Hello, thanks for listening and welcome to Carbon Climates, an energy podcast dedicated
to discussing all things energy, carbon and sustainability. We also like to focus on what's
getting hot besides from our planet. I'm your host, Ania, and today I'm joined by my Carbon Climate
co-host, Bailey, who I'll be introducing now. Hello everybody. So Bailey is a PhD student
at Ulster University focusing on low carbon buildings and we're going to dwell, delve,
just dwell, you know, mess up even more, it's grand. They love the real life.
We're going to dwell then, right in.
Dwell right in into your job in a bit. But can you tell us first, how have you been? How's your week
been? Can you tell us a bit about yourself? So I've been busy, busy. What have I been up to
this week? So I've actually been on site by Passive Houses, both in Marifel and Monaghan.
Just the admin stuff really, changing batteries and things like that, all the good and exciting
just in the ocean, you know. I was at Marifel yesterday. I reconnected a few bits of equipment
back to online and today, yes, I was doing my tutorials on law and governments because we're
required to do a bit of teaching to get maybe a day working with the university later. So I was
teaching law and governments to quantitative errors and environmental health students.
Very, very good. And you're teaching in the new Ulster University building?
I am.
Yeah. How do you find it? It's so much, it's like a dream compared to where we were at Jordan's
mind. It really, really was. Everything's so new in there and it makes it more exciting to go on
and things like that, you know what I mean? I love it. Everyone else loves it and even the students
love it too. So it's fun for everybody. I think I just remember Jordan's time, the block, the
the lawn, like, you know, like I used to do the engineering classes in the lab, which is at the
start of the building, like block 16. Yes. And then maybe had a lecture all the way at the other end.
I know and it's like a long, long, the mile, the long, the more, the mile.
So could you describe or give us the title off your PhD or your role or just?
Mm hmm. So I, my title, my job title is a PhD researcher at the Ulster University.
My title of my topic, we haven't fully got a concrete one yet because it's all subject to
change and it'll be probably finalized by again soon. But essentially my title is like low energy
design versus passive house. But my sole focus or gap in research is an offsite volumetric passive
house located in Northern Ireland. So in, in Cointidary. Wow. Okay. Very impressive.
Yeah. So my full but one. That must be, that must be really interesting to explain to people. Like
think as soon as people think like house, they're like, like, I love talking to people where it's
like, okay, yeah, this affects me as well. It's like, oh, here, what type of house can I get in
the future? It's, you know what? It actually really opened up my eyes as well, because when you think
of building house construction, it's the, like the bricks and the cement and things like that,
where this house was actually built inside, like indoors and it's a tent that construction. So they
have like a big yard, like warehouse at the side and the house was built in three sections. So
bottom floor, first floor, and then the roof. And that was all, it took a couple months to build.
And then, but that house was all put together like a jigsaw in one afternoon. It took a couple
hours. So it really is a whole new, different way of house construction. It is absolutely brilliant.
And the house itself, it's a lovely house. And you wouldn't have no idea that it was like,
it looks like a jigsaw. Obviously it's not the purpose, but you know what I mean? It's such a
far better way to really open up my eyes. Okay. Brilliant. Okay. Definitely delve into that more
later. Again, I messed up 12. Okay. I think it's just over. So could you tell us how long have you
been in the sector? I don't even see, to be honest, like I don't even feel like I'm fully
in the sector. I feel like I'm earning my right to be, and it's, if that makes sense, like my PhD,
like I'm stepping on, even though I've been there like years now essentially. If you want to say,
I've been doing my undergrad energy. So four years, that's probably about five and a half years.
