My eco-friendly house: Let’s start today!

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Ecology is omnipresent in today’s world. What about applying it to our homes? Whether there are new or less recent, they are energy-hungry. So, going green will preserve our natural heritage as well as being cost-effective! There are plenty of solutions in Mauritius… and the savings can go from the slightest to the biggest ones. Follow LexpressProperty’s overview of the eco-friendly house.

What is an eco-friendly house?

It is one which uses the least energy possible. Eventually, it will produce more energy than it uses! An eco-friendly house is not only about the preservation of the environment but it also healthier for its dwellers while it has an added-value.

Bioclimatology:

The positioning of your house is a focal point when it comes to energy-consumption. A smart house holds heat in winter and limits heat loss with wider northward openings to have a better sun exposure. In summer, white walls keep the house fresh.

Natural is the new chic:

Your house will breathe better if made of natural or raw materials (i.e. the least or not transformed) and those available locally! Free solar energy inputs must be optimised with insulating doors and windows. As for photovoltaic and thermal panels, using them is an investment in natural energies.

Stronger and healthier:

In order to stand the test of tropical weathers (cyclones, torrential rains, etc), eco-friendly houses should be stronger. Expanded polystyrene panels can fight energy and water leaks, and they do play the ecological role as they contain no polluting gases and are 100% recyclable.

Recycling is an art:

Recycling is a key to going greener and it applies to a wide range of resources: rainwater and used-water collecting (from the dishwasher and washing machine) for other uses (car wash and garden watering); re-using food wastes (manure), water-saving (mixer taps), and electricity-consumption control (low-energy and LED bulbs).

What eco-friendly materials are available in Mauritius?

• Composite wooden planks manufactured with rice husks and recycled plastic. UV, water and termite-proof, they perfectly fit an outdoor use (flooring and false ceilings).
• Insulating building panels made of recycled vegetal polymers using the Hestian (HBS) method. They can replace the traditional cement blocks and fit our tropical weathers.
• Rocksand as an alternative material to coral sand. It can be used as concrete and roughcast.
• Paints and varnishes made of non-toxic raw materials. They contain no solvents and are water-based, with a rate of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC).
• The CEB encourages consumers using photovoltaic panels to sell the excess energy produced from renewable sources.

The Passive House

It is one of tomorrow’s issues. Based on the principle that energy produced inside and outside a house/building can fulfil all our heating needs, it was created in 1988. The concept has been a success since then: 90% heat saving in some European countries like France and Belgium as compared to the traditional use at that time.

In 1996, M. Feist founded the Institut Passivhaus in Darmstadt and promoted the following principles: thermal isolation with high-perched walls and high-quality windows; eliminating thermal breaks; high-level air proofing; dual flow ventilation thanks to heat collecting; optimised but passive heat and floor energy capture, and restricted energy consumption by household appliances.

In the wake of the 10th anniversary of the passive house in France in 2017, 50 inhabitants have shared their experiences: 96% were satisfied of their house and 86% found it less energy-hungry than a traditional one. There are now more than 2,000 passive houses in France (200 have the “Bâtiment Passif” certification), and several thousand exist in the world.

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