A stunning, luxurious 4-bedroomed bungalow in Hertfordshire is benefiting from a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system from Mitsubishi Electric, helping it to comply with strict planning regulations and meet the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The gabled structure has been designed and built by Lansberry Ltd, specialists in bespoke developments, and sits in four acres of greenbelt with amazing views across the surroundin valley. Key to ensuring that the design of the house had minimal impact on the environment was the company’s use of low carbon sustainable technologies.
In consultation with Mitsubishi Electric, Lansberry Ltd chose renewable energy specialists, AOS Heating, to install a DC Lossnay mechanical heat recovery ventilation system to provide effective fresh air ventilation to the home. The DC Lossnay system extracts stale air from an interior space and recovers up to 90 per cent of the heating or cooling energy from it.
Other basic ventilation systems such as standard supply and extract fans do not allow recovery of energy to take place, so energy is lost as soon as fresh air is introduced.
Mitsubishi Electric’s unique Lossnay recovers energy from the outgoing air to warm or cool the incoming fresh air, keeping the home light and airy whilst minimising energy costs.
“Lossnay provides the home with a constant supply of pre-heated, fresh air in the winter months and fresh air and night time cooling during summer months creating the perfect environment for any homeowner,” said Lee Wildego, Contracts Manager for AOS Heating.
The structure has a steel frame design which incorporates glazed skylights for maximum natural light, whilst the bedrooms, kitchen and living areas all benefit from high vaulted ceilings reaching up to the apex, to maximise the feeling of space.
A sophisticated control system is linked to CO2 sensors which automatically boost the fresh air supply if levels rise above a predetermined point. This avoids the build-up of stuffy, stale air and offers the homeowner a constantly fresh environment.
“Lansberry strives to incorporate sustainability and carbon reduction into every project we undertake and we are mindful of the impact our developments have upon the landscape they sit in, too,” said Nick Bareham, Managing Director of Lansberry Ltd.
“The inclusion of renewable technology in this project not only helped us to obtain planning permission in a green belt area, but was an important selling feature when we took the property to market.”
Strict building regulations, Part L2 in the UK and Part J in Scotland, require modern buildings to be more air tight than ever before, making the need for fresh air ventilation key to maintaining a comfortable internal environment. Mechanical heat recovery ventilation units such as Lossnay provide an ideal way to extract pollutant, stale air whilst introducing fresh, clean air, without compromising on the internal temperature and humidity.
Mitsubishi Electric has refined Lossnay over a period of more than 30 years and has perfected the recovery of otherwise wasted energy. The secret of Lossnay’s effectiveness lies in the construction of the unique paper core which allows exchange of both latent heat (humidity/moisture) and sensible heat (temperature).