Credit: Fast Company
It’s almost too good to be true: a group of innovators in
the Netherlands have created a device that could turn an old house into
net-zero energy homes in just a little over a week. How neat is that?
The device was invented to show that you don’t have to be
loaded or extremely environmentally conscious to be able to own a net-zero
energy home, and the point the project is meant to start will be the
mid-century, low-income rental houses that all share similar layouts. What the kit
includes is a system of prefab parts that can be easily installed on existing
properties, from a roof covered in solar panels to facades onto old walls
without the need of demolition, and a cube-shaped energy module that holds
everything necessary for the generation of sustainable heat, hot water, power
and ventilation.
The best thing of all? The kit is also designed to ensure
that the retrofits will cause the least disruption to the lives of the renters.
According to Linda
van Leeuwen of the BAM Group, one of the construction companies behind the
project, residents won’t have to move out; if anything, they’re only required
to move the sofa or television a bit for the removal of window frames to make
room for the installation of new front and back façade.
With the advancement in technology and increased support
from material suppliers, the cost of the project has dropped drastically from
USD144,000 two years ago to USD45,000 per townhouse today. Needless to say,
utility bills for the renters will drop just as exponentially, for now their
houses will be able to create renewable energy by themselves.
The system is said to work in many different world
countries, and we in Hong Kong can only hope the engineers could come and make
the net-zero energy houses a reality here!
No comments:
Post a Comment