Advice on building an eco-house?

I've come to the conclusion the most inportant thing you can do when building a home is insulate. Many if not all of the suppliers within the eco market tell you their product is great and will work, if you follow their insulation guide lines. Speak to an insulation supplier/manufacturer and target your home to achieve a very low U-Value ie 150mm cavity walls pumped with insulation beeds, warmroof, PK double glacing all the basic money saving stuff. Its not how you heat the home but making it easy to heat and keeping the heat in. This may not be PC to say but Don't be talked into fitting planet saving gadged, when their pay back period is reached they will be old technology, have cost a fortune in maintanance and they'll be at their replacement date. Everyone is caught up in saving the planet but every product has a carbon impact, for example the main stream shops are now selling wind turbines, theres a factory making them, a network of transportation involved in getting them to the store, the store needs to be open (lights on heating on.) all to save you 50p a month on electric and the planet i don't think so. A note for the eco warrior in us all I sound like my dad now (When I was young its not that long ago, shopping was done from 9am to 5.30pm today you can go to a supper market at 3am with all the lights on the heating blowing full blast and buy an energy saving bulb to save the planet, Thats one example and for what its worth I think individuals saving small amounts of energy is silly when thing like i've described go on. So i dont feel guilty that I'm not fitting solar panels a wind turbine and a pellet burner. I hope that helps answers your question although long winded its your money and theres lots of Eco product sales people out there who want to help you spend it to ';Help the Planet';Advice on building an eco-house?
I agree with the answerer above me. Insulation is one of the single best things you can do. Having a lot of trees near your home won't hurt, either, ESPECIALLY during the summer time.





When you install your windows and doors, make sure that you check the R-value and U-value. You can also check into Low-E glass, argon filled glass, or anything with the Energy Star stamp on it.





A fiberglass door for your front and back door would probably be best (Lowe's Home Improvement sells Therma-Tru doors, which are the best).





I would check into Pella or Anderson for your windows.





I hope that this helps.

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