Ideally you would have engaged a thermal performance assessor from the planning stage of your project.
6 7 Star Design Advantages – Rate Energy encourage clients to plan with this in mind, this is the most cost effective way or achieving 6 or 7 stars or the required star rating.
You can achieve the 6 or 7 Star Standard with a few simple adjustments to design and construction, and by including a combination of the many options to improve the building’s energy-efficiency, such as:
Orientation: passive solar design
Insulation
Draught-proofing and sealing of the building’s envelope
Better window design (including size, location, quality thermal performance of frames and glazing)
Shading
Building fabric (including selection of cladding materials, flooring).
The same passive principles apply of maximising cooling air movement and excluding sun in the hot months, trapping and storing heat and minimising heat loss to the external environment in cooler months.
A variety of dwelling types encourages diversity in the social mix and offers multiple design opportunities for different sustainable strategies.