Building A Green House
5 Steps Towards An Energy Efficient House
A Warm Water Underfloor Heating System.
Consider fitting a warm water underfloor heating system, as it is more energy efficient than a conventional radiator based
system. The amount of heat supplied to any room in your house depends both on the temperature of the radiating surface and
the area of that surface, so whilst ordinary radiators can get too hot to touch, underfloor systems, at a lower temperature, can spread heat more evenly
around the room. Underfloor systems raise the temperature of the ambient air in the room more quickly than radiator based systems.
Wood Burning Stoves.
An open fire will continue drawing warm air from the rooms of your house as long as the rooms are at a
higher temperature than the air outside. So all the heat produced by an evening fire is lost because the open fire
is constantly drawing in massive amounts of air from the room. Open fires can also remove all the heat generated by other
heat sources in your house such as night storage heaters or hot water radiators and waste it straight up the chimney of your
house. Modern cast iron stoves can provide the look and feel of an open fire, providing a comforting focal point in a room,
whilst at the same time using fuel much efficiently than open fires.
Optimised Insulation.
Insulation provides two main benefits. It reduces the flow of thermal energy (heat) keeping your house cooler in summer and
warmer in winter. It also reduces sound transmission, both from nearby houses but also from
noise created in your own house from home appliances such as your heating system, washing matching as well as TVs and radios
Mineral wool insulation is a low cost option for walls and for floors expanded polystyrene
for walls is often used. Among the other choices for house insulation are multi-foil, cellulose and sheep's wool, fiberglass blankets and
boards and cellular insulation
Reduced Water Usage.
You probably don't realise it, but on average 35 percent of the water used in a residential property is flushed down the
toilet. As well as dual flush toilets, the newer type of low flush toilets will help reduce water wastage. Other water
saving devices that can be installed in your bathroom include reduced flow taps, grey water recycling to flush the toilet and
flow regulators.
Passive Solar Design.
This new house building technique involves ensuring that the building takes advantage of the maximum amount of sunlight
available. Living rooms, fitted with large windows, are positioned on the south side of the house,
whilst rooms that are not so frequently occupied, such as utility rooms and bathrooms, are built on the less bright north
side of the house and fitted with smaller windows to reduce heat loss.
This article is only intended as a basic general summary and you should always seek professional advice where necessary.
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