Why do Goodhouse Architects optimise the energy rating of their homes before installing solar power?

Goodhouse is a sustainable and energy-efficient housing solution, which is designed to work seamlessly with a solar system. The building envelope is made up of highly sealed and insulated walls, ceilings, and floors. This means that active heating and cooling is minimal, and any energy required is produced through the solar system. The oversized timber frame walls and double-glazed windows, along with the tight seal of the building envelope, ensure that the house requires very little energy to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Goodhouse works with clients to determine their energy needs and how reliant they want to be on the grid. The team believes that having motivated, knowledgeable, and ethical people on the team is crucial. The use of the solar Pathfinder helps to determine the best location for solar panels. The market for solar systems is constantly changing, and it's important to have an expert on the team to ensure that the best possible solution is provided to clients.

Goodhouse works very well in hand-in-hand with a reasonable size solar system, doesn't have to be an enormous solar system. And the reason for that is because Goodhouse focuses on the building envelope of a house. So the walls, ceiling, and floor, are all highly sealed and highly insulated, such that any imported, active, heating and cooling that's required in the house, is really minimal. So in a winter condition when the sun pours into the slab, and we've got underfloor heating on, which is a very efficient way of heating and cooling a house, that heat stays inside. So any active heating is actually minimal. So we've got oversized timber frame walls, with about four inch insulation in there, double-glazed windows. The seal of our building envelopes are extremely tight, so we're sitting under five air changes per hour. And all of those things work together, to mean that we don't require an enormous amounts of heating and cooling, which is the main energy consumer of a domestic house.

After we have worked out the brief with our clients, they give us an indication of how reliant they want to be on the grid or not, to work out the best possible solution for each individual size. With anything in the building industry, what you want or the people that you want on your team, are people who are motivated. They know their stuff, and they're ethical. We want the trade to answer the phone, answer our questions and get on well with clients. And using the solar Pathfinder, obviously works out the best spot for the panels, and works directly with the clients, with us in the loop, but works directly with the clients to develop the best solution for their property. We have done a lot of research on different brands et cetera, but it's such a changing market. What we've found in this area, is that it's really important to have an expert on the team.