Are there government subsidies for using alternative andrenewable energy sources? 

Yes, there are subsidies in proportion to the costs. 

What type of sources do you install? 

Essentially there are three: solar thermal panels,photovoltaic panels and geothermal systems. 

What’s the difference between thermal and photovoltaicpanels? 

They are both solar panels, but the thermal panels heat water for domestic use.

The PV panels use the sun togenerate electricity to use in the home. It isn’t possible tostore the energy, but you can sell the extra electricity thatyour panels generate to the national grid. 

And the geothermal system? 

That uses the heat of the earth, which at a depth of

approximately 6 metres has a constant temperature.  

Theheat is extracted from the ground by a heat pump.

Inwinter it can be used to help heat the house and in summerfor air-conditioning. 

It sounds good. Are there any disadvantages? 

Yes, the cost! It’s very high.

For this reason geothermalsystems aren’t very common. PV panels offer the bestvalue for money at the moment. 

Yes, a room for 3 nights...  OK, thank you. Goodbye.  

Are you going on holiday? No, unfortunately!

I’m going to a trade fair on sustainablebuilding. Really?

That’s interesting. 

Yes, there are eco-friendly building materials, energyefficient technologies, solutions to help save energy andwater and other ideas to minimise the environmentalimpact of building projects. 

What criteria do you use for building a ‘green’ house? 

In general, there are two fundamental questions: how to save energy before generating it and which eco-sustainablematerials to use. 

What types of materials are eco-sustainable? Well, there are natural insulation materials like wood fibre,rockwool, cork, hemp, linen or cellulose fibre instead ofpolystyrene or polyurethane. 

Aren’t they expensive? 

They cost a little more, but they also have advantages, like thermal phase-shift.

They are ductile and breathable, too.

The most natural material is wood fibre made fromdiscarded wood and pressed into panels with a minimum ofglue. 

Are there special materials for construction? 

Well, there’s natural stone and lean concrete in thefoundations, or clay, limestone, or solid wood for buildingwalls. 

Are there special products for interiors? 

Yes, there are materials like cork, natural fibres like sisal,coir, wool, parquet and wood boards for floors, which areall good insulators. Then the windows are made fromlocally sourced wood and are triple glazed.

Of course theglues and varnishes are solvent-free.