Overheating in Scotland: Lessons from 26 monitored low energy homes

Abstract

There is growing awareness in the UK that overheating is a significant problem and one that is likely to intensify with climate change, increasing urbanisation, an ageing population and the move towards ‘low energy’ buildings. Recent research suggested that while overheating may be an issue in the South of England, particularly in urban areas, it was not likely to be an issue for Scotland and the North of the UK in the medium term. This notion is reflected in the lack of awareness of the issue in Scotland. Monitoring of 26 new-build low energy and Passivhaus homes across Scotland over a two year period indicates overheating is prevalent in living areas and in particular in bedrooms where it is acknowledged that respite from high temperatures is important. This paper describes the quantitative and qualitative results, assesses relevant factors, comments on predictive tools used and seeks a robust series of measures to avoid overheating in future low energy homes in Scotland.