Golden Bay Hideaway
Energy Efficiency
Eco-action Design and Build has based its energy efficiency design on models used in Germany. Germany is a leader in passive solar design, where the provision of comfortable warmth founded upon high insulation standards, has created housing that doesn’t require massive energy inputs.
Heat is first attracted through the building’s orientation to the sun. Attention has then been placed upon the best use of raw materials (concrete, mud bricks etc) by storing the sun’s heat in thermal mass using novel techniques.
This conservation of heat has been further enhanced by the elimination of the myriad of heat and energy leaks that are usually taken for granted in normal designs.
High quality components, (like using the best double-glazed windows currently available), round off the basic design - probably making this solar warmed house more effective than anything similar in New Zealand.
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No concrete in the floor or foundations touches the the ground. Polystyrene has been placed under the floor and footings to create a thermal break.
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Overlapping layers of woolbloc insulation create an R value in the roof of 7.4 and in the walls of 5.1. Approximately double the values found in ordinary homes.
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Many other design finesses to negate the need for unnecessary joints (water entry points, extra building costs) and to mitigate against cold-bridging (heat loss through non insulted cold spots).
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Sun warmed air is collected and directed behind the half-adobe internal walls for passive storage and delayed heat release.
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Argon-filled, thermal-break, low-e-double-glazing is used on doors and windows.
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Underfloor heating from comprehensive solar water system.
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Low wattage, long lasting dimming LED lighting.