Five and a half years. Yeah. How about that? You know what? Every time I'm on this, I'm on that,
this, like I'm doing an episode of this. And I say like, I've been in this sector, like, you know,
post, like in every, like in the sector so many years, every episode it changes. So sometimes
it's nine, sometimes it's six. Sometimes it's six. And it's like, right. Okay. What are we counting
from? But yeah, no here. That's right. I think I felt like that, like I think right after, like,
not even right after I left uni, but this job, when I, like the first couple of months of it,
I'm like, I need to. Yeah, you need to find your feet in you. But yeah, no, I get you. I think
it's because I haven't fully gone out and worked with companies and things like that. I've always
been in the university setting. So I feel like I'm still learning more than contributing. If that
makes sense. You know what I mean? Like projects and things like that, but obviously that's what
the PhD is. But I don't know. It's just how I feel sometimes and going, I'll get there. I am getting
there. But you're like, you're at the forefront, like you're developing. You were talking previously
before the episode began, Emma, about using the same software, IES. Yes. And like, and then
you're using the passive house tool, but you're probably going to be developing and looking up
all these techniques that like we will eventually use in the future. So you're at the forefront,
definitely. I'm still learning. It's a slow process, but we'll get there. Well, see when
you're at school, did you ever emphasize yourself in this sector? See, to be honest, no, I don't
think I ever really had an idea of what I wanted to do. But looking back and reflecting, I think I
was always in this area. If you know what I mean, like, like extra collector stuff. So I was always
my subjects in school that I was really passionate about with science and geography. So that really
lines up with where I am now. But outside of school, I would have done volunteering at the
rubber watch locks agency in Derry. So they would have done the foil ambassador programs,
which was like getting to know your local community and doing like litter pegs and things
like that and taking away invasive species like maline balsam and things like that. So I was like
the social worker. I was a part of it. So I was like working with the locks agency, but I was also
part of that group. So no one could come to me for things like that. And I could tell them my
experience because I did it a couple of years ago and it was a brilliant program. It really was. So
I think I've always been involved in that area so that it makes sense for me to be where I am.
Yeah. Yeah. That's actually really good to hear that like, you're almost like you're drawn,
you're like, you're caught, the sector called to you. It was just all around me. I didn't even
realize, I think I was just quite naive. I don't really think about things much, but like a night,
I was always a part of it. You know what I mean? Yeah. So that's, that's really great.
Um, I'm not going to tell you what I wanted to do or what I thought I was going to do,
but when I was 18, I was going to be a sociologist. I think everybody has a dream. I swear to God,
like, like I'm going to work with animals in Africa. Like this is going to be amazing. You
know, like the wild form berries, like, and stuff like that. Um, then, then kind of dawned on me,
you need to be good at biology. And I was, I was scraping, I was scraping C's.
Like, you said that because I applied for biology in Queens. That was my first choice. It wasn't
human biology. It was plant biology. Right. So it was like biological sciences, but that aligns up
with marine biologists and zoologists. They all have the same first year. So we're living the same
kind of life. But I, um, that was my first choice. And, um, I, to be honest, I actually didn't get
the grades. I got BBC, but you need three B's. They have me on the Whitten list and I thought
this was the end of the world. Yeah. Um, but look, I spoke with my family and my dad, he's,
he actually does built in services. Like, um, he worked, um, a company based in England. And so he
gets, he gets a lot of things that I'm doing and the regulations and practices and things like that.
And whenever that there, the end of the world was happening, he thought that is not the course that
you should be doing this other course. Energy is where you want to be. That will be right in for
you. It'll be so much more interesting. And I'm so glad that it all happened because I think it
would have dropped out of biology because I don't think I was that good at it. I really, really
don't. I just had this dream of being a really cute, um, honestly. Oh yeah. Definitely. That's
really great. And that's really great. You have that, um, encouragement and everything, just so
like steer your right, like in a sense of, okay, yes. I need someone to kind of check and sometimes,
you know what I mean? Um, but honestly, it was the best like thing to happen, not getting where I
wanted to be because it's not where I was meant to be and look where I am now. I've come so far and
I'm still going. Yeah. So that was the best thing that could happen for me really in terms of like
educational thing. Uh, brilliant. Brilliant. Nice. Okay. Well, as I said at the start, um, your PhD,
it focuses on low carbon buildings with a specialty towards passive house. Um, um, you used
like a really like an intricate term to describe it. It was like, was it the volume? Off-site
volumetric modular. I know, I know everyone thinks the same. And we were talking about before the
podcast, um, just about your dome of passive house and the till. And what I would do predominantly is
focus on SAP, which kind of like they're essentially the same energy assessment software.
