Energy Efficient Housing

Energy Efficient Building

Windows

Energy efficient windows have multiple layers of glass. The reason for this is because the more layers of glass you have the better it insulates the house. Three or four layers of glass are one of the best because you have more airspace in between layers.

A smaller airspace doesn't insulate the building as well as a thicker airspace would. The thickest an airspace should be is 1 inch because any thicker than that will cause the glass of the window to no longer insulate the building.

The air in between the layers of glass should be thick and dense, so that it can save energy. One of the most common airs used in-between glass is argon. When argon is used heat loss is reduced. You could also use carbon dioxide or sulfur hexa-fluoride between glass.

Another type of window that is used commonly to keep the home cool is tinted glass. Tinted glass and tinted window films are used on buildings to reduce heat gain through windows. Advancements in tinted glass have now allowed us to make the glass appear just as a regular window that you can see through. The tinted glass solution is also used in many vehicles and private rooms for privacy and to keep them cool in the summer to save on energy costs.

When choosing a proper type of window frame, fiber glass is the number one choice. Fiberglass is the strongest material to use for the job and it also involves a smaller amount of maintenance compared to vinyl or wood.

Glazes on windows are one of the newest methods for energy efficient windows. Glazing is a way of changed the glass so that the light reflects off the window or absorbs the light and brings it into the building. Photo-chromic is the best product for glazing, as it can be switched so that it both reflects the light and absorbs it. Photo-chromic is a product called a switchable glazing. All switchable glazing products are useful for reducing cooling loads and for minimizing the shine off the sun from coming in the house. It would be most useful is Saskatchewan because it brings heat into the house for the winter, and also protects heat from coming in during the summer.

Windows should be made longer on the south side of the house and smaller on the other sides. Don't use low e glass on south windows, but low e glass on the other sides of the house is fine. North windows should be made large to bring in the sun light. East and West windows should have shade to protect the winds from coming into the building.

The advantages of energy efficient windows are that they reduce heat loss in wintertime and reduce heat gain in the summer time.

Lights

Energy efficient lights are used in homes because they:

1. Use less energy than standard bulbs

2. Lower the electrical bills

3. Produce just as much light as standard bulbs

4. Last longer than regular light bulbs

Fluorescent bulbs are more efficient than regular bulbs because they don't produce as much heat. They are thin lights that are tubular shaped. Their life span is 10,000 to 20,000 hours, which means that they last 10 times longer than the regular bulb.

Compact fluorescent bulbs provide just as much light as standard bulbs but they use one fourth (1/4) the energy. For example, a 15-watt compact bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt normal bulb. Just like the fluorescent bulb, they are energy efficient and less heat is given off from them.

Lights in a year don't usually show up as a heavy expense on your electrical bill. A standard bulb costs about $4.80 a year to use (not including the cost of a bulb). A compact fluorescent bulb may only cost $1.20 a year to use. But when you think about it, having 10 bulbs in your house can equal up to 50 dollars where 10 fluorescent lights will only cost you 15 dollars or so.

Solar Energy

Solar energy is designed to bring the sunlight into the building during the winter. Once the sunlight is converted into energy, it is stored until night, when it is most needed.

Solar energy was made to make the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer.