Originally,
conservatories were thought likely to reduce household energy consumption. In
theory, this ‘buffer space’ should passively collect solar energy, pre-heating
the house and reducing the need for additional central heating.
However, this theory
relied on the conservatory being used during warmer months only, rather than
all year round as part of the main house. Year-round conservatory energy usage
and the installation of heating and now also cooling systems is increasing. The
irony is that such spaces lose heat at ten times the rate of conventional
insulated rooms, even when double-glazed. Thus conservatories substantially
increase energy usage by some households rather than delivering the 10%
reduction in overall household energy usage originally predicted.
The main areas for heat
loss are the roof and windows.
Conservatory
Roof
Most conservatories today
have double glazed glass or multiwall polycarbonate roofs. Some very old roofs
may be made of solid sheet or corrugated plastic. They will have very poor
insulation and should be replaced if you want to use the conservatory
throughout the year. If you want to compare the conservatory roof insulation
effectiveness of the varying materials the most useful measure to use is
U-values. The lower the U value the better the insulator e.g. 25mm
polycarbonate is more than twice as effective for insulation as 10mm polycarbonate.
Windows
Ensuring you have draught
free double glazed windows will help reduce heat loss in your conservatory.
Again you can fit solar control film as a way of reducing heat gain in the
summer. If you don’t want the expense of replacing your windows with double
glazed units there are secondary glazing solutions. The simplest solution is to
use glazing strips to fit clear plastic sheets over your window frame. These
can be then be removed in the warmer months if required. There are also
magnetic and sliding secondary glazing systems commercially available.
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