Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

All Outputs (27)

A Multi-Objective Design Optimization of a New-Build Future Homes Standard House in Controlled Conditions (2025)
Journal Article

This paper aims to determine the optimal construction strategies for new-build houses in the UK to minimize heating energy demand and discomfort hours. This research utilizes a previously calibrated model of “The Future Home” in Energy House 2.0’s en... Read More about A Multi-Objective Design Optimization of a New-Build Future Homes Standard House in Controlled Conditions.

A Multi-Objective Design Optimization of a New Build Future Home Standard House in Controlled Conditions (2025)
Journal Article
Tsang, C., Jankovic, L., Fitton, R., & Henshaw, G. (in press). A Multi-Objective Design Optimization of a New Build Future Home Standard House in Controlled Conditions. Sustainability, 17(2), https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020724

This paper aims to determine the optimal construction strategies for new-build houses in the UK to minimize heating energy demand and discomfort hours. This research utilizes a previously calibrated model of “The Future Home” in Energy House 2.0’s en... Read More about A Multi-Objective Design Optimization of a New Build Future Home Standard House in Controlled Conditions.

Experimental and computational assessment of an energy-saving innovation in a customised testing cabin (2024)
Journal Article
Henshaw, G., Deyranlou, A., Rimmer, K., Paula Diaz Hernandez, H., Fitton, R., & Keshmiri, A. (2024). Experimental and computational assessment of an energy-saving innovation in a customised testing cabin. Energy and Buildings, 323, Article 114794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114794

The aim of this paper is to assess the performance of an energy-saving device, called ‘Thermocill’ in a customised test cabin, located in a controlled environment. With the UK domestic energy sector responsible for nearly 27 % of the total energy mix... Read More about Experimental and computational assessment of an energy-saving innovation in a customised testing cabin.

Retrofit assessment: Getting it right from the start (2024)
Journal Article
Fitton, R., & Swan, W. (2024). Retrofit assessment: Getting it right from the start. Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal and Valuation, 12(3), 208-217

The UK has some of the oldest buildings in Europe. They are also some of the worst performing in terms of energy performance. In tandem with these issues the UK has committed to making a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions. UK homes are currently... Read More about Retrofit assessment: Getting it right from the start.

A Practitioner Study into the Variability of Domestic Energy Assessments (2023)
Journal Article
Gledhill, T., Swan, W., & Fitton, R. (2023). A Practitioner Study into the Variability of Domestic Energy Assessments. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBPA-10-2022-0167

This paper focuses on the assessment of a domestic property’s energy performance status by a Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), to ascertain the possible underlying reasons for variability in the results of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). By var... Read More about A Practitioner Study into the Variability of Domestic Energy Assessments.

Domestic smart metering infrastructure and a method for home appliances identification using low‐rate power consumption data (2021)
Journal Article
Paraskevas, I., Barbarosou, M., Fitton, R., & Swan, W. (2021). Domestic smart metering infrastructure and a method for home appliances identification using low‐rate power consumption data. IET Smart Cities, 3(2), 91-106. https://doi.org/10.1049/smc2.12009

The deployment of domestic smart metering infrastructure in Great Britain provides the opportunity for identification of home appliances utilising non-intrusive load monitoring methods. Identifying the energy consumption of certain home appliances ge... Read More about Domestic smart metering infrastructure and a method for home appliances identification using low‐rate power consumption data.

Thermal performance of thermal paint and surface coatings in buildings in heating dominated climates (2019)
Journal Article
Simpson, A., Fitton, R., Rattigan, I., Marshall, A., Parr, G., & Swan, W. (2019). Thermal performance of thermal paint and surface coatings in buildings in heating dominated climates. Energy and Buildings, 197, 196-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.04.027

A purported approach to reducing heating energy in solid wall “hard to heat” housing is the simple application of a thin layer (< 1mm) of thermal paint containing insulating additives. The objective of this study was to test the energy saving clai... Read More about Thermal performance of thermal paint and surface coatings in buildings in heating dominated climates.

Renaturing a microclimate : the impact of greening a neighbourhood on indoor thermal comfort during a heatwave in Manchester, UK (2019)
Journal Article
Taleghani, M., Marshall, A., Fitton, R., & Swan, W. (2019). Renaturing a microclimate : the impact of greening a neighbourhood on indoor thermal comfort during a heatwave in Manchester, UK. Solar Energy, 182, 245-255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2019.02.062

Higher air temperatures in large cities like Manchester, UK, reduce human thermal comfort. In this paper, the impact of land cover on microclimate, and consequently on indoor thermal comfort is studied. Through different stages, field measurements an... Read More about Renaturing a microclimate : the impact of greening a neighbourhood on indoor thermal comfort during a heatwave in Manchester, UK.

