Find out about some ‘quick wins’ for low effort, low cost ideas that will have a positive effect on your new home's environmental impact and energy-efficiency.
Share:
Sustainability and energy efficiency are two facets of building design and construction that often go hand in hand. And for both, there are minimum standards which must be adhered to, after which the sky is the limit, in terms of what can be implemented. It is also the case that you can put as much money as you want into sustainable and energy efficient design, materialsBricks, concrete, timber, cement, nails, screws, and everything else that makes up the building. and technology. New developments are being made all the time with products are being brought to the market that are there for early adopters to get involved with, as well as tried and tested solutions that have been around for a few years.
It’s your choice where on those sliding scales you wish to sit – how cutting edge, how expensive, how green. We’re happy to work with you, wherever you settle, and can bring in experts where we don’t have the experience.
In this Knowledge Hub article, we’re going to explore some ‘quick wins’ that will be low-effort, low-cost things that you can do for, or in your home, that will nonetheless have a positive effect on its environmental impact or energy-efficiency.
Design solutions
1 - Passive cooling and heating
‘Passive cooling and heating’ describes an approach which uses the sun’s energy strategically and deliberately to heat and cool your home. It uses orientation, insulation, ventilation, positioning of windows and window coverings, and creation of shade, to bring warmth in when desired, and keep interiors cool when the temperature outside rises. Talk to us about making the sun work for you – for free!
2 - Insulation
Investing in high-specification insulation will help keep your home warm in winter, and cool in summer, reducing energy bills in all seasons. There are various options available, including some that are highly sustainable, and use recycled materialsBricks, concrete, timber, cement, nails, screws, and everything else that makes up the building. or products that would otherwise go to waste. We will always install above average quality (and amounts) of insulation, but it’s possible to push the specification even higher to reach Passivhaus standards of construction for full energy control of your new home.
Energy
3 - Heating /cooling systems
When you consider the heating and cooling systems for your home, choosing a high-efficiency system, that will give warmth where you need it, cooling when required, and use minimal electricity (or other fuel) to do so will have an impact on your energy bills long after you’ve moved in.
We recommend Air Source or Ground Source Heating, if you can, especially for a new build, where the cost of installation will pay for itself over a few years.
4 - Active cooling
With climate change bringing more extremes to our weather here in the UK, cooling systems in the home are going to become a necessary part of our lives. Active cooling, using Air Source Heat pumps, and other ventilation systems, will bring cool, fresh air into your home, without the need for costly and high-energy retro-fitted air-con units, or inefficient electric fans.
5 - Mechanical ventilation and heat recovery
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (known as MVHR – and you can see why!) provides fresh, filtered air into a building. It either recovers heat from outgoing air to heat the incoming air, in cold weather, or extracting the warm air from indoors and replacing it with cooler air when it’s hot. There is a cost to run it, but it will save on heating bills.
6 - PV panels and battery
Fitting solar PV panels to your roof is a great way to reduce your energy bills, and the addition of battery storage will help you keep the excess energy you generate. Fitting in tandem with an electric car charge point (or installing the wiring to allow one to be connected later) can help maximise the efficiency.
Nature
7 - Encouraging wildlife
Have you considered including bird or bat boxes in the area around your home? You might need to tidy them up at the end of the nesting season, but these are very low-effort ways to encourage wildlife. You’ll get positive benefits from sharing your space, as many birds and bats will help reduce insect pests, meaning fewer midges as you sit outside in the summer evenings.
8 - Green Roofs
Not all roofs are tile or slate; some are green. A green roof contains a waterproof membrane and a growing medium, planted with vegetation. Moss, sedums, sempervivums and perennial grasses are popular choices, as well as low-growing herbs. Green roofs remove heat from the air, and reduce the surface temperature of the roof, and the surrounding air. They also emit oxygen, which is obviously a good thing as well.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
9 - Rainwater harvesting
Managing your water usage is another way to reduce your bills, making use of a free resource within your home. Capturing rainwater and using it in the home, for example for flushing toilets and running washing machines, as well as to feed a garden hose, is fairly simple.
Keeping it local
10 - Local suppliers
One more way of being eco-friendly is by reducing the miles that a product has to travel in order to reach your home. This can be achieved by using local suppliers, locally sourced products, and local tradespeople. We are happy to source local alternatives to mass-produced imported goods, which may be more expensive, but are certainly more sustainable, and usually better quality.
If you are interested in more involved strategies to reduce your environmental impact, or create an ultra-low-energy home, then we’re happy to talk to you, and bring in experts to achieve what you want, but these are all ‘quick wins’ that anyone can introduce into their design and buildThe all-in-one service we provide including everything from architectural services through to the construction stage and completion of your new home. There’s no need to approach anyone else as it’s all handled for you. processes, to make their home a bit greener.
