PowerSwitch

A lengthy, but fascinating, OilDrum article here.

Packed with information, some of which would be useful in any new build, not just in cities.



Few people consider (or are allowed to consider) dwelling orientation when constructing new houses. You are faced with huge planning hurdles to get a house built in any way but facing the road.

A neighbour has her (oil) heating on virtually constantly throughout the year because the food prep area faces north. She doesn't even see the evening sun in summer because of trees.

It's usually a good idea to have the food prep area on the north side of the house but with an east facing window to catch the morning sun. Unfortunately, most architects do not have the faintest idea about solar orientation. They are happy to have all the big windows facing north to catch a view with very few facing south. Clients/purchasers of land should also consider the orientation of the land that they are looking at before buying: avoid north facing slopes if possible and also evergreen tree screens to the south.

kenneal - lagger wrote:It's usually a good idea to have the kitchen on the north side of the house but with an east facing window to catch the morning sun.

Agreed, or at least east-facing. She has no east windows. Indeedy, there's a massive garage built to the east.

emordnilap wrote:

kenneal - lagger wrote:It's usually a good idea to have the kitchen on the north side of the house but with an east facing window to catch the morning sun.

Agreed, or at least east-facing. She has no east windows. Indeedy, there's a massive garage built to the east.

That should, ideally, be on the north side to act as a heat loss buffer.

Ken,

What's your opinion on these

http://www.huf-haus.com/en/home.html

Sorry to pick your brains all the time!

P.S If you have any chemical legal questions, please feel free to ask

http://www.huf-haus.com/en/the-huf-hous ... rey-2.html

Really frackin' ecological. Not.

kenneal - lagger wrote:

emordnilap wrote:

kenneal - lagger wrote:It's usually a good idea to have the kitchen on the north side of the house but with an east facing window to catch the morning sun.

Agreed, or at least east-facing. She has no east windows. Indeedy, there's a massive garage built to the east.

That should, ideally, be on the north side to act as a heat loss buffer.

That would mean she'd look out of her kitchen window at the garage. Can't win; they did it all wrong to start with.

I've just got two east facing windows, and with some retained heat from using the stove the previous evening, I find it's reasonably warm in the morning, and starts to get chilly mid afternoon. I only get afternoon sun if it's warm enough to have the door open.

Glass boxes, Stu: but very well built.

Even the most efficient glass will lose heat at five times the rate of an equivalent insulated wall so, with such a large area of glass, a high air temperature will be required to give thermal comfort. High air temperature means more heat loss and higher bills compared to a similar sized Passivhaus. The cost would be equivalent, I would think. I'm not sure what level of insulation they are built with but, being German, it should be a lot better than a similar British house. The timber going through the structure from inside to out will form a significant cold bridge, reducing the efficiency of the overall system, though.

You could build a house cheaper and get a better level of insulation but it might take a bit longer to build.

My wife is an industrial chemist but I don't think she knows much about the legalities of it all. I not sure that I want to know either.

University building to become UK's largest Passivhaus:
http://www.edie.net/news/4/University-o ... newsletter

Mark wrote:University building to become UK's largest Passivhaus:
http://www.edie.net/news/4/University-o ... newsletter

An artists' impression of the new building, which

An odd name for a building but there you go...