Many people like the idea of a conservatory to increase space in their home. It can also offer a variety of environment benefits as discussed here by epc-belfast.com. EPC Belfast provide Energy Performance Certificate for domestic dwellings in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The “buffer” effect
The conservatory benefits from being in between the house and outdoors and acts as a buffer. It can capture heat escaping from the main building and on colder days, re-heat the indoors living space if the door between them is opened. It is a way of storing naturally produced heat allowing you to yet again save on your heating bills.
Improved thermal efficiency
When designing a conservatory, the best thing to do is to make it as thermally efficient as possible. In order to do this, consulting your local GGF Member will be very helpful in choosing between the following options:
- Double glazed doors: good quality external doors between the inner building and the conservatory provide an increase in thermal performance. Security will also be improved.
- Low-emissivity coatings: coatings on the inner face of double glazed windows help reduce heat loss on conservatory radiators; recommended if the conservatory faces north.
- Solar control layers: reduce glare from the sun and the amount of energy that goes into the living area; recommended if the conservatory faces south.
- Thermostatic controls: heating appliances with their own thermostatic controls allow even more control over the temperature.
- Natural ventilation: cleverly designed natural ventilation, e.g., trickle ventilators, top opening windows, roof vents, etc, are cheaper than air conditioning and more environmentally friendly.
Keeping the above points in mind and integrating them in the design of your conservatory will mean that the final structure will have minimal impact in the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of your property. If you are concern about the weather impact in your conservatory it is a good idea to consult an epc provider.
How green is a typical conservatory?
Recycled material makes up a good portion of a conservatory. At the end of its life, these materials can be recycled again. These materials are:
- Aluminium: the structure and conservatory itself can be made from aluminium and this is 95% reusable and recyclable.
- PVC-U: PVC-U is used in the frames’ sides and can be reused and recycled.
- Timber: timber is 100% recyclable and can be reused.
- Glass: glass is 100% recyclable.
Planning your conservatory
There are many types of conservatory available. In order to get one that suits your needs and fits into your home, a lot of thought must be given to its design. Other things to take into consideration on top of what has already been discussed are size, sunlight and other general materials needed to build the conservatory.
Size
Is it the correct size? A rule of thumb is to mark out the dimensions in your living room to see how much space there really is and whether you can easily fit furniture into that space.
Sunlight
When will you get maximum sunlight in your conservatory? Have you considered whether you have the best position for maximum sunlight? You may need to change the type of glazing depending on the orientation of your conservatory.
General materials
There is a wide range of materials which are available for your conservatory. The choice needs to be made for the roof and any masonry as well as the frames.