However, passive house includes so much more like, um, like, you know, and more focuses on like the
likes of the design for like no heating, like, or no cooling in the building. Um, but I was telling
you about SAP and, uh, what was I saying? Yeah. So essentially the like passive house tool in my ice,
passive house tool or something equivalent to something like it, um, in the future,
that's what Northern Ireland should be using to assess houses for the likes of EPC ratings or
building control calculations. Because the SAP software we use now, uh, it is SAP called SAP 2009
and my house called SAP 2009 because it came out in 2009. Um, so it is essentially 15 years out of
date. Uh, no, we did have new building regulations in Northern Ireland come out. Um, that say we need
to get, um, a 15% or 25% betterment against like a carbon reduction on this. Uh, but still it's like
the methodology is, um, so I dated England, Scotland and Wales, they all use SAP 10. Yeah, of course,
of course we're lost. And I actually got really into, um, like, I'm like, why, why did this, like,
you know, why did this happen? And I looked back and found, um, like, okay, it all started to
diverge when we weren't updated in 2012. All right. And why, like, what happened? Well, yeah,
the executive decided to focus on rate on testing. Um, and then again, started to diverge even more
when we weren't even further updated in 2016. Here in 2016, Brexit was announced and then the
executive disbanded for three years. And then it said, we're going to review it in 2020 and then
2020. Yeah. So, and it's like, oh my goodness, like it's, it's just weird. Like the geopolitical,
the external things that happen that like, it affects absolutely everything, doesn't it?
What pissed me off from what I was telling you, um, about for, um, so like the SAP software calculates
EPC ratings and they're being used on houses and they can't, like, and so essentially it's an
outdated software that's calculating your EPC rating. Um, and so your EPC rating, you could
be getting a better or worse EPC. If you're getting a better EPC, your house could be valued
up more possibly. If you're getting a worse EPC, then you could actually be entitled to funding or
a grant that can help improve your home, improve your energy efficiency because the better the EPC,
the less fuel you use. Um, and so you're saving money and yeah, apologies. I just went on a,
no, no, no, no.
But yes. So you focus on passive house, which stands for like passive house, low carbon buildings
and passive house is essentially a standard of measuring energy efficiency in a house without
the use of heating or cooling or like without the use of focusing on heating and cooling.
So it's pure, like it's purely focusing on the design of the house. Design of the house. Yeah.
Yeah. And it refers to a building that yeah, that's not requiring a heating system
or post air heating. And yes. Okay. I've got a couple of sections here for later that I'm going
to save. But really good. So could you give us a breakdown for them off what your research
is looking at? So the volumetric, I'm not, I'm not going to repeat what you just said.
So my research, so I am looking into, so I have essentially five houses that I'm monitoring.
Three of them are passive, two are non-passive, but they are low energy designed.
So my gap in research is the house that I have in Myerfeld, which we are
currently working with, um, Zatanta Construction, um, Mark Grubbin. Um, we work very closely with
him. He has been absolutely amazing. He is the most interesting man ever. He's really, really
involved in the whole passive house field. So he has come up with the offsite volumetric. Um,
and that's from the gap in research as, so that's in Myerfeld. So that's one of them. And now down
in Monaghan, um, in Casablanay, there is four houses there, um, two are passive, two are non-passive,
but the two non-passive, low energy design construction, but they have heat pumps in there.
Um, the two non-passive houses, sorry, the two passive houses, um, in Monaghan, they actually
don't have any renewable technology in there. While it's, um, desired for passive house
construction, they have renewables. They, it's not an essential, it's not a requirement. So they don't
have it. Um, but in Monaghan, them four houses, they are actually within, um, social housing.
