Which factors affect the energy efficiency of a new building?

Energy efficiency is an important matter that must be taken into account from the beginning of a construction project. A key factor in terms of energy efficiency hinges on airtightness. A properly designed and built log house is extremely well sealed.

We interviewed Jukka Rintamäki, our Product Development Manager, concerning the construction of an energy-efficient log house. In this blog, our expert describes the factors that contribute to the energy-efficiency of a house.

What makes a new house energy-efficient?

The energy efficiency of a building is affected by a number of factors, ranging from the use of energy-efficient domestic appliances to the selection of heating method. Of course, with regard to energy-efficient houses, overall energy consumption must be low – and this can be achieved by means such as the following:

• Design of premises:

Design the building for your specific needs, avoiding any excess square metres and cubic metres to heat.

• Structures:

The structures should be well insulated.

• Windows and doors:

Select well-insulating windows and exterior doors.

• Insulation:

Build the exterior wall of the house as airtight as possible by using high-quality sealing materials and performing the work carefully.

• Ventilation unit:

Select a ventilation unit that has a good annual heat recovery capacity, meaning that the unit can effectively recover heat from the exhaust air and use it to heat the supply air.

• Selection of heating energy:

Select a form of heating energy that is inexpensive and based on renewable energy, such as geothermal heat, a water-air-heat pump or an exhaust air heat pump.

• Solar panels:

Use solar panels to create your own electricity.

• Interior structures:

Use plenty of heavy mass in interior structures, such as intermediate walls made of logs. They can absorb thermal energy created by the sun (thermal mass), which is particularly important during times of the year when the sun is low.

• Home appliances:

Select energy-efficient household appliances.

• Lighting:

Select energy-efficient LED lamps for lighting.

A log house is naturally energy-efficient and airtight

It is sometimes claimed that log houses are draughty. A Honka home is also an ecologically sustainable choice due to its high energy efficiency; solid-wood logs even out temperature variations, which saves energy throughout the building’s life cycle. When a log is said to breathe, this does not mean that air flows between the logs – on the contrary. The more airtight a log house is, the more energy-efficient it is.

Honkarakenne has been cooperating with various research institutes for decades in exploring matters such as energy efficiency. With the modern solutions we have developed, we have significantly improved the energy efficiency of log houses.

In independent tests, Honkarakenne’s homes built with non-settling logs have proven to be highly airtight and energy-efficient.

Jukka Rintamäki

Here are a few of the solutions we have patented: