low energy consumption for sustainable living
As we nobly spoke of the elegant and environmentally sustainable design and construction of one of our houses on Olive Crest Environmental Estate, we now want to share the internal measures that were taken to secure the ongoing sustainability. The way in which energy is stored, used and saved on a day-to-day basis in a house that is home to an active family of four.
The first and most obvious design feature is the use of natural lighting. With a-wall-and-a-half of sliding stacker doors surrounding the kitchen, dining and reception areas, the house not only flows well from arrival to the first drink and then onto the pool deck, it maximizes the natural lighting that enters into an area in which the family will often entertain and spend time eating together. In every nook there are wall to ceiling windows that again bring in the sun and ambient light to areas that would otherwise require a light or leave you frustratingly fumbling for the door handle or light switch.
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| This shows the natural light in one of the bedrooms and two of the ensuites. |
The family room has an indoor wood-fire fireplace, which will be fueled from the abundant alien vegetation that was cleared off the plot for several winters. In addition to this fireplace, there is a vent free gas fire-pace in between the the reception and dining areas. The use of this type of fireplace is far more efficient for heating large spaces; there is no need for a vent or flute because today’s gas fires burn so clean which means that more heat stays in.
Where chimney’s are used, much of the fire’s heat escapes and it reduces the effectiveness to heat a large area. The kitchen hob and outdoor fireplace are also gas fueled so less time and energy is spent on waiting for the stove to heat up!
The floors, slab and ceiling are all insulated to keep the heat of the day cozily tucked inside whilst, on warmer evenings, the placement and proliferation of windows will keep airflow regulated for a fresh cool environment. The floors slabs were prepared with surface slab insulation (or surface bed insulation). The principal employed here is that the concrete slabs upon which the house is built are insulated from the cooling of the soil in winter. Not only does the insulation keep the cold out, it keeps the warm in.
In the evenings, the house is lit by up to 120 LED bulbs that draw a little more than five compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). LED’s can last up to 25 times longer and run cool, so they don’t waste energy on heat. They use half the energy of CFLs and one tenth of the energy of incandescent lights. Another advantage of LED over CFL is that they emit full light immediately and don’t need to warm up to operate efficiently, and, they don’t contain any mercury.
All the taps have aerating fittings that reduce the water consumption for. The shower heads are designed to reduce flow and maximize pressure without having to run extra water. The 300 liter solar geyser ensures that minimal grid power is used to keep the water hot. Electricity only kicks in if there is a higher demand for hot water, so the geyser is not continually sucking power from the electricity board.
Sustainability has much as much to do with design as it does lifestyle. Whilst we’ve fitted the house for maximum energy efficiency, our clients can further that by the choices that they make. Changing your lifestyle doesn’t cost a thing, we can choose to be less wasteful and more pro-active in being responsible with the natural energy and resources that we consume. Take a look through our articles for tips and advice on reducing your carbon footprint! Or, if you’d like to find out more about fitting some of the features that we’ve shared in this article, mail us for more details.
