1. Jan-Feb 2011

SOLUTIONS
or flat terraces of a building on a layer of soil and fertilizers. While
a water tight roof is desired and some added cost is involved, it
is a new found way to giving back the otherwise vegetative land,
occupied by the building.
Achieving an airtight indoor environment with minimum heat
loss or heat gain to the outdoors through conduction, covection
or radiation is a priority. Proper insulation of the external walls &
roofs, use of gasket and sealants along window frames and floor
finished with soft materials are important ways to conserving
energy.
Summer Sun
Winter Sun
Control
Aperture
Distribution
Absorber
Thermal
Mass
3. Energy management
The main energy usage in a building is for heating / cooling,
lighting and ventilation. Activities like, cooking, washing &
ironing require steady flow of energy in the house. Entertainment
gadgets and electrical appliances consume some more.
The most popular energy source for household usage is
electricity and LP Gas. Besides, sun and wind also substitute
as alternative sources but in negligible amounts. Electricity
produced using water (hydro), wind and sun (solar) is considered
renewable while that produced from coal, natural gases, diesel
and even nuclear are considered non-renewable. Nuclear
power though does not contribute directly to Greenhouse Gas
emission, disposing off the harmful radioactive by-products is
a big problem. Hydro power produces electricity through the
force of moving water. The other is Tidal/ wave power at the sea,
which is recently being explored more seriously. While there are
some socio-ecological issues related to hydro power plants with
reservoir location, sedimentation, erosion and drying river beds, it
is still considered a greener option.
Air Extractor on roof to draw out warm air in
building - works on wind energy
In the context of Nepal,
the numerous rivers that
run across the country
carry huge potentials for
generating green electricity
to the extent of not only
fulfilling our local needs but
also exporting the surplus.
Though today’s reality of
hours of loadshedding does
not reflect it, the prospects are still enormous. At the minimum,
it could potentially replace all LP Gas widely used in our kitchens.
Yet the best form of renewable energy source available to
us is the sun. Basically, it comes in two forms; Solar Panel –
Photovoltaic (PV) Cell and Solar Heater. Solar Cells come in solar
modules, fabricated in different sizes to suit the purpose and
the requirement. Solar heater on the other hand is a system of
trapping heat from the sun onto a panel which is then transferred
through a piping San Francisco system Bus to Transit be used with for Konarka heating, Power mainly Plastic® water by Ryan and Hughe
rooms.With the advancement in the tecnology of PV cells, today it
has become possible to imagine a house with no connection with
the national/ regional grid.
When it comes to energy efficiency the key is reduce and recycle.
Reducing energy consumption at each household contributes to
a large amount of energy saving. Measures like using compact
fluorescent lamp (CFL), light-emitting-diode (LED) lamp in place
of incandescent lamps and energy efficient appliances not only
save on energy but also the incurring costs.
There is plenty of energy saved simply by minimizing the use
of artificial lighting during day-time through design as well as
developing habits to switch off lights and appliances afteruse
and during off periods.
4. Water Management
Freshwater used for residential, agricultural, industrial and
recreational purposes, is normally a renewable resource.
However, this natural supply source is unable to keep up with the
present excessive demand. And unfortunately, the abundance of
salinated water in the oceans cannot be a direct substitute. The
process of desalination, i.e. converting it into fresh water, which is
being tried, at best is cumbersome. While water rationing is being
adopted in many parts of the world, recycling water is being seen
as a promising method to overcoming the shortage.
Water harvesting is a process of recycling rain water. Collected
water in the roof is taken through a pipe/ filteration system into
a tank for storage and used for taking shower, dishwashing,
laundry and cooking. Collecting rainwater through this process
alone saves thousands of litres a year per household that is
otherwise extracted from ground/ rivers.
Besides, the wastewater that come out of the basin, shower and
WC are retreated to remove contaminants through a series of
physical, chemical, and biological processes, where the effluent
can re-enter the household water system. Advanced filtration
systems are available to even recycle wastewater that come out
of the toilets and make them drink worthy. While the difficulty
to get our heads around it is understandable, it is safely being
practiced in some parts of the world.
Ground water recharge is a natural process of deep percolation
of surface water through the top soil reaching the ground water.
Ground water which breaks into natural springs and wells has
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January-February 2011