Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Aug 02, 2009 11:57 pm Introduction - Heating and cooling comprise the single biggest component of household energy consumption - Therefore, reducing artificial means to maintain a house in a comfortable temperature range has the largest potential to reduce your energy bill - There are two natural sources of energy that have the potential to warm or cool a house: the sun and the wind. The energy contained in these sources can greatly exceed those generated by an air conditioning system. - Natural heating involves allowing the sun to heat the house and preventing the wind carrying the heat away - Natural cooling involves preventing the sun heating the house and allowing the wind to carry it away - Correct house orientation can take advantage of these effect or completely negate them Harnessing the sun and wind - position, position, position - the three considerations - position the house, position the windows, position the openings - Positioning the house means placing living rooms on the 'comfortable' side of the house (north side). This is where you spend most of your waking day and where continuous natural daylight is important (which also reduce the need for artificial lighting). Bedrooms can sit on the 'colder' side of the house (south side) because they are largely unoccupied during the day, natural light is less important and because we sleep 'cooler'. Briefly occupied rooms like laundrys and bathroom can stay on the 'hot' side of the house (west side). - Positioning the windows means placing windows where you can get the sun's energy into the house but can be easily blocked out at other times without blocking your view. Most of these windows should go on the 'comfortable' north side. In winter the low angled winter sun can peak under your eaves and heat your living areas to comfortable levels but the high midday summer sun will be blocked out by the same eave. Try to minimise the size of your windows on the south side (where the bedrooms are) because these are a continuous source of heat loss during winter. Too many west windows might keep you warm on winter afternoons but blocking the hot afternoon sun can only be done by drawing obscuring blinds over them. - Position the openings. Allocate a portion of your windows to open. Aim them where the prevailing cooling evening summer breezes come from. Half of them should be on the windward side and half should be on the leeward side of the house. This diverts the breeze through the building to carry the excess heat that has collected inside during the day. Choosing a house design that adheres to these simple principles adds no cost to construction but will a result in a permanent improvement in thermal comfort for its occupants and indefinite cost savings. Likewise if you have the luxury of choosing a block then find one that allows unobstructed north sun to penetrate the building. Having the privilege of building such a house, our light-filled living rooms are a marked improvement on our previous gloomy residence. go upvc window frames ensure insulation under colorbond. not just sarking, lighter color roof also not sure if you have seen this viewtopic.php?t=5823 last couple of pages… 4 110574 Once you know the basics, the rest is easy. Read my post in the thread linked below. viewtopic.php?p=1919271#p1919271 2 19520 Although I am a big opponent of using waffle pod slabs over H2/P soils under any circumstances, in your case I would certainly opt in to keep piers under central… 1 2432 |