The Nature of Science 30.6 Energy conservation in the home
New houses or houses that are being sold or leased must have a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate. This tells us about the energy efficiency of a house – how much energy is needed to heat and light it. Just as electrical appliances have energy efficiency labels, houses are also given a rating. An A rating means a house is very energy efficient; a G rating means the energy efficiency is poor.
Fig. 18 A house with an A rating is very energy efficient.
Fig. 19 Heat can easily escape from a house if no precautions are taken to improve its energy efficiency.
There are many ways of improving the energy efficiency of your home: 1. Insulate the hot water tank. 2. Insulate the walls, attic and floor. 3. Install double-glazed windows and doors. 4. Replace old boilers with new, more efficient ones. 5. Install a heating thermostat which will switch the heating off once the temperature reaches the level that has been set.
6. Install renewable energy heating systems, such as solar panels on the roof. 7. Use energy-efficient appliances.
Nature of Science
In this chapter we learned about the Law of Conservation of Energy. Scientists work by developing their ideas into theories and laws. Research how laws are developed in science.
