| With the onset of Global warming becoming more of | | | | These factors have to be factored into any |
| an issue and our dwindling oil reserves becoming a | | | | discussion of what constitutes sustainable building |
| reality the focus on what is actually sustainable for | | | | practice. I have recently completed building a low |
| our future is becoming ever more urgent. This article | | | | energy house. It is a highly insulated house with heat |
| looks at the issues that affect our understanding of | | | | recovery, under-floor heating, solar panels and low |
| what is actually sustainable in building practice. | | | | emission glass etc. It is cheap to live in due to the |
| Whether you accept that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is | | | | level of heating needed to keep the place warm in |
| cause of global warming or not (there is still some | | | | the winter and supply hot water etc. It is also a very |
| controversy about this), our carbon footprint still has | | | | comfortable house to live in. |
| a massive affect on our lives and on our ability to | | | | But I would not argue that it is sustainable not in the |
| survive as a species. | | | | long term. It is an Insulated Concrete Formwork |
| Current research gives the average per capita CO2 | | | | (ICF) house. Which basically is a solid concrete |
| emission for Europe ( EU 27 Average) at 10.4 | | | | structure with insulation on both sides (in this case |
| tonnes.(1) Currently the population of China is 1,329 | | | | with 150mm on the outside and 50mm on the inside). |
| billion and India is 1,145 billion. If they all drove a car | | | | The insulation is petroleum based extruded |
| and had the level of heating that we have in the UK | | | | polystyrene. Concrete of course has gone through |
| it has been estimated that there would be no | | | | the process of heating and has a CO2 factor. |
| oxygen supply left for breathing, let alone the rest of | | | | It could be argued that because the CO2 footprint of |
| the world with a current population of 6,707billion | | | | this house is small that it therefore should be |
| people ( this is projected to grow to 8,909 billion by | | | | considered as part of a sustainable solution to our |
| 2050). (2) | | | | long term goal of reducing our energy needs and |
| Per Capita of course means per person. It is obvious | | | | therefore CO2 emissions. But as a long term solution |
| that our current energy use is totally unsustainable | | | | would of course conflict with the dwindling supplies of |
| and definitely not exportable Currently we are an oil | | | | oil. It could be argued that almost any form of |
| based economy. Projections for oil supplies in the | | | | construction that would meet these criteria in the |
| future vary depending on who you read or choose | | | | short term could be considered as part of a strategy |
| to believe but the general consensus is that we are | | | | to meet a sustainable building program for the future. |
| nearer than we think to a decline in oil out put and | | | | Eco Builders Hampshire have recently completed |
| "Peak Oil" than we would like and the likely cost will | | | | building a house near Stockbridge in Hampshire which |
| only increase as this happens. | | | | contains many of these energy saving features. |