Um, so it's actually really interesting to see how, um, because the social housing sector, like a lot
of the houses will not really be the EPC in there, it might not be great. So it's really beneficial
for us to find out and also for the council. Um, Monaghan council are very keen for us to, um,
give them feedback, um, where they want, how they want to invest their money in social housing and
construction. So is it worth their while they invest in passive house or is it's going to give
us the same kind of outcome as low energy design, which might be a bit cheaper, um, do work that you
construct. Um, so my research will look into things like that. Um, I'm going to do a life cycle
assessment on the, um, passive house in, um, Meyerfeld. I can't do all that. Why I was aiming
high at this time last year. You think you can tick on the world? No, no, you gotta love yourself
and what you can do and give it your best possible of all day. So we've settled on just doing that
for, um, Meyerfeld and then Meyerfeld again, we are going to do, well, we, me, um,
we're going to use IES software, um, put the plans of, um, Meyerfeld and IES and that will then,
we'll be able to see if we can, um, so what is really important when we actually have learned
from people, um, it's not how houses are performing now, it's how they're going to perform in future,
like in terms of future climates, like whenever things get, if they get warmer, then how are the
houses going to perform. So IES will allow us to, um, fluctuate temperatures for future and see how
they'll perform in the future. And then also maybe in different, um, climates, different areas of the
world. Um, so not only for testing at Northern Ireland and how it will be, I will work there
and then it would also, we can put it into a different type of area and see how it will work
in, um, other climates and things like that, like across Europe. So it is, it is a tool that I am
starting to learn, but I will get there, but no, it will be really, really useful. It'd probably
be the most interesting part of my PhD. Um, so I'm in the process of learning that while I'm
still gathering data and finishing off that review and getting some like ethics approvals and things
like that. So a lot of ongoing things, but that is the one that I'm most excited for is to really
get that going on the IES and things like that. Well here, if you ever need again, if you ever need,
I will absolutely take it. I can get to it really, really well. Any like, you know, love to say,
anyway, I can. Um, it's funny, you're talking about the different climates,
because I know those weather files, yes, like the DSI, DSY2 and DSY3. Um, but we would use those
when we're doing, um, like a planning application for somewhere in London. Um, and like, you know,
test the building, like, okay, does it survive under these weather files? Um, but yeah, I've
just finished one today as well. Um, and also, yeah, it is, it is bad. Like, you know, it's, it's, we're trying
our hardest to get it to pass under DSY1. Yeah. Like, but the DSY2, which, um, there's, there's,
uh, this, I know the CYPSI website, they give definitions of what all these different weather
files means, but I think it's like extreme, like, you know, and then DSY3 is even worse. Um, yeah,
like they're, they're so like, it's really hard to get, like, buildings to pass. Um, but it's
very interesting. Yeah, it's a, it was meant to be maybe a bit more expensive. So, but I, it's,
it's what we can do. It's what I can do in the three years that I have. So that may as well put
all my focus on the volumetric, because that's where the gap is. Yeah. And especially Northern
Ireland, because there's not any passive, um, volumetric in Northern Ireland. This is solely
like, it's not as, it's like a test house. So it is, it's not a house that is in the middle of, um,
a house in a state or things like that. It's solely offsite. It really is. It's the most rural
thing ever, but we actually have occupants living in there so we can get some real life data
on how it's going and things like that. Oh my goodness. So they are absolutely loving it.
You know, I, um, we keep regular contact with them. Um, they are loving it. They really are.
And it is a lovely house. And we ask them some questions like, hi, is it warm in here? Are you
too warm in here? Cause I can't be over 25 degrees. And they're going, no, it's absolutely fine.
It's absolutely fine. And they're, they're really, really, they're getting the benefit out of it to
you and seeing, well, why isn't everywhere like this? You know what I mean? So it really is the
future and I'm excited for it. But like, how long have they been in the house? So they have been in
there now, um, from May, so they're in there nearly a year. Yeah. Oh, wow. They're in there
nearly a year. Um, one of them, so it's actually a man he is from, I'm not sure whereabouts he's
from. I think he's quite local, but his wife is from Canada. And so they actually moved home from
Canada and they moved into this test house because I think they, um, they know Mark or there's some
sort of connection there. Um, but they moved, he asked them, they need, you need some volunteers
essentially. And they were going, absolutely. So they are, they really benefiting from it.
