We would all like to have a comfortable home, save energy and dollars, reduce pollution, and minimise the impact on the natural environment. So here is some food for thought.
Embodied energy is the energy used to produce a product from beginning to end.
Take a look at the list below which outlines the embodied energy measured in per Kilowatts-hours per tonne that is required to manufacture common building products, from least efficient to most efficient.
- Plastics 2224
- Steel 834
- Paint 667
- Glass 528
- Insulation 528
- Timber (Pine) 144
- Cement 130
- Plasterboard 100
- Bricks 60
- Concrete 11
So as a general rule remember that natural building products require less energy to produced than man made products, and use recycled products where possible. The most energy intensive products to use in construction is concrete, and the most economical is timber, so we use plantation timber every chance we get.
A house can be planned to deliver comfortable conditions of temperature, air movement and radiated heat - in other words, the best possible indoor climate and still use energy efficient products
