Research & Development

Overheating in homes

CEW has worked with the Zero Carbon Hub (ZCH) on their Overheating in Homes project. 

Why does overheating happen? How can the construction and energy efficiency sector prevent the issue getting worse? What can local and national governments do to support the housing sector? And why does it matter? A second phase of the project will begin this year, aiming to make detailed recommendations about the types of policies and frameworks that could help the sector tackle overheating in homes.

Overheating In Homes – The Big Picture

Working together with industry the ZCH have now produced and published the findings from five detailed Evidence Review Reports. These publications each provide a summary of relevant evidence and concepts relating to a specific theme. The reports can be found below:

Drivers of Change - Overheating in Homes

Overheating Risk Mapping - Evidence Review

Impacts of Overheating - Evidence Review

Defining Overheating Evidence Review

Assessing Overheating Risk - Evidence Review

Ventilation in new housing

CEW sits on the steering group for the Zero Carbon Hub’s ventilation project which aims to work with housebuilders to study new build sites in England and Wales. This will provide evidence for a summary report that will draw on findings from across all sites. Based on this, early recommendations will be made to industry and government to help ensure that ventilation systems deliver the designed flow rate and energy performance, to safeguard occupants’ IAQ and protect the home’s fabric and ensure energy efficiency. For industry, these recommendations will focus on process and areas of further research. For government, recommendations will address any amendments that may be needed to guidance or regulation.