Solar home – Nelson
- Pic: Powered Living Ltd
Combining the right site with passive solar design means the temperature of Helen Richards’ Nelson home has not dropped below 16 degrees since March 2004.
‘When I designed the house I did test models based on a temperature range of 17-21ºC but it is actually 16-24 ºC,’ says Richards. ‘So it’s warmer than I planned, but not too warm. It’s quite easy to keep the sun out. The difficulty is retaining the warmth in winter.’
Helen combined her skills as an architect with her concern about global warming to create a home with a low impact on the environment. Originally from the UK, Helen says ‘The climate here is so perfect for passive solar design. The climate is pretty cold but what makes the difference is the amount of sun.
‘The house always feels warm. I’ve never woken up cold. I underestimated the amount of difference one degree can make – 18 can feel chilly but at 19 degrees I always feel fine.’
North facing for both sun and views, Helen's home uses a concrete floor and concrete internal walls to collect, store and release the sun’s energy, keeping the home at a comfortable temperature. The polished concrete floor is capable of storing as much heat as 20 oil heaters burning continuously.
The house is 180m2 including a double garage. It is timber framed with plaster, zincalume and timber claddings. Solar water heating is from 6m2 panels on the roof with a 225 litre hot water cylinder. The house is insulated with recycled wool – a natural alternative to fibreglass – to 1.5 times the Building Code requirement. The windows are double glazed, and the window frames are thermally broken aluminium. Helen selected low-toxicity interior finishes for good quality internal air.
Helen’s home was recently granted the first ever 'excellent' rating for the BRANZ Ltd 'Green Home Scheme' and is a finalist in the new 'Year of the Built Environment' Awards.
Designed to work with, not against, the environment, the open plan living rooms are the core of the home and capture or control sunlight from dawn to dusk. There’s no need for air conditioning and extra heating. Helen says a house designed for passive solar heating costs the same to build as an average house. ‘Where most houses go wrong is that the rooms of the house are not orientated correctly to the sun… This doesn't cost any extra!&8217; If you want extra insulation or double glazing you will pay more, but the benefits are ongoing.
Helen’s house is a demonstration house for her architecture business, which offers concept house plans that have passive solar principles built in. The idea is to offer people who don’t want a full architectural service the benefits of a highly energy efficient home at a competitive price.
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Helen’s website is www.poweredliving.co.nz.
