OptimaHouse in Ukraine

OptimaHouse is a compact modern house composed of two floors with windows and ventilations placed strategically to ensure the maximum of comfort and health environment. Designed to accommodate a family of 3-4. The main idea of OptimaHouse is holistic approach and optimal solutions in comfort of living, energy efficiency, impact on the environment, terms of construction, economically reasonable cost

COMFORT

31,5 % of all windows to total building area provide necessary light, solar gains in cold period, allowing to achieve daylight factor 3-5% in living space.

Daylight factor was evaluated by Velux Daylight Visualizer

and confirmed by real measurements

OptimaHouse suggests occupants not less than +21 °C inside air temperature in cold period and not more than +24 °C in hot period by:

• + hybrid ventilation (natural cross-section ventilation with stack effect in autumn-spring season and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery 83% in heating and cooling period)
• + Air-air heat pump
• + zoned heating by “water floor” and electrical ceramic panels in living rooms

Hybrid ventilation ensures that CO2 concentration will be less 900 ppm inside. Air quality sensors in living rooms help to provide optimal air quality. They are:

• + measure inside temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration
• + give command to open/close roof windows
• + sent information to occupants
• + control speed of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery

 

ENERGY

OptimaHouse is supplied by renewable energy sources integrated in the building. It takes 65% less energy than traditional modern building in Ukraine.

OptimaHouse energy demand less 60 kWh/(m2 a) for all needs through:

• + Compactness. Outside construction area to heating volume is 0.83
• + Optimal orientation to the sun
• + Good level U-values of the envelope: outside walls 0.15 W/(m²K), roof 0.09 W/(m²K), floor slab 0.20 W/(m²K), roof windows 1.28 W/(m²K), façade windows 1.0 W/(m²K)
• + Outside sun protection in hot period
• + Air-Air heat pump reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling

45 % of energy OptimaHouse takes from renewable sources. 86% of hot water preparation and 10% of floor heating are satisfied by 24 vacuum solar tubes on the 50 degrees east slope and 20 vacuum solar tubes on the 30 degrees west slope. 44 solar vacuum tubes could produce 3825 kWh thermal energy for hot water preparation and 530 kWh for heating.

6 integrated roof panels 1135х340 mm with 14 series connected 156mm polycrystalline silicon cells each panel installed on south roof 45 degrees. 2.3 m3 of photovoltaic cells could produce 360 kWh electric energy per year.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Impact on the environment in OptimaHouse is minimized. CO2 emissions into the atmosphere are less than 7 kg/m2 per year or 1 ton per year. Fresh water consumption in OptimaHouse is reduced on 25 % in comparison with local legislation 53 liters hot water per person per day, 80 liters cold water per person per day.In OptimaHouse it’s less through water saving taps and inhabitants responsible water using. Impact on the environment in OptimaHouse is minimized. CO2 emissions into the atmosphere are less than 7 kg/m2 per year or 1 ton per year.

Fresh water consumption in OptimaHouse is reduced on 25 % in comparison with local legislation 50 liters hot water per person per day, 80 liters cold water per person per day. In OptimaHouse it’s less through water saving taps and inhabitants responsible water using. Taking into account prices for water, using gray water systems is possible, but not economically reasonable yet.

Recycled content for all building materials in OptimaHouse more than 30 %. Not less than 80% of wood applied in building from local forest certified by FSC. And more than 50% of our  producers have certification ISO 14001.

CONCLUSION

Two years of monitoring confirmed energy consumption less 8 000 kWh per year for all needs: heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water preparartion, electricity for appliances and lightening. It means that cost of living in OptimaHouse is 37 euro per month. The building cost was 1000 euro/m2 including all solutions for comfort, energy efficiency and environment, but without price for building plot and furniture. Active House Radar was a tool to find optimal solution and made right decisions.