Looking for inspiration

SilverBER

Is there anyone who would be brave enough to consider a house construction that is totally self sufficient and not be connected to the grid for any energy or heating needs? Is passive house construction all that far along yet?

legs_akimbo

I would have considered this to be financially restrictve, payback times would be prohibitive in a commercial venture.
As for a self build again alternative energy sources need to be paid for and many people do not take into account the fact that if you borrow say €10,000 on a mortgage for a tecnology that pays for itself over fifteen years, you are more likely paying back the bank five times that amount over the lifetime of the mortgage.
I would very much like to build an A rated house if not a passive one, perhaps when the markets improve......after all I only need to tell the bank I am a SEI registered BER assessor and they will be falling over themselves to throw money at me being in such a lucrative business :D

Would be interesting to see someone do this who has a pile of cash to burn.

sinnerboy

Passivehaus design substantially reduces - but does not eliminate - the need for space heating

Solar orientation , insulation level and ventilation strategy all slash energy requirements .

So heat given off by occupants ( bodies ) and their cooking / cleaning / tv/pc activities is all that is required - apart from the very coldest months .

Some heat source is required then . Wood stove . HRV + link to ATW heat pump . Tiny gas boiler are some options .

BUT off grid - no - nothing to do with Passivhaus design . Still gotta watch TV / log on to Boards.ie -

To do that - you need microgen technology ( photovolatic/wind turbine ) - which is not sufficeiently developed yet to be affordable / practical

Carlow52

SilverBER wrote: »

Is there anyone who would be brave enough to consider a house construction that is totally self sufficient and not be connected to the grid for any energy or heating needs? Is passive house construction all that far along yet?

One thing that is often overlooked in this type of discussion is that non-heat energy needs need to be looked at in a sort of zero-based budgeting basis: turn everything off and make the case:)

For example, do we need the big ( american style ) fridge where everything from water to pet food is kept cool.

Look at keeping fruit/salads/eggs and other vegs cool in what we used for years at home before we got the elec: a mouse proof larder built where there was always a breeze. Chill only what you need to chill. I know this wont work in multifamily buildings but its just the idea.

The other big one is lighting: we had one 60 watt in the hall: there are now 6 by 50w recessed halos:) We had one telly at home, six in current house:eek:

holdfast

I think you mean A zero energy house I guess. There are some big discussions about this topic. Basically any house that produces enough energy for itself can be a zero energy once you offset its energy needs. But then the embodied energy is argued by some has to be taken into account so maybe it need to repay back that ?? !!!. It could be a G rating on the BER but if it produces enough energy that ok. But if you can reduce energy it’s easier to achieve. I was in one in Germany, would not like to pay for it though. I am sure there are a number of houses already in Ireland built by hippies but just not called that.
Passivehaus are houses that have limits on space heating and brown energy. (As sinnerboy stated) but you could make it off grid if you produce your own energy and make it a zero energy house.
An A rated house fall into a low energy house category and even though the passivehaus does not get as good rating in the BER, I would go for that as it would be cheaper to run with some mirco generation with reduced brown energy demands if I had another go. I have an A rated house though so I guess I am never happy.

SilverBER

Thanks for this, lads / lasses. It appears that the technology is not around yet for an off grid house. I wonder when it might be a feasible option.

Carlow52

SilverBER wrote: »

Thanks for this, lads / lasses. It appears that the technology is not around yet for an off grid house. I wonder when it might be a feasible option.

Your welcome:)

Voluntary off grid with current life style, coupled with the imbedded energy demand is not on.

IMO energy demand will need to drop and energy efficiency will need to increase dramatically.
As to involuntary off grid it looks like the ESB are disconnecting 500 people a month. Sin sceil eile

SilverBER

Indeed

legs_akimbo

I saw something receently about some German homes that have been successfully built on or by the river that are zero energy, cant seem to find a link now but will look again.
If anyone can do this the Germans can.

holdfast

Thanks for this, lads / lasses. It appears that the technology is not around yet for an off grid house

did you read some of the replies

SilverBER

I did read the replies holdfast. It seems to me from reading them that the majority think it is not quite there just yet.

SilverBER

legs_akimbo wrote: »

I saw something receently about some German homes that have been successfully built on or by the river that are zero energy, cant seem to find a link now but will look again.
If anyone can do this the Germans can.

I read in one of the Construct magazines that there was a German company who were working on off grid homes but I cant remember if they were completely satisfied with the progress. I thought also that there was a Scandinavian company doing their thing on it. If I get time to search the office for the magazine in question this week I will do so and report back.