Every year more and more people choose to live in the private sector. Green home construction is a modern trend that cannot be achieved without the introduction of energy saving technologies. The main secret of the effectiveness of such houses lies in the combination of engineering and architectural design of the house. It is very difficult to implement energy saving technologies in an already built house; this is a very expensive rebuild, sometimes even impossible.
In many countries, it is common practice to build wooden houses with energy efficient technologies. It is very important to think through all the details of the construction in order for your solution to be profitable. For example, if you don't plan to live in your house permanently, there is no point in thermally insulating the floor. Underfloor heating systems will be cheaper in the long run.
When thinking about the design of the house, you will need to determine your priorities: a large window will bring more light into your home, but a small one will keep you warm. Most likely, you will have to give up the idea of installing panoramic windows.
Place the room where you intend to spend most of your time on the sunnier side. As a result, the house will receive more solar energy during the day. The rooms like bathroom, toilet, garage can be oriented to the north.
Thermal insulation of a wooden house.
After building the house, it is time to think about proper thermal insulation. The main objective at this stage is to minimize heat loss to the environment.
More than 40% of the heat passes through the walls of the house, so it is important to consider the following factors:
- changes in structure during contraction;
- precise connection of joints;
- calculation of future shrinkage (for multilayer beams it will be about 1%);
- Insulation of the composition at the junction of the ceiling.
The house loses 20% of its heat through the roof. It must be insulated with the same material as the walls. When choosing a material for insulation and the construction of a house, you need to remember that the thickness of the insulation layer should be at least 20 cm.
Double glazed windows
More than 20% of the heat passes through the windows. Currently, there are two types of glass that can prevent heat loss in the home:
- Low-emission glass, which has a material that allows ultraviolet radiation to pass through the interior of the home while long waves (generated by heaters and people) remain in the home.
- Selective glass. Double-glazed windows in such a window are filled with gas, therefore they have a lower thermal conductivity than air. The result is that less heat is transferred from the home to the environment.
We insulate the floors
The following materials are used to insulate the floor:
- Insulating compound is an easy way to keep warm, and you can add a decorative covering right away. The only downside is its high price.
- Aerated concrete is a cement and sand coating, it has nitrogen bubbles in the structure, which makes the floor very resistant.
- Cement and sand slab with grains of plastic foam, vermiculite, expanded clay, marble chips.
Walls
The house loses 10% of its energy through the foundation walls. This is due to the freezing of the ground in winter. All experts recommend insulating the walls and ceiling of the basement. This will have a positive impact on protecting your home from environmental influences. The following materials are mainly used here:
- Polyurethane sprayer.
- Polystyrene foam.
- Expanded clay. It is the least popular as it is more labor intensive and has a higher thermal conductivity than previous materials.
Heating costs are the largest of all household costs. That is why the topic of heating and its efficient operation is popular in private wooden houses. In this regard, an integrated approach should be used, consisting of several steps:
- selection of modern methods of heating systems;
- cheap and environmentally friendly fuel;
- good thermal insulation at home;
- Thermal insulation of windows and doors.
In this case, you will spend the winter in comfortable conditions and without high fuel costs.
First of all, you need to start by insulating the wooden house. This is the first important component. You will only need to invest money once during the home construction phase and this will save your budget significantly. A well-insulated home is one that has the least heat loss and therefore the lowest heating costs. Heat loss can be increased several times, even if only one window is poorly insulated. The use of advanced isolation techniques is recommended. Using outdated methods is a waste of time and money.
Boiler automation
A 1 ° C increase in interior temperature will increase fuel consumption by 5%. This problem can be maintained by installing boiler automation systems.
Automation allows you to control comfort conditions: a decrease or increase in the temperature outside the house will automatically change the temperature inside the room without delay. This system is fuel efficient and highly efficient, saving you money in the long run. In a situation where you leave the house for a couple of days, it is not necessary to heat the house to the maximum. In this case, the automation can be configured for a specific time. This means that the system maintains the minimum temperature conditions while you are not at home and heats it up to normal temperature a few hours before your arrival.
Underfloor heating system
This system is currently considered the most economically viable. And if you combine it with a condensing boiler, the efficiency will increase several times. Compared to a traditional heating system like a radiator, this is not only economical but also very fast. The underfloor heating system distributes the heat throughout the entire height of the room, thus creating a comfortable indoor environment.
Solar panels
Today, solar panels are becoming an increasingly common source of energy. The main problem that has stopped the introduction of the solar system into everyday life is the use of solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. This is very expensive technology.
The main advantages of solar houses:
- solar energy is infinite;
- This source of energy is respectful with the environment;
- no greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar panels have no moving parts. This means that all you need to do after installation is take care of the panels and keep them clean. Snow, dust, and raindrops on batteries can reduce the amount of sunlight. Remember that dust on structures can reduce the amount of electricity by up to 7%. But you don't need to clean very often. It will be enough from one to four times a year. For this you only need a hose with a nozzle. It is recommended to replace the batteries every ten years.
Where is your house located?
The geographic location of your home will have a significant impact on the efficiency of solar energy. The electricity from solar panels relies on direct sunlight, so shading from tall trees or nearby buildings will create a barrier. The more hours the batteries are exposed to direct sunlight, the more efficient the system will operate.
Before deciding to install solar panels, find out the value of insolation in your area. Insolation is a measure of how much solar radiation reaches the earth in a given area over a period of time. High sun exposure means a lot of electricity.
You must understand that only you can decide what energy saving systems your wooden house will have. Discuss all the details with a specialist, he will take into account all his wishes. He will make your future home not only energy efficient, but also attractive.