Look at life inside a London retrofit house during a heatwave

Look at life inside a London retrofit house during a heatwave details Catherine Katzka’s experience inside her 1960s family townhouse in south-east London, retrofitted in 2022. Her home uses a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system designed to circulate fresh air and recover heat in winter, but after three days of 35C sunshine, the interior reached 28C. Katzka says the MVHR provides little summer benefit and may essentially circulate warm outdoor air during peak daytime temperatures, a challenge amplified by London’s urban heat island effect and housing stock not built for heat. The retrofit in Sydenham included triple-glazed windows, photovoltaic panels, an air source heat pump, plus external blinds and awnings, cutting energy bills by 70% and removing the need for gas. The project cost about £100,000. She expects comfort improvements and says air conditioning could be added later using PV power. The article also cites record UK heat in July 2022, when London hit 40C.