Lane - The Definitive Guide to Building an Energy Efficient House

Michael Lane is a planning & Design Consultant, he has a Bsc in Construction Technology awarded from Bolton Street College of Technology (D.I.T.) Dublin, Ireland.

Michael is an affiliate member (Membership No. 20000107) of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), www.architecture.com Michael is also a member (Membership No. 04 L) of the Architects Alliance of Ireland, www.architectsalliance.ie

Michael Lane worked in the family business, M. Lane & Co. Ltd, Building Contractors, for a number of years before forming Lane Planning & Design, www.lpd.ie

Lane Planning & Design provides engineering, planning & design, development and architectural services throughout Wicklow and Dublin.

Lane Planning & Design expanded the range of services in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the following:

Xplan, www.xplan.ie

Xplans, www.xplans.co.uk

Elite House Plans, www.elitehouseplans.com

All provide house plans and designs for a variety of house styles, for modern and traditional designs, for bungalows (single storey), dormers and two storey designs and are fully adaptable to the clients specific requirements.

Lane Planning & Design has provided a valuable resource to the self build market with the introduction of Irish Self Builder, www.irishselfbuilder.com . Irish Self Builder provides information to the self build market in Ireland for the planning, design, costing and building stages. Information is also available on renewable energy, energy efficiency, timber frame, concrete block build and the advantages of self building. A featured company page, a start-up company page and a news page complete the information available.

Michael Lane is a co-director of Teach Go Maith Ltd, www.tgm.ie . A wholly Irish owned company, which specialises in constructing A rated, energy efficient, eco friendly homes to exacting European standards.

I decided to write this guide to building an energy efficient house for the following reasons, namely

• 1. The earths resources are limited in quantity and should be preserved for future generations and should only be utilised in a most efficient manner.
  
• 2. Generations have wasted the earths natural resources and used the fossil fuels in a most inefficient and wasteful manner.
  
• 3. Building energy efficient homes is a vital part of the strategy to conserve our remaining natural resources.
  
• 4. This guide will help inform the public and especially those building a new home on how to construct an energy efficient house that will be both sustainable and economically viable over period of time.
  
• 5. Most guides provided to date, have been exceptionally technical in nature, which although informative to those with construction experience, is less so the man or woman in the street. The principle objective of this guide is that, it will explain the requirements of building an energy efficient house in plain language, which can be understood by those without any or much technical experience of the concepts involved.
  
• 6. This guide will, I hope be of particular relevance to the ever increasing self build market. The self builder will be better informed and have a greater understating of the requirements to the design and building of an energy efficient home.
  

This guide is dedicated to those who graced our presence and have passed away; we were privileged to have witnessed their wisdom, knowledge, foresight, kindness and love. This world is poorer from their absence.

• 1. This guide is provided for guidance purposes only.
  
• 2. This guide is not intended to be country specific, the information is provided for general guidance purposes only.
  
• 3. Anyone proposing to build an energy efficient house should seek professional advice.
  
• 4. Please refer and comply with your countrys Building Regulations for the required minimum standards, if applicable
  
• 5. All materials and installation, should where applicable, be certified by the Agrement Board or the National Standard Authority that applies in your particular country.
  
• 6. A further guide, to building a passive house, is planned.
  
• 7. All rights and images are reserved.

In every day language, a brief summery of an energy efficient home is one, which utilizes renewable energy to generate space heating, water heating and electricity and high levels of insulation to conserve the energy that is created.

The overall objective is to reduce your use of carbon dioxide in conjunction with reducing the overall energy usage of your proposed new home.

This is achieved by good design and layout, high levels of insulation, an energy efficient super-structure, a low level of air loss, a good ventilation system, efficient use of electricity, utilizing a renewable energy resource for space heating and water heating and by quality workmanship.

The following sections will explore the possibilities in achieving an energy efficient house namely

The benefits of constructing and living in an energy efficient home are many. Detailed below are just some of the advantages namely:

• Your energy efficient home will use considerably less energy in comparison to a house constructed to less exacting standards.
  
• Significant cost savings for your space heating bill, over a period of time, can be achieved in comparison to conventional heating methods using fossil fuels.
  
• Significant cost savings for your water heating bill, over a period of time, can be achieved in comparison to conventional water heating methods using fossil fuels.
  
• Significant cost savings for your electricity bill, over a period of time, can be achieved in comparison to conventional electricity using fossil fuels. Indeed it is possible to receive payment for any surplus electricity created that can subsequently be sold to the electricity provider. This is dependent that such a facility is available in your country.
  
• You will reduce the usage of fossil fuels.
  
• An energy efficient house has potentially a far greater re-sale value that of a conventionally constructed house.
  
• The occupants will enjoy a far more comfortable living environment.
  
• The occupants will enjoy the benefits of maximizing natural daylight.
  
• The occupants will enjoy the benefits of maximizing natural passive solar gain
  
• Great pride can be achieved in having constructed your very own energy efficient home.
  
• You will done your bit for the environment
  

The requirements for energy usage and carbon dioxide usage, in order to achieve an energy efficient house are set out in Figure 1. Please note the details are indicative only and the actual criteria will vary from country to country.