If you choose to build your home with OkoHaus you will achieve the following benefits.  

Natural Timbers

Timber is natural,   renewable and environmentally friendly .OkoHaus uses natural timbers from sustainable sources which create a warm and healthy living environment  

Wood has the lowest energy consumption of all major building materials and is lowest on Co2  emissions.

EPBD  -  Directive on Energy Performance in Buildings 

The new European directive on energy performance of buildings( EPBD ) will impact greatly the housing market in the coming years, .From 2007 houses will require an energy performance label (like a washing machine or a fridge) and all owners will need a certificate detailing the energy performance of their home for prospective buyers

With OkoHaus your home will have a higher energy rating than with standard masonry construction and this will give a clear advantage for future sale of your property

Ireland imports the majority of its energy requirements ,and it is anticipated that energy costs are set to increase substantially. With ÖkoHaus you will significantly reduce the energy required to heat your home and safeguard against spiralling costs.

U-Values
 
U-Values are a rating of the energy performance of exterior walls, windows, doors etc. The current building regulations contain minimum values for these components. The lower the U-Values the better the energy efficient.

OkoHaus meet and in some cases are lower than the current building regulations.  We offer enhanced packages for doors, windows and insulation components which will further reduce the U-Value rating of your home.

Enhanced insulation packages

Our standard package includes an excellent standard of insulation , however should you wish to further enhance the  energy performance of your home we would highly recommend upgrading your insulation which though will involve a higher initial outlay , will save you much more in energy costs over the life time of your home.

We are happy to price further enhancements to our insulation packages ie use of  flax, sheep wool insulation etc which use much less energy in their production

Renewable Energy Partners

To further enhance the energy rating and performance of your house we work closely with number of partners offering renewable energy heating systems.

These include:       

Renewable energy grants

New grants for inclusion of new renewable energy options came into force from 27th March 2006 which offer excellent financial incentives of up to €6500 for use of renewable energy systems

Visit the Sustainable Energy of Ireland website for full information on how to apply - www.sei.ie

Renewable Energy Options

Option 1: Solar water heater for domestic hot water only.
Provide 60% of your annual hot water needs (baths, showers etc.) from free solar energy! A single evacuated tube solar panel of 3 sq. m. is sufficient for a family of four to six people. A condensing gas boiler is the main heat source and supplies the balance of DHW.  At ÖkoHaus we recommend Thermomaxo Evacuated Tube solar panels, which, apart from excellent performance, are the only Irish made solar panel on the market. Flat plate solar collectors are also available if preferred.

Option 2: A larger solar collector providing DHW and assisting with space heating.
In this instance both DHW and under floor heating are supplied from a large (1,000lt) highly insulated tank (Thermal Store). Heat from the solar collector is accumulated in the tank during daylight hours.  This heat is used to provide DHW via an external plate heat exchanger or delivered to the heating circuits as required. The balance of the heating load is supplied by a condensing gas boiler.

Option 3: A geothermal heat pump.
Using the same accumulator tank as in option 2 above, the solar collector and gas boiler are replaced by a geothermal heat pump.  The heat pump supplies both the space heating and DHW requirements. The heat source for the heat pump can be ground loops, ground water, dry bore holes etc., depending on the nature of the site.
The advantages of geothermal are low running costs and convenience (no fuel deliveries).  A low temperature heating system (e.g. under floor heating) is a must with geothermal. Our Heat Pumps and Thermal Store Accumulators come from IDM Energie Systeme in Austria.

Option 4: A geothermal heat pump + solar collector.
 This is the same as option 3 but with the addition of a solar collector. Up to 9 sq. m. of evacuated tube solar panel can be linked to the 1,000lt Thermal Store.  This has the effect of greatly reducing the running time of the heat pump thus reducing running costs.

Option 5: Pellet Boiler
Wood fuel is generally seen as the best option to replace dwindling fossil fuel resources. Pellet boilers are sophisticated wood-fuel devices which burn pellets manufactured from waste wood and sawdust. From the point of view of the user, they are as convenient to use as oil or gas with automatic ignition and shut-off, self-feed of pellets as required, self cleaning etc.  Pellets are delivered in bulk (minimum 3 tonnes) and blown into a custom built silo. We supply the latest in pellet boiler technology from HDG in Bavaria.

Option 6: Pellet Boiler + solar collector.
This is the ultimate `eco-friendly` solution - zero CO2 wood fuel combined with a solar collector. As with the other options, the addition of a large solar collector reduces the fuel burnt to a minimum.  Again a 1,000lt Thermal Store and 9 sq. m. evacuated tube solar collector is ideal for the average sized house.