Smart energy providing guest comfort and facilities
Generating electricity from a substantial solar array, carefully recessed into the 150 year old Westmorland slates on the south roof, and storing the energy produced in large batteries, Warksburn Old Church incorporates a number of smart energy technologies. These supply renewable or sustainable power for numerous features and facilities provided for the comfort, convenience, and enjoyment of guests.
As examples, low energy lighting is used in every room, and invisible ‘far infrared’ heating is physically built in to floors, walls, and ceilings within the property. This innovative technology provides exceptional comfort and warmth when cold winter’s days require it.
However, for most of the year, guests will notice that this Passivhaus building requires no heating at all, other than the heat naturally emitted by its occupants, and their activities such as cooking. This is both because it is super-insulated and also because it incorporates a Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery (MVHR) system
The MVHR extracts the waste heat emitted by the occupants, then recycles it to heat incoming fresh air. It also purifies the incoming air at the intake, to provide exceptional air quality throughout the essentially airtight building required to meet Passivhaus standards of energy efficiency.
Further boosting overall efficiency, waste heat from the hot water used in showers is captured to heat incoming cold water.
All of these technologies, which work together unobtrusively in the background, and require no control inputs by guests, save vast amounts of energy and enable you to enjoy a truly Net Zero holiday.
Experience a Passivhaus Smart Home for yourself
For anyone who is considering a new build energy efficient home, or transforming an existing home to 21st Century standards, a stay at Warksburn Old Church offers an opportunity to experience for the comfort and efficiency of such a home for themselves.
So, if you’re thinking about an energy efficient, ultra low carbon home, staying as a guest at this exceptional Passivhaus property will enable you to ‘try before you buy’, so to speak. If you would like to delve a little deeper, the hosts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with guests during their stay. Anne and Alan’s conversion of a former church to a domestic property was the first time in the world Passivhaus standards had been applied to such a project, so they picked up a load of useful tips along the way.