insulation is not going to allow the heat pump to work efficiently. There is enough first-hand, anecdotal and documented (UK) evidence that shows the running cost of the heat pump can be no better due to the requirement for electrical topping-up of the heat-pump.
So what should you focus on and how can we keep this fairly simple? Treat your project as a complete solution.
• You want the external envelope of the building (floors, walls and roof) to be as well insulated and airtight as you can achieve. This is the most economical area to achieve the greatest impact for your money and will allow your heating system to run at maximum efficiency.
• Use renewable technologies such as heat pumps, solar and MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery) and ensure that they are specified and rated to suit your project.
• Understand that your house is a dynamic environment and you need to have a basic understanding of how it works. The better you understand it the better it will perform for you, in both energy usage and the internal climate it provides.
Don’t be afraid of renewable technologies. These are simply advances in the way we are able to build, heat and run our homes. The technology may seem new to you, but it has been around for decades and is widely available and used throughout the rest of the world. Remember, the UK (and therefore Jersey) has a very slow adoption rate of modern methods and systems within the construction industry. We have a very traditional view on housebuilding that is not the same in most other parts of the
developed world. A basic comparison of how we think about housebuilding would be to buy a new car, but not want the climate control, satnav, bluetooth or any of the other advances that set new cars apart from those of 20 years ago….including improved fuel economy! We don’t think this way when considering a car purchase, so why do we do it when building a house?
A home that is designed well, built with a high performance structural envelope and utilises renewable technologies doesn’t need to look any different from a traditional house. It can be done in granite or with rendered walls and the architectural style can be anything you choose. The build technology used is concealed within the structure and the heating and ventilation systems can be virtually unseen – think of underfloor heating and ducted ventilation. You won’t even be aware that the technology is working for you.
The overall cost savings can be tremendous with a 2500 sq. ft. four bedroom home costing well below
£1000/annum to heat to a very comfortable level. The cost of heating a home using fossil fuels has risen remarkably in the last
5 years and the only thing we can be relatively sure about is that it won’t get any cheaper in the future. What price it will be in 5, 10 or 20 years time is unknown. It makes perfect sense to future-proof your home and protect your wallet as much as possible.
That is why we need to build better. Jeco Homes are available to offer advice if you are considering a project of your own. We have very good working relationships with a number of local architects, engineers, contractors and sub-contractors (including those that specialise in renewable technology). We are a delivery partner for the Kingspan TEK-SIPs building system.
EcoHomes, Suite 37, 4 Wharf Street, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3NR
Telephone: 01534 767162 E-Mail:
sales@jecohomes.com Website:
www.jecohomes.com
20/20 - Our Environment
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