Green Building
Whatever your opinion on the causes of climate change/global warming, whether it’s man-made or a natural cycle, we all have an obligation to limit our impact on the planet. Current building regulations already require buildings to be energy efficient, but there is so much more that can be done to improve things further. The initial installation costs of solar panels, wind turbines, ground source heating, rainwater harvesting etc will at some point be recovered, and will help to save money and energy in the long term. The more that energy prices increase, the sooner these alternative sources will pay for themselves.
Use of sustainable materials, consideration of different types of construction and materials to improve the thermal mass (the storage heater effect) and careful detailing to limit air infiltration all play a large part in the long term running costs of a building - something that’s often overlooked. Fuel consumption is a major factor when deciding what car to buy, so why should buildings be any different?
Whatever your opinion on the causes of climate change/global warming, whether it’s man-made or a natural cycle, we all have an obligation to limit our impact on the planet. Current building regulations already require buildings to be energy efficient, but there is so much more that can be done to improve things further. The initial installation costs of solar panels, wind turbines, ground source heating, rainwater harvesting etc will at some point be recovered, and will help to save money and energy in the long term. The more that energy prices increase, the sooner these alternative sources will pay for themselves.
Use of sustainable materials, consideration of different types of construction and materials to improve the thermal mass (the storage heater effect) and careful detailing to limit air infiltration all play a large part in the long term running costs of a building - something that’s often overlooked. Fuel consumption is a major factor when deciding what car to buy, so why should buildings be any different?