And so am I, I'm getting all their data. So I am so, yeah, not to one month, everyone. That is,
I like, that is amazing to hear. Um, the real life data, like it just shows you the actual.
Exactly. It's really interesting because you could, we, we monitor like the energy consumption, um,
heating and things like that. But we also monitor the indoor air quality, which is obviously really
important because the passive bodies are so airtight. Yeah. Is it going to affect the indoor air
quality and think, is it going to be stuffing things like that where we have, um, um, modern
equipment like it's called Natatmo, um, where you can monitor temperature, um, CO2, humidity,
radon, um, PM 2.5 VOCs, everything like that. And it's really interesting when you look at the,
because you're getting the real life data, cause you're able to pinpoint times where they come
home and things like that. And you know what I mean? One is in the children's bedroom. So we're
going to, I think I'm still going to put, you know, it's really, you can really put it in the
real life perspective. So it is really interesting. Wow. And it's funny you mentioned,
mentioned about the air quality or the air, like, you know, the air passage, um, cause, uh,
like we would look at air probability tests for like the SAPs and EPCs and at the minute, like,
well, um, and there has been a recent change in standards from SAP 10 to SAP 2012. Um, yeah,
I said that the right order. I'm sure I did. Um, but like apparently all the air tester
subcontractors and anyone who's listening, who's an air tester, please come on and correct me if
I'm wrong. Um, but like they use the blower door method. So they get a fan and like tape it up.
But then apparently there's this new thing and don't know if it's using pacifiers, but it's
called pulse, like air testing. And you know what? I don't even know enough about it to like, you
know, explain it, but, um, you're supposed to get with the blower, um, door air testing, um, method,
you were getting values like three or four, uh, whereas the pulse air testing, getting like not
point two, like, but it was like measured in a different unit. Um, not too sure. Like,
like next time you're on, I'll find out more. Yeah. Oh, well that's like brilliant. And we're
talking about there. So you are your, you're like halfway through my second year, second year of
your PhD. That's, that's amazing. That's class. Like they got any sites about where you want to
take your research at all or like to no idea. I was thinking initially, um, a few months back,
I wouldn't mind staying in the university setting. I think I'm a forever. I think I don't think I
get comfortable and I don't want to leave, but I'm ready to go and see where I can do
any more. I can go and you know, me, so I have no plans, but I'm open for anything really. I don't
think I'm very picky. Listen, I'm speaking on behalf of, um, our director, Ellen, but EPP,
you're always there. Like, you know, tie Allen. He was like, and you can have a word with you.
Oh, brilliant. But okay. So you're doing a PhD. Is that kind of the training in itself or was
there any sort of program you had to look at or it's just pure research to like get your, like,
you know, go into this like field? Research. I am, I feel like a toddler sometimes. I,
I think I go to my supervisors and I have to go on asking those outrageous questions. I think
sometimes I think I come in and they're going, Oh gee, first of all, does she want, but I don't
think I had any training. I think I would have really, really benefited from training, but
sometimes it's better just to get stuck into it. You know what I mean? You get things done and you
get exactly what you want. Um, my undergrad, would I say that I trained me? Um, see, to be honest,
no, I have a, but we did a bunch of, um, passive, but we didn't do anything obviously to what I'm
doing now. So, but I did a lot of the renewable set of things like, like wind and things, biomass,
things like that. But I don't think it essentially trained me. I don't know if it has, maybe I'm,
maybe I'm just, I'm just blinded, but cause I feel like I still know nothing. No, I wouldn't say if
I've gone on any training, what I've really would have benefited from was software training. Software.
