How much does an MVHR cost to design and install in 2024?

Installed Zehnder Q350 MVHR HVAC with pre-heater in a home utility room

This article will explain the full itemised costs to fit a high performance MVHR system in a new build or renovated home in the UK. It has been updated for 2024 prices based on our cross-industry experience of specifying hundreds of MVHR systems over the last few years. How much does an MVHR system cost … Read more

Cheap MVHR or expensive MVHR? The science behind Heat Exchanger Efficiency

Building dust is visible inside the heat exchanger as the filter doesn't fit properly - this will damage the heat exchanger

A Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) unit is a cornerstone of a low energy home with healthy indoor air. There are a lot of MVHRs on the market, and one way to compare between another is to look at its Heat Exchanger Efficiency score. Today I’ll explain what to watch for when comparing a cheap … Read more

Completing my ATTMA Airtightness Testing Training for New Builds and Forensic Testing

Intello membrane on a roof that HSL tested for airtightness forensic analysis

If you would like to learn more about what’s involved during a building airtightness test in the UK, please read on. If you have a new build project or renovated building which requires an airtightness test for any reason, please contact me on Patrick [@] Heatspaceandlight.com for pricing. Any new build in the UK has … Read more

The relationship between Power and Energy – and what it has to do with your home

When we talk about “low energy homes”, what are we really talking about? Well, when we’re trying to build low energy homes what we’re figuring out how to use the lowest amount of energy to heat the entire space in your home to a comfortable 20DegC (and how to keep it at 20DegC). Where does energy come from … Read more

A tough day for building physicists and environmentalists

to those who will not have the benefit of two billion years' accumulated energy reserves - David Mackay

Today Professor David Mackay of the Department of Physics in Cambridge and former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) lost his battle with cancer. Professor Mackay was the reason a lot of my colleagues moved into low energy design, microgeneration technology and sustainability industries. He was one of the … Read more