Home Design
It is far more cost-effective to build an energy and water efficient home than to retrofit these solutions into old buildings, so if you have the opportunity to design your own home, or are renovating, then take time and advice to get the best your budget can achieve.
New Developments
There are new developments of eco-communities which you can buy into, and still have a very comfortable home, with on-site energy production, composting toilets and reed-bed waste treatment, but not everyone has the time, energy, or even funds, to go 'the whole hog'. There are alternatives which still make a substantial contribution to a better life for us and future generations who are left to inherit the fruits of our labour.
Simple things such as choosing a sheltered plot, and the orientation of the house. Designing a courtyard area could provide not only a sun-trap but protection from wind. Resist building a mansion when a 3-bedroom house will suffice. Extra space costs money, and energy for heating, lighting, and cleaning!
Try to find somewhere on or near public transport routes. This not only saves the environment from further pollution (from your own transportation) but allows your children be more independent of a 'chauffeur' service.
Water Supply
If you can get mains water, then do so. If not, then a group water scheme will be the second choice, with your own private well third. Once you have the supply, make sure you use it wisely. Buy water-intelligent washing machines and dishwashers, use dual-flush WC's and spray taps. No power-showers allowed - these use as much water as a bath!
Although Ireland doesn't suffer droughts currently, its population is growing (2.5 million expected to live in Dublin by 2031), and the supply is dwindling (the availability of drinking water may fall by half by the end of the century) and in some cases of poor quality (E. coli, etc.). Some wells do dry up in summer months, as the water table gets lower from overuse and wastage. Get a rainwater harvesting system installed at the building stage. This purifies rainwater so you can actually drink it, but once you have rain, you won't have that metered. Potentially, water charging may be something Ireland has to introduce in order for people to respect the supply. At the moment, businesses carry this burden. Install dual flush WC's (from November 2008 that's all we can install).
Windows
Large, double or triple-glazed, south-facing windows make the most of solar gain. Plan bedrooms and bathrooms on the north-facing side of the house, with small windows, to keep the potential heat losing surface area to a minimum.
Heat Conservation
Build in underfloor heating provided from geothermal sources, if the potential exists
Insulate, insulate, insulate. You can't have too much. The more you have, the less extra heat you will need. Loft, walls, windows and floors are the areas in need of attention. Remember, heat rises, so loft insulation is the best way to keep heat in. Sheep's wool is the latest, and one of the best, insulating materials. Added benefit is that it is from a natural source, so no irritation when fitting - even without protective clothing, mask and gloves. Don't forget to lag the hot water tank too.
You may be thinking that the house is going to be sealed completely, so there'll be no fresh air circulating. My next suggestion is to install a heat recovery ventillation (HRV) system, where foul air (upstairs bathrooms are ideal candidates for this function) is replaced with air from the outside through a series of filters, without losing the heat to the outside. There are two types, one powered, one allowing natural circulation. Personal choice here, as the energy used is very small, but may be a little noisy in the vicinity of bedrooms, when you're trying to go off to sleep after a long day in the organic garden!
When it comes to water heating, installing solar panels on a south(ish) facing roof can provide 60% or more of your annual hot water requirements. Tubes are more efficient than flat panels, but are more vulnerable to damage from wind-blown objects, or birds dropping stuff on them! The hot water tank may need replacing with a dual-coil variety, though there is a new syphon-based system just coming onto the market (October 2007) which makes for an easier and less costly conversion. Government grants are available for these systems (message dated 2010).
Avoid open fireplaces, as these are inefficient and draughty, and you'd probably end up burning coal or peat; neither of which are renewable or clean. Wood-pellet stoves, with a boiler, can be very cosy, and as easy to use as an oil-fired system, with automated feed of the pellets, and timing systems and thermostats built in. There's even a government grant available at the moment (2010). You'll need a dry storage area to be able to get the best cost-savings, as it's a lot cheaper to buy the pellets in bulk. To run a wood-pellet stove is, at today's prices, about half as expensive as an oil-fired system, and it's a renewable resource. The pellets are made from wood shavings and waste wood, although they are chemically treated to make them burn more evenly. The boiler could be used to top up your water heating in the winter, and supply thermostat-controlled radiators in the other rooms of the house. With a well-placed (central) stove, you may not even need radiators in the rest of the house. They mostly only need cleaning out the ash dust once a month, not a huge task and far easier than an open fire.
