Please be on time, because the hosts will start the tour and it may then be difficult to answer the door to latecomers or repeat things. If there are any problems on the day, such as not being able to find the property, you can call Lisa Jones.
If you need to cancel please email let us know as soon as possible by emailing info@mhsgroup.org. We can then cancel or change your booking to a different event or time. This would be much appreciated so that the hosts know and the space becomes available another visitor.
Thank you for your cooperation and we hope you enjoy your visits.
HOUSE TOURS
These run over three weekends this year:
9th/10th November
16th/17th November
EXPERT TALKS – IN PERSON
Monday evenings at Muswell Hill Methodist Church, 28 Page’s Lane, N10 1PP
7.30-8.30pm including time for questions, followed by refreshments and informal discussion. Talks will also be livestreamed. Admission free.
Monday 4th November
Understanding solar energy and heat pumps – Kaspar Bradshaw, Next Step Heating
Hear from an expert on solar systems to generate electricity and heat water, and heat pumps to replace gas boilers. For anyone considering such an installation, or just wants to understand more about home generation and heat pumps.
Monday 18th November
Home Retrofit Essentials – Dermot Barnes, Head of Sustainability, City University of London
Dermot’s talk will cover the essentials of how to set about improving the energy efficiency of a flat or house – where to start, what to prioritise, the best value interventions and how to navigate the complexities.
Monday 2nd December – Two inspiring local retrofit stories
Climate Emergency – a low energy house. Speaker: Ben Ridley, Architecture for London
The retrofit journey of an Edwardian house in Muswell Hill that considered both energy in use and embodied energy.
Eco-chic, Successes & Struggles. Speaker: Jo Edwards, co-director, Edwards-Rensen Architects
Tales of solar, water, sedum, pumps, and glass. Successes and struggles with the appetite for, design of, planning permission for, and installation of various solar panels, rainwater harvesting, sedum roofs, heat pumps and higher spec glazing.
OPEN HOMES
Grosvenor Road, N10
Edwardian house (corner plot), Alexandra Palace
Original features plus underfloor and ‘Sempatap’ internal wall insulation, ‘Magneglaze’ secondary glazing, solar hot water and solar PV panels, low-energy bathroom fan, living wall and green roof.
Leaside Avenue N10
1949 brick terrace/semi-linked house with garage, Muswell Hill
Draughtproofing, multi layer foil and conventional loft insulation, secondary glazing (fixed and sliding), replacement double glazed windows and doors, 2 types of heat recovery ventilation fans, solar thermal system with heat pump ready water cylinder, water butts front and back, highly insulated garden room with far infra red heating, 2 green roofs, electric vehicle charging point, shares in cooperatively owned wind farm matching electricity use, thermal blinds and curtains.
Halliwick Road, N10
Award-winning renovation of an Edwardian house into a comfortable low-energy home, including Rear extension, and loft conversion and refurbishment.
- Insulating and improving air-tightness
- Triple-glazing
- Masonry nib walls retained at ground floor to avoid energy-intensive steel box frames
- Natural materials including stone, timber and lime plaster, rather than cement-based products
- Rear extension built in highly insulated 172mm SIPS and all existing building elements achieved a Passivhaus standard U-value of 0.15 or better
- An MVHR system provides pre-heated fresh air and filters the incoming air, removing pollen, diesel particulates ad NOx to create a healthy indoor environment
Weir Hall Road, N17
1920s semi-detached house External, internal and underfloor insulation, triple glazing, air source heat pump, solar PV panels.
Pages Hill House 1, N10
1920s semi-detached house, Muswell Hill
External solid wall insulation
Solar PV panels and batteries for storage
Solar thermal collector and hot water tank
Air source heat pump
Off mains gas supply
Pages Hill House 2, N10
1920s semi-detached house, Muswell Hill
Solid wall insulation
Loft extension insulation
Underfloor insulation
Double-glazed leaded windows in original style
Solar PV panels
Energy-efficient hot water system.
Yew Tree Close N22
Timber-framed detached 1980s house. Rigid wall, underfloor and roof insulation; air source heat pumps (x2) for underfloor heating & hot water; 16 solar PV panels (4kW peak); instant water boiler (no kettle); LED lighting; Argon-filled double-glazing throughout.
St James Lane, N10
Construction in progress of selfbuild PassivHaus
Low profile two-bedroom house on reclaimed site. Completed home to include living front wall, living roof and tree planting. PROJECT IN PROGRESS.
