As there’s a lot of interest in our new cohousing build being eco-friendly, and also using natural materials such as wood cladding, I thought this video and story might be of interest:
Nigel Robinson takes readers through the steps he and his wife took to convert their 1950s house in Brighton into an energy-saving eco-home.
Key points from the video:
- All rooms/windows face south to maximise solar gain, reducing heating needs in winter.
- Insulated on the outside, covered in sweet chestnut cladding grown locally in Sussex.
- Shutters on inside of doors to keep the sun out on hot, sunny days.
- Main roof slope faces due south, ideal for solar PV panels, installed 4 kW + solar thermal.
- In March 2012 they produced 4100 kWh of electricity. (About the average for an entire year of electricity use)