Energy efficient homes that cover heat and electricity costs

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Today it is very fashionable to discuss the topic of improving the ecological state of the planet and more active use of alternative energy sources. While for some it is a sky-high dream and projects on paper, for other residents of many European countries it is a real reality.

After all, they were able to move into unique houses in which the latest energy-efficient technologies were introduced, which made it possible to forget about electricity and heat bills forever. Who is so lucky and what is such a unique construction, let's figure it out now in our material.

The construction of energy efficient residential buildings is becoming popular all over the world.

Recently, modern unique houses began to appear, which are modernized and competently designed to such an extent that they are able to meet the needs of residents with alternative electricity and, accordingly, all the benefits associated with its use. These projects are called "House of zero energy"or "Active house", and its innovative installations are able to provide the required amount of electricity not only for its own needs, but also for the needs of nearby buildings. According to the developers, who have already built such unique housing in several countries, this only requires competent planning of the structure and location of the object itself, as well as installing a heat recovery system. Novate. Ru specialists have found several examples of how these houses are arranged and which countries have become pioneers in this area.

1. The first experimental house "Luukku" in Finland

Remarkably, the first "zero energy house" was designed in Finland by ordinary students of architecture, which they called "Luukku". With their light hand, this house was built in the town of Kuopio, and after some trials and after making sure of its profitability, it was decided to implement several more such unique projects.

Naturally, one project is not enough for this kind of construction, you need to choose the right location for the house, because given the climatic zone of Finland, it is very difficult to organize the process of converting solar energy into electrical energy. Therefore, the house was positioned so that the main slope of the roof was formed precisely on the south side, and where there were no trees at all.

We also used modern building materials and the latest scientific developments, which made it possible to create the required wall density with high thermal insulation and install an active ventilation system. To avoid heat loss, an ideal architectural form was created, which has an extremely simple shape without unnecessary protrusions.

Even taking into account the harsh northern climate of the country, the residents of this unique housing do not have to deny themselves the benefits, because the generated electricity is enough to maintain a comfortable temperature in severe frosts, cooking, using household appliances and even maintaining a pool and a gym with a special air conditioning system.

And the most interesting thing, since this house is the "first-born" of students, they created his personal web page on the Internet, and now anyone can monitor the operation of all its systems.

2. The first multi-family "zero energy building" in Germany

Recently, a unique apartment building was commissioned in the small German town of Wilhelmshaven. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that families who rent apartments here will not have to pay for either electricity or heat. After all, it is built according to the highest energy efficiency standard KfW-40, which equates to the requirements applicable to a "passive house". The living space is designed for six apartments with an area of 90 sq. meters each.

Naturally, during the construction, a place was carefully selected so that the sun's rays could provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity for the longest possible time to meet the needs of the residents of the house. To save more energy consumption, all external walls of the “self-sufficient” building were carefully insulated, which significantly increased thermal insulation. Such a design of the premises, modern systems for processing solar energy and heat recovery help to ensure a comfortable life for tenants, and in the summer, also nearby houses.

Naturally, practical Germans have set a limit on free use of utilities, for example, the maximum boundaries of benefits for one family for electricity are determined - this is 3000 kW / h and 100 cubic meters of water per year.

3. House-power plant in Norway

More recently, the Zero Emission BuildingB research center completed construction of an unusual house in the Norwegian resort town of Larvik. This pilot project is reflected in the design of a 200 sq. M. Residential building. meters, which is capable of producing more electricity than is needed to provide all the modern benefits of residents. The main goal of this project was the desire to develop such a building structure in order to solve the problem with the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by all life support systems.

Therefore, it was decided to use energy from renewable sources, in simple words, to install solar panels, which are designed to convert the sun's energy into electricity. And it, in turn, ensures the uninterrupted operation of all systems for ventilation, recuperation, heating or cooling of indoor air. For this, electrical equipment, ventilation and energy are produced from renewable energy sources such as solar panels.

In addition, the specialists have developed a unique shape of the house with a sloping roof, which serves not only as an area for installing solar panels and panels, but also helps to minimize heat losses. And in order to protect the environment from harmful emissions of carbon dioxide, special photovoltaic thermal panels are "implanted" into the walls of the building, which cope with this problem.

Remarkably, this innovative home generates more electricity than is required to meet all the needs of the residents and the uninterrupted operation of all systems. Therefore, surplus energy is redirected to neighbors, who can also use the electricity generated by the power plant house free of charge.

4. Self-contained energy efficient apartment building in Switzerland

In Switzerland, a fully autonomous building with an area of 1000 sq. meters, which is built according to the Minergie standard. This means that it fully complies with all the parameters of the classification of a "passive house", since it is not connected either to electric or gas networks, or to external heat sources. All these benefits are produced and accumulated directly in it, thanks to special installations.

For example, energy production is provided by a solar power plant, which has the form of thin-film photovoltaic modules on the facade of the house and highly efficient monocrystalline systems installed on the roof of the building. Moreover, the generated electricity not only covers the needs of residents, but also accumulates in lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 192 kW / h, which can be stored for a long time.

But to provide heat to such a large room, geothermal energy is used using a special pump.

To provide full protection from the cold coming from outside, the walls were not only insulated in a special way, but also the windows were equipped with a control system. Therefore, it will not be possible to open the window for micro-ventilation, you just need to open it completely. Such a measure was invented so that negligent tenants do not forget the open windows, and the room does not cool down.

To stimulate savings, boundary indicators were set, which are 2200 kW / h per year, and each apartment is equipped with a control system, represented by a monitor, which reflects all the readings of the consumed energy during the day.

Recently, more and more projects for the creation of energy-efficient houses have appeared.