The thermal performance of the buildings will be assessed in line with a protocol for providing data to assess house energy rating programs.

The thermal performance of each house will be monitored for two winter cycles (about 18 months) including an initial 'free running' period of about three months when the buildings will be unoccupied.

Conditions will be recorded at 10 minute intervals, 24 hours a day.

Permanent and portable temperature sensors will be used in each house. The permanent sensor set will be built into the structure and will remain in operation for as long as the eventual house owner agrees to continued monitoring. The portable sensor set will be positioned in the centre of each room and operate during the free running period only. They will be removed when the houses are sold.

The data collected from the portable sensor set during the free running period will be used to calibrate the fixed sensor set, so a more complex picture of thermal performance can be inferred from two sensing points per room.

A weather station will also be established on the site to provide detailed climatic information.

The position of sensors in schematic plan and section for each of the houses is shown below.