In the wake of ever-increasing energy costs, high fuel charges and extreme climatic conditions in Pakistan, the use of electrical appliances like air cooler, air conditioners and chillers is on the peak. As a result, people have to allocate a large part of their budgets on their utility bills. Thus, taking the situation into account, every high-profile construction company in Pakistan is more focused towards constructing energy-efficient houses.
According to a latest World Green Building Trends report from a well-known industry intelligence company McGraw Hill, 51% of world’s construction industry is expected to develop more than 60% of its property into eco-friendly houses by 2015.
The report further revealed that the trend of passive house construction is 31% in South Asia such as Pakistan, which is higher than the global average of 28%.
Constructing energy efficient houses is not only the need but also a great trend in Pakistan. Be it a construction or interior designing of a house, architects and interior designers keep the energy saving factor in view. The idea of energy-efficient construction is not just limited to houses; instead the commercial buildings and institutes are also constructed while taking this perspective into account. Commercial buildings are constructed with the height of around 12 to 15 feet, as this provides more space for ventilation and air frequent flow. Doing this, the temperature of a building can be reduced up to 10 degrees.
In Punjab region, you will notice the usage of Payaal in the construction work; it is used as the best substitute of sand bricks for providing more insulation. By using this unique construction material, you can keep your house cooler in summer season and warmer in the winters. A house constructed and designed exclusively with green features is estimated to reduce the utility bills expenses by up to 90% because their interior is relatively cooler than the external environment.
Usually, the houses with green features have high-quality insulation with double glazing on windows, perforation in the walls to ensure natural insulation and energy recovery ventilation systems to reduce the air leakages.
It has been proved from various property surveys that in the ongoing year 2014, there has been a tremendous surge in green construction across Pakistan. It has also been observed that constructors in Pakistan are replacing the heat generating metals like steel and panels with lightweight sheets of Aluminum and earth bricks. These materials are best at fighting against the heat and keeping a house cool. A renowned Pakistani construction company like Amer Adnan Associates utilizes sand bricks instead of typical mortar, during construction as this has proved to stop the emission of carbon dioxide to a large extent. Additionally, the clay paints are also being replaced with led paints which are harmful for the health of residents for producing poisonous fumes. In the similar way, there is also a visible shift from vinyl flooring to ceramic tiles because these remain much cooler even in the hot weather conditions.
Although, building passive houses is costlier than constructing conventional houses yet this is a long-term investment, since it cuts down your overheads, which you pay in the form of high utility bills. Another additional advantage which insulated house provides is that it has a high resale value compared to a house constructed in a conventional way.
If you are planning to construct a house with green features, make sure that the insulating material used in it, is of high-quality. The better option is to take an advice from a pro and search about different energy-efficient materials on internet.