From http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1042314/list?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u178&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery2, an article on the work triangle for a kitchen.
the kitchen work triangle connects the three main work areas in the kitchen: the sink, the range and the refrigerator.
Some models are carbon neutral. European woodstoves using the Nordic Ecolabelsystem are so efficient that the carbon emitted when they’re used properly is equal to the carbon a tree naturally emits while decomposing in the forest.
The plan for the east wall of the lounge is to have a wall with the fire, a TV and a log store. Potentially also the HiFi equipment.
I’m currently thinking indoor fire with a TV into an insert above it (so onto the fire chimney wall, that is built for thermal mass) and logs to one side and possibly also below.
I recognise, that with an efficient house, the fire will need to be small (lower thermal output). But any heat will fill the whole open plan downstairs and then travel up the 3 storey stair well column.
Here’s the a few of the current images of ideas for the fire.
– I’m not having an open fire, but some of these images show an open fire.
Above has the fire, woodstore, TV and a bench in front of the fire to sit on or leave stuff.
On the photo above, at the top of the block to house the fire is an exposed section of fire chimney pipe, which will transfer more immediate heat into the room.
Note the metal lining to the log store 🙂
This layout (above) could also allows the fire to be moved lower, making it easier to put the TV at a more normal height, but above the fire.
Example low fire position below:
I do like the above idea of a bench that sticks forward from the fire.
Or have the fire in a fire breast column with a bench to side for the TV etc.
An alternative is a bench onto which is the fire and TV (if heat between the 2 is OK) with logs below. Riva do a bench up to 180cm wide. (wider than the one below).
Further great log storage photos and ideas at www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4327237/
As the lounge area is to have a wooden floor, it’d be good to either have slate on top of the wood, or instead of the wood, just in front of the fire. Dropping logs (whether alight / hot or not).
Inset slate floor in above photo. On top slate on the photo below.
To the north of the fire, on the west wall, the idea is to have a tall vertical window and maybe a comfy seating area.
I’m not sure I’ve got this right, but I think the http://www.nhbcfoundation.org/Researchpublications/Energyefficientfixedappliances/tabid/518/Default.aspx post means that a 2016 built house (if to the regs !) will have the main areas of CO2 emmissions in order of magnitude as:
So I’d better get those best rated appliances and building control systems for the kitchen and elsewhere.
It looks like another installer for Thermodynamic panels, which Greener Deal 4 U describe as “Dynamic Energy Panels“.
Great video explanation of how they work, including a comment from one of their clients that they work when covered in snow !
An email in from a buddy who has managed quite a few commercial and larger (multi dwelling) building projects:
The only other things to be aware of and concerned by is the type of building contract to be used. The standard form JCT contracts, I believe, are biased towards the contactor, the ACA standard form was written by Architects and is more balanced.
You also need to think about the level of damages for overrun on the contract. This is slightly more complicated than it might appear. One of the most crucial decisions made by the contract administrator is the issue of the Practical Completion Certificate as this signals the contract has been satisfied.
If there is an overrun, as invariably there is, he has to decide who is at fault and you are in the territory of the famed “critical path”, ie if the delay prevents progress on the rest of the build its on the critical path and who ever caused that delay in culpable. The reason these decisions are important, even for one week is there is a swing for every week by approximately twice the level of damages assuming damages are set at a level similar to the “preliminaries” figure. Prelims are the costs to the contractor of being on site, ie his admin costs. So if damages are say £2000 pw and prelims say £1500pw and there is just one week delay caused by the contractor he is £3500 down. You get the picture it can get very prickly.
Good luck, I am sure it will go well, new builds tend to be easier, provided they are well planned, because there are less unknowns. Keep an eye on any unusual materials and/or bespoke items that have long delivery lead in times and/or are coming from none standard sources as these can be the source of serious delays.
I suspect these won’t work for any pipework to and from a fire (they’ll melt !)
The ATK Airtight Membrane Kit has been developed to provide an airtight seal around pipework of all types that passes through the walls of buildings. The ATK Airtight Membrane Kit can fit around any size pipe – from cables right through to soil pipes – and offers a robust, reliable and cost-effective solution.
http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/page–pipework-seals.html
This article at http://www.building4change.com/page.jsp?id=1444 on “Whole house shutdown” says that:
Technology to turn off power to non-essential electrical items while residents sleep or are out can have major impact
A system that allows home occupants to conveniently and reliably turn off power to non-essential electrical items while they sleep or leave the house could cut household CO2 reductions by almost a fifth. This finding emerges from a study of technologies that could influence a reduction in energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions for a typical home built in 2016, carried out by NHBC Foundation.
From the nine technologies assessed, a system to remove power from all non-essential electrical items, called ‘whole house shutdown’, offered the greatest CO2 savings of 19 percent. The study also identifies individual socket shutdown units and waste water heat recovery as other technologies that can offer significant CO2 reductions of 16 percent and almost 7 percent respectively.
Looking at one of the Thermodynamic Panel system PDFs:
One set up has a thermal store (a tank that heats up, and your heating is delivered by coils that go into this store, heat up and take that hot water to where you want it), and a second, linked to a pool seems to have a form of heat recover system, in that the colder water from the pool is going back in the loop for re-heating via the Thermodynamic panels and the thermal store tank.
For the thermal store the Akvaterm thermal store water tanks looked good at the 2012 Eco Expo in London.
A chunk more information on the concept and benefits of a thermal store (and their version of one) at http://www.greenspec.co.uk/thermal-storage.php:
+ Provides effective buffering
+ Reduces boiler cycling
+ Allows for integration with low temp heating systems eg underfloor
+ Adds mains pressure to hot showers
+ Provides potable hot water
+ The use of a heat exchanger means that in most cases, thermal stores can be integrated with existing pressurised boiler circuits
+ Requires much smaller cold water tank then standard vented systems
+ Thermal storage is recognised by NHER software
– Heat can be lost through inefficient heat exchangers
– Storage temperature will usually have to be 10 deg C higher than required DHW temperature
– Cannot be used with existing DHW power showers and pumps
– Expensive and unvented storage, very expensive
– Vented stores require a header tank to be located above the heating systems
From a discussion on http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/forum114/comments.php?DiscussionID=9511&page=1#Item_15
I consider these as a form of air source heat pump, without a fan or finned coils. The underlying technology is well established and should be as reliable as a GSHP.
The panels are a good solution for a marine environment – I wouldn’t use ASHP units near the sea as the coils rot after about 7 years due to salt corrosion, so they would be a cheaper alternative than GSHP for such areas.
I have seen a completed installation and the owners were very happy with it.
Solar thermal it ain’t however – there is an improvement in COP when the sun is shining but it won’t provide free energy.
As far as I can find there are two manufacturers of these systems, the best known being Energie in Portugal http://www.energie.pt/ but also a company called Energy Panel in Spain. http://www.energypanel.es/productos.aspx?idFamilia=1&idProducto=1
The problem I have with them is a seeming lack of independent verification of their claims for running costs. I’ve seen mention of various installations being independently monitored but all my previous efforts to get these reports have so far failed.
Does anyone know of any such independent verification?