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| Heat loss in buildings |
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Doors leading to the outside or onto a balcony are fewer than windows and so contribute less to heat loss.
Green roofs
Green roofs will provide insulation of the roof with plants growing on soil above a waterproof membrane.
Passive architecture
Passive architecture is common in older buildings and well-designed modern buildings to retain heat in winter and keep out solar gain from sunshine in summer. Shutters for example can admit light and solar gain during the day in winter and can be closed at night to keep the heat in. Conversely they can be close during the day on summer to keep out solar gain and opened at night to allow the building to cool.
Energy labelling of buildings
Energy efficiency and the environmental impact of buildings have now also been labelled and these labels are illustrated below and need to be displayed or shown for all buildings when rented or sold.
Energy efficiency and environmental impact labels for buildings
These labels are accompanied by a description of the current insulation level and what is possible and cost effective to reduce the heat loss and heating bill
Thermostats
One of the easiest ways of saving energy is to regulate the temperature! This can be done by installing thermostatic valves on radiators so it is possible to vary the temperatures in each room. With a programmable thermostatic regulator, the temperature can be reduced when the family is out of the home, at work, school or on holiday. Setting the temperature down by 1 degree saves about 6% of heat energy! A room which is not used for longer times may be heated only to 16C rather than 20C for normal occupancy.
Descaler and inhibitors in central heating systems
Radiators in houses are sized to meet their heat loss. If however the water in the central heating system is not maintained at its neutral level (pH 7.0) then a chemical reaction will occur between the water and the steel pipework and radiators resulting in the build up of corrosion products. These products comprise gases which congregate in the top of radiators so limiting the heat transfer area and the build up of inorganic salts on the internal walls of radiators so limiting their ability to transfer heat.