Designing an energy-efficient multifamily housing plan could be challenging because of the several elements that you need to consider at the construction and planning stage. While the efforts that you need to put in might be high, the result could be overwhelming in the form of a significant reduction in energy bills, more comfort, and a healthy environment for those living in the property.
If you are willing to take the green initiative, read the blog post to learn more about the important elements of an energy-efficient house.
Wall and Roof Assemblies
A wooden frame is a tested construction material that lasts for long and is structurally sound. If you pay attention to details, house made of conventional wood-frame could be energy efficient.
Some of the energy efficient methods to construct the house include:
Optimum Value Engineering – Use wood only where it is necessary to reduce the expenditure and saves the space for insulation.
Structural Insulated Panels – Made of oriented-strand board (OSB) or plywood laminated on the foam board, these act as framing and insulation, which reduces the construction time.
Insulating Concrete Forms – The house has two layers of extruded foam board with one inside and one on the outside. The construction technique is fast, and there is a less chance of any error during the process. Buildings with insulating concrete forms are highly prone to hurricanes and tornadoes.
Insulation
The R-values of an energy efficient house are higher than most local of the building codes requirements. R-value is the material’s ability to resist heat transfer. A low R-value means the heat loss in the building would be fast. A well-designed house has insulation levels ranging from R-20 to R-30 in walls and R-50 to R-70 in ceilings. If you further apply fiberglass rolls, foam insulation, or wet-spray cellulose, it will fill the wall cavities. If appliances such as washers and hot water heaters are in the basement, insulate the walls and floor of the area so that these appliances help in maintaining the heat efficiency of the house.
This might interest you: Energy Efficiency Improvements for Affordable Housing
Windows
More than 25 percent of the heat loss takes place through windows, and even if you install modern windows, they insulate less than the walls of the house. If the house is in a heating-dominated climate, it should have less number of windows in the north, east, and west sides. Make sure that the total window area doesn’t exceed 8 to 9 percent of the floor area of the room. If the window is south-facing, ensure that there is a well-designed roof overhang to prevent excessive heating in summer. Awning and casement style windows are ideal as they close tighter than the sliding windows.
Last Few Words
The ideal way to go about building an energy efficient multifamily unit is by contacting an experienced multifamily unit design and construction company. There are many more elements that play a pivotal role in energy efficient construction, and a professional company would probably include most of the elements in their work.
Multifamily Building Renovations 