Assessing the requirements from ‘BB101’ 2006 and 2018 for a naturally ventilated preparatory school in the UK (2018)
Journal Article

In the UK, BB101 is the guidance document for ventilation design of school buildings. There are significant
changes proposed in the new version of BB101. The aim of this paper is to examine the requirements of
thermal comfort and CO2-based indoor a... Read More about Assessing the requirements from ‘BB101’ 2006 and 2018 for a naturally ventilated preparatory school in the UK.

QUB : a fast dynamic method for in-situ measurement of the whole building heat loss (2018)
Journal Article
Alzetto, F., Pandraud, G., Fitton, R., Heusler, I., & Sinnesbichler, H. (2018). QUB : a fast dynamic method for in-situ measurement of the whole building heat loss. Energy and Buildings, 174, 124-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.06.002

QUB is an innovative method enabling the experimental measurement of the total heat loss coefficient (HLC) of a building envelope in one night only. It is based on a simple theory, yet can be demonstrated to be accurate even in a short time and in re... Read More about QUB : a fast dynamic method for in-situ measurement of the whole building heat loss.

Variations in the U-Value measurement of a whole dwelling using infrared thermography under controlled conditions (2018)
Journal Article
controlled conditions. Buildings, 8(46), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings8030046

U-values of building elements are often determined using point measurements, where infrared imagery may be used to identify a suitable location for these measurements. Current methods identify that surface areas exhibiting a homogeneous temperature—a... Read More about Variations in the U-Value measurement of a whole dwelling using infrared thermography under controlled conditions.

Comparison of whole house heat loss test methods under controlled conditions in six distinct retrofit scenarios (2018)
Journal Article
Alezzo, F., Farmer, D., Fitton, R., Hughes, T., & Swan, W. (2018). Comparison of whole house heat loss test methods under controlled conditions in six distinct retrofit scenarios. Energy and Buildings, 168, 35-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.03.024

The accurate assessment of buildings to assess their performance across a range of parameters is an essential part of understanding both new and retrofit buildings. The growing understanding of the performance gap in terms of its assessment and chara... Read More about Comparison of whole house heat loss test methods under controlled conditions in six distinct retrofit scenarios.

Measuring thermal performance in steady-state conditions at each stage of a full fabric retrofit to a solid wall dwelling (2017)
Journal Article

The methodology used for measuring the thermal performance of fabric retrofit systems which were applied to a solid wall UK Victorian house situated within an environmental chamber is explored in detail. The work describes how steady-state boundary c... Read More about Measuring thermal performance in steady-state conditions at each stage of a full fabric retrofit to a solid wall dwelling.

The staged retrofit of a solid wall property under controlled conditions (2017)
Journal Article
controlled conditions. Energy and Buildings, 156, 250-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.09.033

Retrofit of hard to treat properties has been highlighted as a policy challenge to reduced energy consumption in
the UK. This study undertook an experimental staged retrofit of a pre-1919 UK solid wall property under
controlled conditions. The prop... Read More about The staged retrofit of a solid wall property under controlled conditions.

Domestic building fabric performance : closing the gap between the in situ measured and modelled performance (2017)
Journal Article
Marshall, A., Fitton, R., Swan, W., Farmer, D., Johnston, D., Benjaber, M., & Ji, Y. (2017). Domestic building fabric performance : closing the gap between the in situ measured and modelled performance. Energy and Buildings, 150, 307-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.06.028

There is a growing body of evidence available to indicate that there is often a discrepancy between the in situ measured thermal performance of a building fabric and the steady-state predicted performance of that fabric, even when the building fabric... Read More about Domestic building fabric performance : closing the gap between the in situ measured and modelled performance.

The thermal performance of window coverings in a whole house test facility with single-glazed sash windows (2017)
Journal Article
Fitton, R., Swan, W., Hughes, T., & Benjaber, M. (2017). The thermal performance of window coverings in a whole house test facility with single-glazed sash windows. Energy Efficiency, 10(6), 1419-1431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-017-9529-0

The residential sector is responsible for 29% of the total energy consumption of the UK, with 62% of this energy being used for space heating. Heat loss through the fabric of building elements is a crucial factor in the energy efficiency of homes, an... Read More about The thermal performance of window coverings in a whole house test facility with single-glazed sash windows.