Yeah. Cause I am not software girl. No, no way. I will research. It'll take me about a time to
research. I will, but whenever it comes to software, no, I would love training in that, but Ulster is
very good. They, um, there's the doctoral college, they will set up workshops and ask everybody, um,
who's doing research, is there anything you would benefit from? And we will see the, how you popular
everyone wants, like say, cause I have to learn Python, which is a coding, um, because of so much
data coming in. It's the likes of Excel is not, it's not compatible. It's phrases. It's been an
absolute nightmare. So I've tried and trying to learn Python. So they've put on Python classes.
So they have, and, um, they, in terms of AES, there's no AES training in May and things like
that. So gone, they're very, they're really, really helpful. So they are as a university,
they're getting back. I couldn't call them more. I will say this, um, it was actually, I went to
Ulster for my bachelor's and then I went to Queens for my master's, but Ulster definitely
provided more resources. I think I've never went to Queens, but I would say that too, to be honest.
I know so many people that went to Queens and it doesn't seem like they get the same support
as we do. I think Queens is very quick. Like I felt very, it was like they gave a topic and then
the quick go, that's what it is. It's very like cold shoulders. You know what I mean? Well, you,
your university is the big bad world, but no, you need, you need help. You need help. Yes.
In literary life, you will always get help. You know, and me, if you're in a job, you ask your,
your director, your boss, your line manager, you will always get the help. So why wouldn't you
get the help there? So no, I think Ulster really is just, I couldn't apologize anymore, Ulster.
UUJ forever. UUB now. Oh, I can't even say it. That's brilliant. Well, thanks for,
thanks for explaining a bit about your role, Bailey. So, oh, actually, hold on before I move on,
wanted to point out that we had the same placements. Yes. We're former, former placement
students of Belfast House. Yeah. Belfast Trust in the energy department. You know what? It's so
weird. I don't know if it's a thing like BC before COVID. I just look at that time differently.
And I'm like, what was I doing? And like, was I doing it? I think I'm a completely different
person. I don't even know who that girl is. Before I'm going uni, nothing. You know what I mean?
But it's very interesting. One of the things I will say about that role,
that was the first time of myself coming across the built-in monitoring software, like BMS. Yeah.
Do you do the, is it like the, not the Nitech or it's the remote desktop?
I can't remember what it was called, but we did. Actually in my year, whenever I was there,
I think it was maybe my last month or two there, they were changing that. So it's a whole new
different software or website that they use now. I'm not sure what it's called, but we would have
had the meters and things like that. It was over 1500 meters across the truss. That is mad.
I think it was 1500 and two. That's how much it's embedded in my head. Oh my goodness. I know.
And that bracket is huge. I absolutely loved when like looking up the meters and then you're saying
if the renewables or the biomass or the CHP was operating and then you've typed it in, did the
week graph and it was like, you know, yes, I'm like, you have your monthly graphs and things like that.
Thanks so much for explaining about your job role or your previous experience. It was very insightful.
So each section or each episode I do, I like to tailor a wee section to my guests, just like about
them and like ask some questions or spit some facts at them and get their take on them. So
I originally had a title for this. It's called Dumpy Passive. Very good. I like it. And
okay, like, you know what, because you like it, I won't change it.
That's okay. That's good. It's got, it's got the passive sale of approval. Like, you know,
that's good. That's good. Okay. Well, I want to talk to you about the origin of Passive House.
So did you know the Passive House, it was created in, really should have taken down the date, but it
had been, Passive House was created in like the 1980s. And it was by a research organization
that wanted to follow up an idea of a house without heating. And yes, so that's the way.
It's from Germany. I think it's maybe really late 80s, maybe 1990, maybe in 89, something like that.
But it's derived from Germany and it was Dr. Wolfgang's place. Wolfgang's, like it looks
familiar. So it's from Germany. I can't remember which part of Germany. I think it was, we remember
looking at it, maybe North, something like that. But no. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. Of course you knew
that because you're like, you're in the sector. Okay. But yes, well, you're talking about
researching areas in Northern Ireland of Passive House. So did you know in 2022,
there was, it was announced that there would be 219 Passive House homes to build? Yes, I read that.
So I did. Yeah. And what I, like I read this article and, or like I read their article
and what I loved about it is the guy, I'm going to name him because he was named in the article.
