Energy efficiency in industrialised concrete homes
At Unique Houses we prepare homes for the future: energy efficiency is an economic necessity and also a way of being in the world. That is why we have built it into the whole process, from design to construction, with the priority that each home’s energy use be as low as possible.
What we study in each home
Our efficiency department studies, throughout the process, the orientation of the house, reinforced insulation, forced ventilation and the use of aerothermal heating.
Insulation: the most effective measure
At La Casa Negra the whole building —floors, roof and walls— has a double layer of insulation: insulation and plasterboard layers are added to the concrete wall, and floors and ceilings are insulated too. Insulation blocks both heat and cold and is the most effective energy efficiency measure. In another home in the Sierra de Madrid the client wanted to open the house to the landscape while bringing its efficiency close to class A: this was achieved with triple-glazed windows with argon gas, concrete walls with double insulation, forced ventilation and underfloor heating and cooling with aerothermal heating.
Heating and cooling: underfloor system with aerothermal heating
Underfloor heating and cooling combined with aerothermal heating and solar panels is our usual choice in all homes, even in renovations. It is comfortable, efficient and uses solar energy to reduce consumption.
Windows
Window frames and glazing are chosen to block sun and heat without giving up the views and with good insulation, keeping energy efficiency in mind even when the budget has to be adjusted.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a Unique Houses home efficient?
A combination of orientation, reinforced insulation, forced ventilation, aerothermal heating, underfloor heating and cooling and, usually, solar panels, studied from the design stage and carried out on site.
What is underfloor heating with aerothermal heating?
It is a heating and cooling system through the floor powered by an air-to-water heat pump (aerothermal). It is our usual choice: it gives comfort and very low energy use, and is combined with solar panels.
Why is insulation so important?
Because it blocks heat and cold and reduces consumption: it is the most effective energy efficiency measure. At La Casa Negra floors, roof and walls have a double layer of insulation.
What energy rating do your homes have?
We do not publish a single rating because it depends on each home. For a house in the Sierra de Madrid the aim was to get close to class A with triple-glazed argon windows, double insulation in the walls and aerothermal heating.
What is forced ventilation for?
It renews the air in the house in a controlled way while the house stays closed and well insulated, so the temperature remains stable. We include it in our homes together with reinforced insulation.
Where can I see how it is done on a real site?
In the La Casa Negra construction diary (in Spanish): its entries on insulation and roof, installations, underfloor heating and windows show each phase.