Use as many local bulk resources for your build, to reduce fuel miles attributable. Avoid products such as Italian marble, and rainforest wood, but try to incorporate reclaimed materials, such as wood, brick, tiles, roof slate and stone. It may take longer to source and assemble, but the results will have more character than off-the-shelf mass manufactured product.
Concrete production is the second biggest source of carbon dioxide on the planet. There are alternatives nowadays, which add lime and blastfurnace waste, and a small amount of aluminium. These blocks which have air-bubbles (from chemical reaction of aluminium and lime) incorporated into their manufacture, use only a third as much materials in their construction, so they weigh only a third as much as standard concrete blocks of the same size. So, only one rather than three lorries to transport the same weight of materials, and the emissions that go with it. Builders prefer working with these, as they are easier to lift and handle, less strain on backs and shoulders too. They are also substantially better insulators than standard concrete, but you still need to insulate as well!
You can even use recycled glass in some lime plasters now, to give a rather nice glistening effect.
Bamboo, one of the fastest growing plants on Earth, and more hardwearing than oak (and half the price), can be used as flooring, furniture, blinds, etc. Bamboo towels are soft, anti-bacterial and 3 times as absorbent as cotton.
- Giant bamboos shoot up at the rate of more than a metre a day, reaching heights of 30m (98ft) or more and diameters of up to 25cm. An 18m (60ft) bamboo cut for market will take a mere 59 days to replace, whereas the same size oak tree will take from 40 to 70 years.
- Bamboo releases 35 per cent more oxygen and absorbs at least four times more carbon dioxide than a forest of standard trees.
- Construction-grade bamboo is ready to harvest in just three to five years, compared with 10 to 20 years for timber; and its yield is up to 25 times more. A single bamboo clump can produce up to 15 kilometres of usable pole (up to 30cm in diameter) in its lifetime.
- Harvesting bamboo does not kill the whole plant, so there's no need for replanting - it just grows back.
- It's good for the soil: the underground network of bamboo stems knits it together and prevents soil erosion. Bamboo can even grow in soil that has been damaged by erosion, overgrazing or commercial agriculture and is typically grown without fertilisers or pesticides.
Location
Whilst it is great to live in the countryside away form the hustle and bustle of the cities and towns, you should consider how many journeys you will have to make to get to work, shops, schools and so forth. Sometimes living in the country is the only alternative to get the property you want for the budget you have, but cost out these journeys and build it into your house budget, not only the monetary cost but the fuel mile burden too. If you can locate on or near public transport routes, then using this as an option will reduce the need for your extra emissions, as well as allowing your children, and non-drivers, to travel without relying on a 'chauffeur' service.
Where to build is starting to become a dilemma. High ground brings with it potentially lovely views, but also wind and cold, which will increase costs to heat, insulate and roof repairs. Moving into a valley increases the risk of water damage and higher potential insurance costs. Sounds like half way up a south-facing hill could be the place!
Planning
One of the frustrations of the Irish planning system is that no provision for local resources such as shops, schools and other necessary facilities are imposed upon developers. Furtunately there is an increasing number of developers around who recognise the need to provide these local services. Perhaps the recent scandal in relation to a shortage of school places will provide the shake-up required.
Environment minister John Gormley, on 23rd July 2007, overturned land re-zoning approved by Monaghan County Council last year, which had gone against council planners' recommendations. This could be a sign of things to come, and a long time overdue.
A recent relaxation in the planning laws (not sure if it's implemented yet) for local energy production, with building-mounted solar panels and wind turbines, means that more people will be interested in renewable energy. This is bound to help the 'quiet' construction industry during these lean times.
Even drains are under stress now, they are old and cannot cope with the extra households now flushing into them. The consequences can be seen especially during heavy downpours, and untreated raw sewage and farm waste can reach rivers and our beaches, reducing water quality and increasing the possibility of infections from bathing in the sea. The loss of Blue Flag status could result in fewer tourists, so we need to do better. This is, I hear you say, a government, or at least local council, issue, but we, as constituents, can push for improvements in our water treatment, both supply and waste are important. Run-off from concrete and tarmac surfaces is adding to the strain, so if you have a choice, then go for grass or gravel to allow drainage through, which is better for everyone.
Consultancy
We can provide consultancy to developers and individuals who are planning a new house or development of houses. We can review your designs and plans and offer advice on some simple changes that may even reduce the cost of the development and go as far as you wish to make the house as green as the budget will stand. Building environmental factors into a house is not only a beneficial thing for the planet, but will be a legal requirement before long. We can help you ensure you at least meet the latest statutary requirements but also help the property be a good environmental neighbour.
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