So it's okay. It's public domain. Okay. I won't get sued. But the guy, John Carrigan,
Carrigan, apologies if I mispronounce his name. But he said that he, like he had the house
and he was like, oh, I was shocked to see the price of my fuel bill. Yeah. But I could afford it.
I could afford how much oil was. But then I started thinking about the people who couldn't afford it.
Yeah. And like, well, that might do. So it's like, okay, you're a killer. You're designing these
houses that don't necessarily need heating or cooling and just pretty much like save people,
yeah, hundreds, thousands even on fuel bills. Yeah. I actually work closely with a man,
a Shane Coakley. He does, he is very, very high up in the passive sector. I think he's a part of the
passive institute. Yeah. Maybe I'm saying the wrong title, but he is absolutely right. He's done a
pile of research. He did his, I always refer back to his PhD, but he did his in 2010 or 2012. But
he's done so much passive housework across Ireland. He actually looks a lot in social
housing as well with passive houses. And I remember him taking a lecture last year and also now
attended it. And he was going through all the statistics and their data and the results he's
gotten from his studies. And it was a lot of social housing and things like that. And he was saying,
well, why aren't we, I'm telling you all this great information and like, this is Britain,
your fuel costs, but it would be 320 a year, things like that, electricity, why aren't we
doing it? And then he was saying, he can't, so costs approximately would be three to five grand
extra. It's actually maddening when you think about it, three to five grand, if you, from
construction to build your house, you pass a house standard. But if you were retrofitting a house,
it can cost you, it can cost nearly as much as you want. It's like, it can minimum like 40 grand,
we don't even know, but it's really, really so much more expensive. And he's thinking, well,
why aren't we doing this? So in terms of social housing, think of the council, they're not,
a house in the state of a hundred houses, an extra 35 grand each house, they're not going to do it.
You know what I mean? It's like much extra money whenever things are operating okay from beforehand.
And then he was saying like, so you can charge extra, you can charge more rent or whatever for
energy efficient houses, cause you're not allowed to. And then he was going on date, which I actually
thought, he was just telling me stuff, I probably, you already know in your head, you know what I mean?
But whenever someone's saying it out loud, I was going, oh my God, you're right. This is where,
she is. And then he was saying how like, how it's linked to NHS and how these houses,
how it costs NHS, I can't know, it would be a couple of extra thousand pounds a year
for houses that aren't as much as energy efficient because you're going to have people coming in,
you have like going to have respiratory issues and things like that. So it's like to absolutely
everything. You know what I mean? And I thought, oh my God, you've given me this lease of life that
I want to do all this work. You know what I mean? So no, he is one that is really, really, he's so
interested in, he is a lot of work. He's something I would definitely recommend even like looking
them up and like like done. He's a very good network to have. Okay. Yeah. I'll definitely,
he's absolutely brilliant. So yes. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Definitely. I'll, you know, I'll tag him on
the like, you know, they all know. But that's great. Like, oh, short and sweet. But I hope you
enjoyed the bumpy passive section. Okay. But yeah. Okay. So you said, you said you've worked on
domestic. So the five like buildings. Is there any other buildings you've worked on or that you
want to work on? I would be open. It would be really, really interesting to work on maybe a
passive building, like an office building or something that will require so much energy. It
would be so interesting. Like not that I would, I would obviously do retrofitting, but you want it
to be from the get go. If essentially, you know, to me, you want to avoid all the costs enough
retrofitting, but it would be really, really interesting to see if implementing passive
standards and a office building for like SIGAP, because you're going to have even like all the
lightens and computers and things are on standby constantly because you probably don't, a lot of
people's systems don't turn off. Yeah. Like your machine at the end of the day, it'd be just really
interesting in a building like that for work. That would be something really, really good.
Right. Well, here again, talk to us. We've probably got a couple of trials.
You can test it. That's good. Okay. Well, I like, I always ask these questions and it's not that
they're nerdy questions, but can I ask what's your favorite thing to do? And you said about using IES.
