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Traditionally, domestic hot water has simply been a choice between a combi boiler or a vented system (with the odd Point of Use water heater thrown in). With water saving design, and zero carbon housing which will possibly become the standard in 2016, this all changes slightly for several reasons - with PassivhausSee more on [...] Central heating Emitters tend to be of two types – traditional radiators and underfloor heating. It’s a bit of a toss-up as to which is better. They have their respective advantages and drawbacks. Underfloor a pleasanter heat because it is better distributed no wall space taken up by radiators possibly more efficient because of lower [...] Fluespipe to conduct gas, typically ventilation air or boiler exhaust. see more on Flues are pipes or ducts which carry waste gasses away from a building to the air outside. This can be caused by two possible mechanisms the exhaust gasses are hot and rise naturally up the fluepipe to conduct gas, typically ventilation air [...] services Water Consider using water saving taps and appliances. See the Waterwise web site and the page Water Conservation Both hot and cold water normally reach the kitchen and utility areas via 15mm copper or push-fit plastic pipework. The cold water should be off a rising main (i.e. directly from the mains rather than [...] Self build eco houses in the Field of Dreams, Findhorn FoundationThe Findhorn Foundation is a large community near Inverness. There is a strong emphasis on sustainable building and living. Over the last decade or so the green building movement in the UK has gone from being fringe to mainstream. Architects, builders and suppliers are [...] Under European Union law, all incandescent bulbs will cease being sold by 2016 and be replaced by energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps (cfl). The building regulationsThese are the legal regulations which govern how a house is constructed. (not to be confused with Planning Permission which is about whether you are allowed to build [...] June ’12 The close grouping of services and the placing of them in a fairly centrally situated service duct, usually a duct which extends vertically through the house, has a great deal to recommend it but is seldom executed well. The forerunner of this (still to be found in some older houses) was the [...] ‘Energy use’ is usually associated with how much energy is used to construct a new building. However, this is only part of the story. Most buildings get altered and repaired and redecorated a considerable number of times during their lifetime and taken to an extreme, some houses are constantly having ‘makeovers’. This can vastly [...] There are many possible uses of home automation which can enhance the green rating of a house but probably the most obvious and least used is the ability to turn off heating for periods when the house is not occupied and then turn it on remotely before returning. See technical blogs such as the [...] While it takes a crystal ball to know how telecoms is going to evolve over the next decades there is a strong likelihood that the ability to easily rewire large parts of a house will be a major advantage. Although wifi has certain temporary advantages, the benefits of optic fibres connecting directly with computers [...] see – Ground works > Drains The green issues concerning services are mainly to do with materials in terms of their embodied energythe total amount of energy it takes to make a material (or a building). See more on embodied energy, their manufacture and their reusability / recyclability. Also the question of dangerous emfs keeps resurfacing. A wide range of [...] February 2013 See the government web site on Building Regulations Building Regulations deal with whether the building is built properly and is safe and energy efficient etc. more+/-» They are not to be confused with Planning Consentthe legal basis for being allowed to do some form of development such as building a house. (not to [...] |
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