Energy Saving Home Key Points

Over the past 15 years, we have gained quite a lot of experience both in the design of energy-efficient houses and in conducting energy audits of projects or built houses. A large number of thermal imaging surveys formed the basis of incorrect or controversial decisions which we try to avoid in current practice. Therefore, in this article I want to go through the key points in creating the right energy-efficient home.

Energy-saving house, the main stages.

When creating this material, we were guided, including the principles of Passive House and Active House.

The first stage that the future homeowner is faced with, most likely not yet knowing what kind of house he will have, is the choice of the plot.

I will omit the criteria of convenience such as proximity to public transport, schools, shops, and so on, and go directly to issues affecting energy efficiency.

When placing a house on a plot, it is advisable to arrange it so that the kitchen area and terrace go north or east, then we move away from the summer overheating and the warm zone and reduce the cost of air conditioning. The location of the terrace windows to the south to receive free solar heat is justified when using passive or active sun protection. If you plan to install a solar power station, then we need a southern slope of the roof to accommodate it. To the west it is better to orient the bathrooms and auxiliary rooms. If a garage is attached to the house, it is better to place it on the north side to create a buffer from the north wind.

Therefore, before buying a plot, it is advisable to decide on planning decisions (at least conceptually)

The second stage that you should pay attention to when developing an energy-efficient home is laying the air ducts for using the supply and exhaust ventilation system. We are talking about this at the very early stage because it is important for the designer to know where the mortgages should be for the passage in the supporting structures of ducts of a sufficiently large diameter. The use of a ventilation unit with heat recovery is also mandatory.

The third stage is the development of the right components for the insulation of foundations and the floor of the first floor. Here we advise you not to save on the thickness of the insulation but to insulate with a thickness of 200-250 mm, since you will never add thermal insulation to the floor.

Adjacencies of terraces, porch should occur through thermal breaks. The external insulation of the facade should be lowered below the depth of freezing of the soil, the insulation of the foundations should be the same thickness as the insulation of the facades. If we turn to the recommendations of the passive house institute, then the insulation loop should be without gaps. Including under the sole of the foundation or foundation slab. This guarantees us that we will receive a 100% warm foundation.

We will not give recommendations on insulation thicknesses in this article. Since for different structural schemes of houses, these recommendations will be different. If you want to know what to do in your case, then contact us and we will find the most optimal solution based on the tasks.

The fourth stage is the design of a house without bridges of cold. And this means that balconies, awnings, terraces should be attached and not to let heat out.

Windows should be mounted in the thickness of the insulation layer.

The thickness of the insulation should be selected based on the criteria for the building to enter at least Class A in terms of energy consumption for heating according to Ukrainian standards.

When designing an attic roof, it is necessary to provide overlap of both insulation layers and overlapping of the rafter system with the required thickness of the insulation.

The fifth stage is the creation of an airtight shell at a level of n50 <0.6 / h.

To do this, all windows must be mounted with mandatory protection and insulation of the installation joint. The vapor barrier of the ceiling and roof must be mounted with gluing of all the joints and sealing the joints to the walls and in the places of passage of pipes, ducts and wires. In buildings of brick, aerated concrete and a ceramic block, it is imperative to apply vapor-proof plaster on all exterior walls using a mesh adjacent to the ceilings and floor. After the construction of the house box and the application of rough plaster, it is necessary to do a building leak test (blowerdoor test) to identify and eliminate all deficiencies before finishing.

The sixth stage is the use of appropriate window structures. Please note that on the south and north sides of the house different solutions can be applied that will reduce heat loss and increase heat gain in winter.

energy saving technologies for the home

The seventh stage is the selection and application of appropriate engineering solutions.

Different solutions are applied depending on the available energy source.

For example, when using an air-water heat pump, we need to increase heat storage during the day (when the ambient temperature is higher)

When using a solid fuel boiler, you must have an appropriate heat accumulator for volley heat accumulation. If we use an electric boiler and have the opportunity to purchase electricity at a night rate, then we need a heat accumulator that will accumulate heat for daily consumption.

Eighth criterion - we use energy only when necessary.

This means that heating and air conditioning in the house should work when we are in it. And while we are not at home, all systems must go into StandBy mode. For example, the ventilation system works according to an air quality sensor and the heating and air conditioning system is programmed to turn off by timer (or smartphone command) when we go to work and turn on an hour before our return, or when the smartphone approaches closer than 30 km if we have a country house .

When designing a house according to the criteria of a passive house, I use a passive house planning program (PHPP) in which at the output we get data about the compliance of a particular project with the necessary parameters.

Active House Radar

When designing a building according to Active House criteria, an active house radar is compiled with an assessment of 9 criteria for comfort, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness.

During construction, a checklist is prepared according to which each stage of construction is checked.

I want to say that there are no universal solutions that will suit any home. Any building should be considered as a single system that meets the parameters that were set before the start of design and should not be considered at home as a set of separate parts.

If you have questions and are interested in the design and construction of your energy-efficient or even passive house, feel free to contact us. We will help at any stage from design to the implementation of individual systems.