The BPN welcomes Elfed Lewis as Network Lead. Here is a word from Elfed:
Thank you, I’m looking forward to working on all things BPE as part of my new role as Network Lead.
I worked in the IT industry for 25 years, ending up working as a consultant on large corporate cloud projects. But an interest in environmental matters, plus a desire to reduce my own, and my family’s carbon footprint has resulted in a fairly profound career shift!
I decided to build a Passivhaus, starting in about 2014. As part of this, I decided to train up as a Passivhaus certified designer in order to better manage the build process. I decided to be very much involved in all aspects of the construction project, making sure that I worked on some aspect of each building element. I very much enjoyed this project – it combined the problem solving and analysis that first drew me to IT work with a focus on actual, quantifiable emissions reduction at the end. As part of the overall build, I have installed so many sensors and measuring devices that my partner decided I should give up the day job and become a full time data analyst for our property! I learned so much about the property, and about how to actually save energy and carbon (the reality is often so different to the theory – common knowledge to all BPE enthusiasts). The biggest surprise for me was the amount of energy the pre heater on my MVHR system used, that and how much energy I am now using on energy measuring devices!
Having loved every moment of the project, I decided that buildings, and buildings energy use reduction is what I wanted the second half of my career to be focused on. I enrolled on a masters programming Green Building at the Center for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, and also signed up for every industry course I could find. I am now a Jablotron ventilation approved designer/installer and hoping to add Zehnder to this list. I am a Heat Geek mastery alumni. I am also a Vaillant approved heat pump engineer (I have never installed a heat pump – I just wanted to know how to design efficient heating systems!).
When the opportunity came to apply for a role with the BPN, I jumped at the chance. Both my own experience of building a Passivhaus, on top of my masters studies and other learnings has reinforced in me a deep commitment to demonstrating that our buildings meet the emissions reductions standards we set as a society. After all, if we set a particular emissions reductions standard for our buildings in order to meet our net zero commitments, and the actual energy use of those buildings is x% higher – then we will not be meeting our net zero commitments. As someone who believes passionately in reducing our carbon emissions as a society, and also someone who believes that doing the hard work of emissions reduction is part of our commitment to leave a good and prosperous society those who will inherit this land after us, this is not good enough – if we set a target, it is incumbent on us to meet that target. And BPE is key to this. BPE is how we will test and develop the next generation of housing built in the age of meeting our net zero challenges.. And BPE will also be key in demonstrating to our international partners that we have actually achieved the standards we set out to achieve.
I look forward to working with all of our partner organisations in meeting this challenge.
Elfed Lewis