Green Homes
Why build a green home?
The benefit for all is a home that is energy efficient
which saves you money in the long run. The secondary effect is
your home will have minimal impact on energy resources. For
most people the monthly power cost of operating your home 6 years ago was not of major consequence. Today that has changed
immensely & energy costs are expected to keep rising
noticeably.
A true Green Home will have less impact on the environment
and are healthier and more comfortable and have lower running
costs. These are achieved through;
Passive design
maximizing natural light, solar energy and ventilation.
Energy design,
homes that conserve energy and use it efficiently from
resources that have the least environmental impact.
Material use,
selecting materials based on their impact from manufacture to
disposal and cost to maintain in service.
Water use, both
fresh and waste water may be used to save you cost and impact
on the environment
Which ever side of the Global Warming/Sustainability debate
you are on there are benefits for all to be had. At Total
Building Solutions Ltd we are keen to work with you to achieve
the home you would like.
Options to achieve your aim
The energy efficient/sustainable products are constantly
developing and improving accordingly. Like all products in the
industry what we use today will be some what different in a
few years to come.
One thing that will not change is good design. The maximizing
of the suns energy through good design and selection of
building materials to make use of it is a key part of a home.
Retaining warmth through higher levels of insulation along
with double glazing and through building in high mass products
such as concrete will reduce energy use.
Heat recovery systems have proven very good at improving the
environment of a home and intern reducing energy use.
Solar water heating has evolved with the use of electronics to
be a much more efficient system than in years gone by.
Solar and Wind Power systems are available and getting cheaper
each year. Reverse grid power systems are now becoming an
option where the excess power you generate is put back into
national grid reducing your energy cost. Alternatively stand
alone systems are available for those remote or becoming
common costly sites to get power to.
Low energy lighting is one area with a way to go. We are using
some LED lighting with energy consumption of just 3W with a
20W equivalent output. Compact Fluorescent while not for all
situations is improving with light fittings being designed
specifically for them.
Fresh water falls from the sky on a more regular basis than
most of us would like. There are a number of collection
systems available including automated ones that will switch
between tanked reserves and town supply as required. Within
the water collection system means of flushing down pipes and
water tanks can be built in while water is taken from the
highest quality section of a water in a tank.
Waste water can be treated on site or Grey water (baths,
showers, basins) can be utilized around the garden in
drier months.
What do I need to do
Most likely you are going to need to choose what options
are important to you. Generally in order to achieve an energy
efficient home you are going to have to invest more in your
home at construction to gain a return in the longer term.
Energy efficiency comes through building to higher standards
which does cost while good design however is free.
We are currently
building a Green Home at Papakura in a product called
"Timbercrete"
Link
to Green Home Under Construction Now
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