Welcome to ecocentre ecohouse energy

Energy Features

The EcoHouse project saves energy in four ways:

1. Passive Solar Design

2. Active Solar Technologies

3. Energy Efficiency

4. Embodied Energy Savings

Passive Solar Design

Passive solar design is a simple design formula that takes advantage of the sun's warmth in winter and uses natural and artificial shading, and ventilation to keep the building cool in summer.

Some of the key passive solar design elements of the EcoHouse project are:

• Opening the Northern aspect up to the winter sun, with solar panels located to block-out the summer sun.
• Use of thermal mass (75mm thick) provided by a thick quarry tile on a bed of cement. This absorbs and retains heat from the winter sun. Heat slowly emitted helps to warm the building after sundown.
• Use of Issey external blinds; and a pergola with deciduous vines and to shade the western aspect of the house from the summer afternoon sun.
• Using double glazed windows to insulate the window spaces, including the retrofitted double glazing of the original windows using Winter Windows.
• The use of R3.7 (recycled cellulose) Battmans insulation in the ceiling, R2.5 recycled PET in the walls and floor.
• Draught proofing the house by blocking the chimney, sealing doors and windows with rubber strips.
• Optimising air quality, temperature, and humidity with a Venmar Ventilation system which circulates air within the building, expels stale air and imports fresh air.
• The use of Solatube skylights to reduce the need for lighting, with minimal heat loss. Solatubes can also curve around corners so is suitable for flats, renovations and multistorey buildings.

Active Solar Design

Active solar features are systems that use technologies to harness the sun's energy and therefore minimise the use of other non-renewable forms of energy. Some of the systems we use are:

• Grid-interactive photovoltaic panels on the roof. The installation also doubles as a sunshade system in the north of the house during the Summer months.
• Additional electricity that is purchased comes from green/renewable energy sources.
• Edwards Solar Hot Water system on our chimney

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficient aspects of the EcoHouse include:

• Installing cutting-edge energy efficient lighting (includes diode and fluoro lighting).
• Refrigerators are one of the biggest power users in the domestic setting. Consumption can be reduced by locating the fridge in the coolest part of the kitchen with its motor cooled by an air current generated by vents in the floor and ceiling. Cool air flows past the fridge, cutting down on the amount of power needed for the fridge to work.
• The gas stove produces less greenhouse gas emissions than an electric stove.

Materials with Low Embodied Energy

Embodied energy is the energy that is used in the production of a material or appliance. It includes the energy consumed in mining or production or the raw materials, as well as processing and transport.