Yeah. What's your favorite thing to do in IES that you've started learning how to do?
My favorite thing, do you see, oh, you've really hit me with a question. I think the futuristic
side of IES will be probably not, I've not got there yet because I'm still in the really early
processes of learning IES because it's such a massive software. But I think that will be the
most interesting part that I will really love. It's seeing how it'll perform in the future
climates and things like that. And then putting it in a different area. I think I'll really,
really enjoy that the most because it's the part I'm most excited for.
Okay. Yes. That will be really cool. It's always, you always see it. Say you're looking at temperatures.
Yes. Say you're on assimilation of IES and you're like, okay, those temperatures and then just the
future just spikes. Like you're like, I guess so much worse. And then it's like, you can change the
construction of the house. You know what I mean? So that'll just be so cool. It's really interesting.
That's my minority answer. But yeah, it's really great to see. And it's great to know that now
the likes of the bachelor's of energy that you studied, they're teaching software programs like
this or they're letting people know about it. Because even during my bachelor's or my master's
had no clue by any of this. They covered a bit on BRAM as an environmental rating assessment.
And then that's half what our company does. I didn't realize the full practicality of everything
until it's actually in the sector. And it's like, okay. But yeah, it took me, I'm not ashamed to say
to be fully workable. I've been in this business five years. Again, I'm scared to figure out.
I'm sure because I need to know what last week. To get your basics, to know your stuff,
say a month. But the guides out there, they're really helpful. But it took me about a year
before I was like, okay, I'm fully, I fully get this now. I'll be doing stuff six months in.
I've got no idea what I'm doing. But I really know what they're doing.
You think you're in somewhere and you're going, oh my God, I'm an imposter.
But as you were saying at the start, great encouragement, great encouragement helps.
When I started IES, I didn't have, I'm not bread to say, I didn't have too good a teacher.
I kind of got myself from that point. So yeah, see, like, you know, like we, like, this isn't
a job. BPP aren't like proposing, like, you know, but like, honestly, places like us,
BELLS and Performance Production, or like anywhere else, I'm trying to think of another
energy consultancy in Belfast and all I can think of the ones are in England. So,
I'll just, well, BPP energy for now. But yeah, we're like more than healthy to help out,
get step by step guide, because the research you're doing is vital. And it's like so important.
And it's just like, okay, anything we can do to help.
Be great. Yeah, we'll take absolutely any help I can get. So,
of course. Thank you.
Well, you know, I can just say you've been absolutely amazing to have on.
You've got such useful information and it's been really interesting to talk to you.
Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
Just before we go, do you have any advice for any prospective
engineers or researchers or sustainability professionals?
Advice? Your network is so important. I didn't realize that until probably the last few months,
having a good network around you. It is so helpful. And it's great to know what they're doing and
what experience they have. I think network is absolutely so important and also see the,
I would recommend if you can do software training. That's how much I need.
Yeah. But it would be absolutely amazing if I walk into this PhD with IES training under my belt
or Python, I think things like that. That would have been absolutely a dream.
No, I think you look at the help around you you can get. It's always really,
really important and so handy to have. But software training is so, so essential.
You don't realize when you're going to use it, especially if you're in this area,
you're going to come across projects or new situations, jobs, whatever you're going to need.
I guess it would be so handy for anyone to have. So I would definitely recommend IES training or
PHP training or that's a passive place package. So many, any type of software training that you
can do, I would definitely recommend doing it. Okay. Excellent. Excellent. Well, thank you again,
Billy. My advice again, that it was just more play on the topic as the don't be passive section.
I was going to say less aggressive, more passive to kind of like, you know, fight for passive.
Don't be passive. Yeah, don't be passive guys.
Oh, that's brilliant. Yeah. Thank you again. You definitely be back on.
Yes, definitely. Thank you. Thanks for listening to Carbon Climates.
If you follow us on Instagram at carbon underscore climates, you keep up to date
with all our latest news and posts and new episodes. Okay. Thanks for listening. Bye.