The energy efficiency of an individual house should be taken care of even before the design stage. General Director Alexander Vodovozov of Deutsche Wand explained why a cottage owner should discuss his architectural preferences with specialists and what to pay attention to when insulating it.

The project as a starting point

First of all, the future homeowner needs to choose the architect who will develop the project wisely. The fact is that the operating costs of heating and lighting a cottage depend largely on its location relative to the cardinal directions. This means that it is important to initially design the house correctly and place it correctly on a specific site. You can assess the qualifications and professional level of the architect by studying already completed projects. Find out from the architects what their features are and why people chose them. In addition, you should immediately set the architect the task of making the building not only fashionable and beautiful, but also as energy efficient as possible. If the architect agrees to this, there is a response from him and a desire to solve these issues, then he is right for you.

By the way, a note to future homeowners who dream of some kind of fantastic home design: the compactness of the building, the minimum number of joints on the walls, as well as such architectural excesses as balconies and bay windows – all this significantly increases its energy efficiency and should be taken into account in the project. And with panoramic glazing of large areas, more expensive double-glazed windows will be required.

Choosing a construction company

After developing the project, you need to choose a construction company. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the projects it has completed, visit the company’s office and make sure that there are design engineers working there. After all, creating an energy-efficient home is a fairly technological process that requires an integrated approach and teamwork. The “internal” architect of the construction company will help you understand what area of ​​​​the house the client really needs to meet his needs and wishes, and will also outline the implementation timeframe and an approximate estimate.

After choosing a developer, a construction contract is signed with him. It should be very detailed: with all the deadlines, stages of work, with a list of materials that will be used in the construction process, and with a detailed estimate.

“Wrapping up” the structure

When the issue of the architectural component of the house is resolved, it is the turn of the thermal shell of the building, the so-called “enclosing structure”, which includes the foundation, walls and roof. However, the material of the walls is not so important, unless it is, of course, raw timber. Brick, by the way, is also not a material that actively saves energy. It is better to opt for frame technology or aerated concrete blocks. True, aerated concrete requires mandatory insulation and drying before finishing, since it very quickly absorbs moisture during construction, plus it comes out of production quite damp. Technologists recommend drying the house for at least a year before starting finishing.

But what is really important is the type of foundation, as well as the quality and quantity of roof insulation, or more precisely, the thickness of the insulation. The most suitable type of foundation for an energy-efficient house is the USHP (insulated Swedish plate). As for the roof, in our climate the thickness of the insulation should be at least 250 millimeters. Moreover, if there is an attic, the roof should be insulated along the ceiling of the living area, but it is better to leave the rafters “in the cold”.

Engineering tricks

The next step is the selection and installation of engineering systems. Any house requires good ventilation. But if the owner wants to avoid additional heating of the house in winter and not waste energy, and therefore money, on heating the building in the process of taking cold air from the street, it is ideal to install a ventilation system with recuperation, that is, a system with the return of heat back to the room. Then you can count on the lowest possible price for electricity and heating.

In general, taking into account all the above components, the savings on operating costs will increase three to four times.