| Simple steps to harness the elements |
 |
 |
 |
| Energy Tech - At Home |
| Thursday, 14 August 2008 15:10 |
|
Sunday Age Sunday 20/7/2008 Page: 5 BARBARA and Graeme Davidson are sitting in the new, bright back room of their 1930s Surrey Hills home. It is a cold, grey day but the room is light and comfortable, without artificial lighting or heating. They are thrilled with the environmental performance of their north-facing extension. "I just find every morning I come in here and it"s a delight. It"s airy, it"s spacious," Mr Davidson says. The Davidsons finished their revamp almost two years ago. Now, renovations like theirs are set to become the norm. On May 1, the State Government introduced new regulations forcing additions and alterations, like new homes, to comply with the five-star energy standard. The couple"s contemporary extension added both a study and a large open room, with a kitchen, lounge and informal dining space. They also installed solar hot water and a rainwater tank that collects from the roof of their new garage. Andrew Wilson, the architect on the Surrey Hills home, is pleased with the results. He called his clients during a long hot summer spell and found, to his satisfaction, that they had barely used their air-conditioner. According to Mr Wilson, environmental efficiency is just about good design. "This is not rocket science, at all," he says. "The sun is higher in summer and lower in winter. It"s as basic as that." In the hotter months, wide eaves shade the large north-facing windows. Between each pane of glass, thick supports jut out to protect against the westerly afternoon sun. "In mid-summer you get no direct light into the building," Mr Davidson confirms. But in mid-winter, he says, the sun stretches right across the room. Other eco-touches in the renovation include insulation beyond the five-star requirements and effective cross ventilation-airflow through the house to help natural cooling. Equally, in winter, the warm lounge room can be shut off from the rest of the house to keep the heat in. The garden, too, has a role to play. The Davidsons planted deciduous trees that will offer summer shade and allow winter sun. The renovation maybe finished, but Mrs Davidson"s plans continue. Keen to make the house even more efficient, she wants to put in a grey water system and solar panels. "I just feel we come from the generation that have used the resources, and I include myself in that," she says. "I"ve got grandchildren and I"m worried about what sort of world I"m going to leave them."
|
Off Grid Solar PV - Measuring Progress In a speech at the World Future Energy Summit recently, Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman told the audience “the biggest source of immediately available “new” energy is the energy that we waste every day.” Those words reminded me of... Read more At Home | | Friday, 1 February 2008 |
Make Solar Panels - Save Yourself Some CashStop using regular sources for energy and start using renewable resources! Solar power is one of the best renewable resources that you can use out there, as well as one of the most reliable. While it"s been around for quite... Read more At Home | | Wednesday, 6 August 2008 |
Off-Grid PV System Performance Data The graph shown below is the result of battery voltage readings taken every 30 minutes for 5 days and nights. Battery voltage increases during the day, even on cloudy days, as a result of charge current from the solar panels.... Read more At Home | | Marchonday, 10 March 2008 |
I've Automated my Off-Grid PV System Because over-discharging batteries can ruin them, I only connect loads to my photovoltaic (PV) system on weekends and evenings, and only when I’m home and awake so that I can carefully monitor battery voltage. I’ve been getting 10 to 12kwh... Read more At Home | John | Februaryonday, 25 February 2008 |
Hybrid RefrigeratorsTechnology Review has an article on a hybrid refrigerator will bring "efficient, cheap cooling" to India and lessen dependence on diesel powered refrigeration - Cheap, Off-Grid CoolingA startup based in Cambridge, MA, has developed a new solar-powered refrigeration system for... Read more At Home | | Sunday, 5 October 2008 |
Make a Wind Generator Easily and EfficientlyIf you have been looking into investing money into manufactured wind generators, have you considered building your own? While the task may seem difficult, building your own wind generator is easier than you think. Not only that, but it makes... Read more At Home | | Augustonday, 18 August 2008 |
Pop Culture now involved in Energy is Good!Many people have seen the Paris Hilton advertisement regarding "her" energy plan that is a compromise between the mainstream competing plans by the presidential candidates McCain and Obama. She was responding to the John McCain advertisement that compares Obama to... Read more At Home | | Saturday, 16 August 2008 |
Grow your own home MSNBC has an article on "plantware" - coaxing trees to help form habitable structures - Live architecture: Grow your own home.Tolkien"s hobbits would feel right at home in new dwellings made out of living tree roots and designed to protect... Read more At Home | | Sunday, 31 August 2008 |
|
More in: At Home |
|
100% - + 8Show options | |
.jpg)
