Houses

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House construction is very important as a means of conserving energy. In most countries, little thought has been devoted to this. In cold climates, much heat is wasted by conduction through walls, windows and doors. In hot climates, air-conditioning is a major energy sink. Worse, little thought is given to using natural resources. The days of the timber-frame house and the uninsulated brick house should be over.

Even in cold climates, it is possible to heat a well-designed house to comfort level for most of the year without consuming any fuel or electricity. On very cold days, a small wood-burning stove should suffice to make up the difference. Similarly, hot water can be supplied by solar heating for much of the year, except in the high latitudes. Of course, such a fuel-saving house will cost more than a "conventional" one, but the difference will be easily recovered within a decade or so, remembering that fuel costs will rise faster than inflation.

The problem is similar in hot climates. Our ancestors knew how to build houses that were comfortable with outside temperatures in the upper 30s (Celsius, of course!), Thick, insulating, rendered mud bricks (adobe); very high ceilings; solid shutters and doors; roofs insulated with layers of straw and so on. Air conditioning was limited to fans. Today, because the modern house is built cheaply, air conditioning has become a necessity.

Even so, we can save energy in a modern house. Retrofitting solar water heating is not an onerous task. We can set the heating thermostat to 19°C and the air conditioning one to 28°C and remain very comfortable, with suitable clothing.

Apart from energy, considerable savings may be made at little cost by installing grey water systems into new or refurbished houses.

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