Every year more and more people choose to live in the private sector. Building ecological houses 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 technical 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 remodel, sometimes even impossible.
In many countries it is common practice to build wooden houses with energy efficient technologies. It is very important to reconsider all the details of the design so that your solution proves economical. For example, if you do not want to live permanently in your house, then insulating the floor makes no sense. Underfloor heating will become cheaper in the long run.
When thinking about the design of the house, you need to set 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 abandon the installation of panoramic windows.
Put the room where you plan to spend most of your time on the most sunlit side. This means that the house receives more solar power during the day. Rooms such as the 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 goal in this phase is to minimize heat loss to the environment.
More than 40% of the heat goes through the walls of the house, so it is important to consider the following factors:
- Structural changes when shrinking;
- precise connection of joints;
- Calculation of future shrinkage (in the case of multi-layer substrates it is about 1%);
- Isolation of the composition at the roof joint.
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 building a house, you need to remember that the thickness of the insulation layer must be at least 20 cm.
Double glazed windows
More than 20% of the heat penetrates through the window. There are currently two types of glass that can prevent heat loss in the home:
- Low-emission glass, which is made of a material that allows ultraviolet radiation to pass through the interior of the house while long waves (generated by heaters and people) stay in the house.
- Selective glass. Double-glazed windows in such a window are filled with gas, so they have a lower thermal conductivity than air. The result is that less heat is given off from the house to the surrounding area.
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 drawback is the high price.
- Aerated concrete is a cement-sand covering, it has nitrogen bubbles in the structure, which makes the floor very strong.
- Cement-sand plate with grains of 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 has a positive effect on protecting your home from environmental influences. The following materials are mainly used here:
- Polyurethane sprayer.
- Styrofoam.
- Expanded clay. It is the least popular because it requires more labor and has higher thermal conductivity than previous materials.
Heating bills are the largest of all household expenses. That is why the subject of heating and its efficient operation is popular in private wooden houses. An integrated approach should be chosen that consists of several steps:
- Selection of modern heating systems;
- cheap and environmentally friendly fuel;
- good 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 should insulate the wooden house. This is the first important component. You only have to invest money once during the construction phase of the house and it saves your budget considerably. A well-insulated house is one with the lowest heat loss and therefore the lowest heating costs. Heat loss can be increased many times over, even if only one window is poorly insulated. The use of advanced isolation techniques is recommended. Using old fashioned methods is a waste of time and money.
Boiler automation
An increase in the internal temperature by 1 ° C increases fuel consumption by 5%. This problem can be solved by installing boiler automation systems.
Automation allows you to control the comfort conditions - a decrease or increase in the temperature outside the house automatically changes the temperature in the room without delay. This system is fuel efficient and very efficient which will save you money in the long run. In a situation where you are going to leave the house for a few days, there is no need to put the house at maximum heating. In this case, the automation can be set for a specific time. This means that the system will maintain the minimum temperature conditions while you are away from home and warm it to normal temperature a few hours before you arrive.
Underfloor heating
This system is considered the most economical today. And when you combine it with a condensing boiler, the efficiency is increased many times over. Compared to a conventional heating system such as a radiator, this is not only economical, but also very fast. The underfloor heating distributes the heat over the entire height of the room and thus creates a comfortable room climate.
Solar panels
Nowadays solar panels are becoming an increasingly common source of energy. The main problem that has prevented the introduction of the solar system into everyday life is the use of solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. This is a very expensive technology.
The main advantages of solar powered houses:
- Solar energy is endless;
- this energy source is environmentally friendly;
- no greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar panels have no moving parts. This means that after installation, all you have to do is look after the panels and keep them clean. Snow, dust and raindrops on batteries can reduce solar radiation. Remember that dust on structures can reduce the amount of electricity used by up to 7%. But cleaning does not need to be done very often. One to four times a year is sufficient. All you need is a hose with a nozzle. It is recommended that batteries be replaced every ten years.
Where is your home
The geographic location of your home has a significant impact on solar energy efficiency. Electricity from solar panels depends on direct sunlight, so the shade created by tall trees or nearby buildings forms a barrier. The more hours the batteries are exposed to direct sunlight, the more efficiently the system works.
Before installing solar panels, find out about the irradiance in your area. Solar radiation is a measure of how much solar radiation hits the earth in a certain area over a certain period of time. High exposure to the sun means a large amount of electricity.
You need to understand that only you can decide what energy saving systems your wooden house will have. Discuss all the details with a specialist, he will consider all your wishes. Makes your future home not only energy efficient, but also attractive.