Helping the Church of England achieve their green targets

Many of these buildings are centuries old, making it difficult to retrofit them with modern energy-efficient technologies. The solution lies in understanding how each building operates and identifying solutions that can improve sustainability without compromising their heritage value.

Durham University has partnered with the Church of England to explore these challenges, focusing on developing tailored decarbonisation strategies. Our team has installed sensors in over 50 churches across Durham to collect data on temperature and humidity levels. This real-time data is being used to create digital twins of the buildings, providing valuable insights into how each church performs and how it might be adapted to meet future energy demands.

Using these digital models, the team is testing various energy-saving solutions, such as heat pumps and additional insulation. By simulating these solutions, the team can predict the impact on energy efficiency and the comfort of the building’s occupants.

This innovative approach ensures that the historic fabric of the buildings is preserved, while providing practical solutions and modelling that can be applied to churches nationwide.

The project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Impact Acceleration Account.