With the rising cost of energy bills and the environmental impact of heating and cooling a home it is no surprise that more people are considering passive house principles when building their home.
Passive house principles allow for a comfortable, energy efficient eco-friendly home. A house that is cool in summer and warm in winter that saves you money over the long term. Who doesn’t want that?
We have listed some key features to consider when designing an energy efficient home.
High performance windows and doors - When choosing windows and doors with energy efficiency in mind look for double glazing, a low-e film coating and thermally broken frames.
A good level of insulation - An insulated concrete slab will create a thermal mass to absorb the daytime heat and radiate it out when the temperature drops in the afternoon and evening. Other examples of thermal masses are filled concrete block, stone or masonry walls or floors. It is also important to ensure a good level of insulation is achieved in the walls and ceilings of the building.
An air tight building - In a temperate climate such as Northland it is not as crucial to achieve absolute air-tightness. The use of RAB board (which stands for rigid air barrier) helps to reduce air movement under the exterior cladding. Special attention is given to the workmanship of joins and corners and any penetrations to the building envelope to achieve air-tightness.
Ventilation - Mechanical is best as the house can breathe year round. This is especially important in a holiday destination like Mangawhai when homes are not occupied 365 days of the year. These systems can be as simple or as smart as you require from a simple ducted fan system to a mechanical heat recovery system.
Building orientation - The best aspect is a North facing one with adequate sized eaves to control the amount of sun coming in year round. Attention should be given to the positioning of windows and doors - ideally the majority would be on the north facing side of the building with minimal, if any, on the southern side.
If you are planning a build and would like to know more there are some great resources available in print and online - or call us for a chat.
For more reading check out https://www.energywise.govt.nz/at-home/building/