Sunrooms

Sunrooms may add natural light and space to your home. They can be a pleasant interface with gardens and landscape, and also a part of a passive solar strategy. A sunroom glazed area can be used as an element of passive solar heating, in colder climates. Sunrooms may reduce the heat loss and increase the heat gains of a building, and also release valuable heat at night. Sunrooms - including conservatories, solariums, patio rooms and enclosures - are typical extensions for cold climates. Since sunrooms are highly glazed structures, the type of glaze is extremely important to control temperatures. Sunrooms located on the south side of the house will get more sun and more heat. It is possible to locate the sunroom on east or west, as long it has a south-facing facade.Non-glazed sunroom walls should include high-density exterior grade foam and a vapor barrier. Sunroom walls should be insulated to at least R-20. That's crucial to obtain balanced temperatures in the rest of the building.
Source: House-Energy

Green living takes root in Sweden

Sustainability is the motto of the Western Harbour (Vaestra Hamnen) project in the southern city of Malmo, Sweden.There are futuristic buildings sporting massive glass windows and glinting solar panels. But turn a corner and you find a green courtyard with a little pond and some modest timber structures that remind you of Swedish villages. A former shipyard and industrial site is being turned into a green residential area based on 100% use of renewable energy. A nearby 2MW wind turbine provides much of the electricity for Bo01, the rest coming from solar panels. Solar collectors on 10 of the buildings provide 15% of the heating, but a more important source is a heat pump connected to aquifers 90m (297ft) underground.The water in the limestone bedrock is used to provide heat in winter and cooling in summer.
Malmo's green solutions:

• Wind, solar power and underground aquifers
• Developers comply with green space factor and green points
• Water features enhance biodiversity and quality of life
• On-site recycling facilities - rubbish is separated

Source: BBC News/ Europe

Passive House

What is the Passive House? The Passive House concept represents today's highest energy standard with the promise of slashing the heating energy consumption of buildings by an amazing 90% To attain such a outstanding results, Passive House should be designed and built following the next seven principles:

• Superinsulate
• Eliminate thermal bridges
• Make it airtight
• Specify energy or heat recovery ventilation
• Specify high-performance windows and doors
• Optimize passive-solar and internal gains
• Model energy gains and loses using the PHPP

Source: Passive House Institute US