HOW TO BUILD AN

ENERGY EFFICIENT
HOUSE?
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RURAL MASTERS
 HOW TO BUILD AN ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSE?
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RURAL MASTERS

2
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION.................................................. 5
ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSE?............................... 6
GENERAL PRINCIPLES......................................... 7

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

COLLECTION OF SOLAR RADIATIONS................. 8
HOW TO DEFINE THE SOUTH?........................... 12
COMPACTNESS….……………................................. 14
ROOM LAYOUT................................................... 15
DIRECT GAIN....................................................... 16
INDIRECT GAIN…………........................................ 18
SUN OBSTRUCTION............................................ 19
PROTECTION AGAINST THE SUN………................ 20
VENTILATION...................................................... 21
MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION........................... 22

INSULATION
WHY IS INSULATION NEEDED?........................... 26
WHAT TO INSULATE FIRST………………................. 29
PARTIAL INSULATION…….................................... 30
WALL INSULATION………….................................. 32
CEILING INSULATION…………………....................... 40
FLOOR INSULATION............................................ 46
AIR INFILTRATIONS…………… .............................. 52
INSULATION OF DOORS AND WINDOWS........... 53
INSULATION MATERIALS…………………………………... 55
MODELS AND OPTIONS
3-ROOM MODEL WITH INDIRECT GAIN............. 56
2-ROOM MODEL WITH INDIRECT GAIN............. 60
MODEL WITH DIRECT GAIN…………….................. 64

3
4
 INTRODUCTION

This practical guide has been conceived in the frame of the « Pilot Initiatives
for Green Homes in Tajikistan » implemented by GERES in partnership with
the Scientific Research Institute of the Committee for Construction and Archi-
tecture of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Its purpose is to give generic The techniques and solutions

guidelines to design and build proposed in this guide aim at
energy-efficient individual improving the energy perfor-
houses in rural areas of Tajikistan mance and the thermal comfort
(except high mountain areas). of the house in winter and sum-
The solutions and models propo- mer, while ensuring the sustaina-
sed in this manual are the results bility of the building and cons-
of the work of an international truction costs as low as possible.
team composed of architects,
civil engineers, energy specia- Every house has specific needs
lists, local masters and which may require other tech-
craftsmen. They are mainly ba- niques and solutions, therefore
sed on the collaboration with advice and supervision from an
local communities of the districts engineer, an architect of an ex-
of Rudaki and Hissar, in the Re- perienced mason is highly re-
gion of Republican Subordination commended to ensure the buil-
of the Republic of Tajikistan. ding’s performance and integrity.

Are you planning to build a house?

Call the Energy Information Centre| 98 700 52 52
Specialized experts can provide free consultancy to help you to design and
build an Energy Efficient House:
– Advice for the selection of efficient materials
– Support to draw plans
– Estimation of the construction costs and bill of quantities
– Trainings on Energy Efficient Construction Techniques
– Information on Energy Efficient Solutions

5
 ENERGY EFFICENT HOUSE?

The solutions and techniques introduced in this guide have been

developped according to the following criteria:

Low Energy Consumption

(through passive solar techniques and insulation)

Thermal comfort
(through the selection of efficient insulation materials)

Fire Safety & Seismic resistance

(through the use of safe materials and solid structures)

Inside Luminosity & Practicality

(through efficient organization of the rooms)

Inside Air Quality

(through natural ventilation systems)

Cost Efficiency
(the best solutions according to budget availability)

All recommendations in this guide are based on current building

regulations of the Republic of Tajikistan - MҚS ҶT 23.02-2009
"Thermal protection of buildings" MҚS ҶT 23-01-2007 "Building
Climatology" MҚS ҶT 22-07-2007 "Earthquake-proof construc-
tion. Design standards "MҚS ҶT 50-01-2007" Foundations of buil-
dings and structures. Design Standards ".

6
 GENERAL PRINCIPLES

A good South orientation, with an angle of around 20°

South-East or South-West offers natural sunlight and
heat gains inside the house during winter.
Orientation

The roof shape is designed with an extension that aims

to maximize the heat gains in winter and reduce the
risk of overheating in summer.
Roof overhang
The living and bedrooms are surrounded if possible by
buffer zones provided by the bathroom and the kitchen
on the northern side and by the veranda on the sou-
thern side. This increases the compactness of the buil- Buffer zones and compacity
ding and its capacity to keep heat.

A minimum of 4cm of external insulation on the walls,

the ceilings and double-glazed windows is essential to
limit heat losses and provide thermal comfort inside
the house during winter. Insulation

Airtight double-glazed windows and efficient doors

limit cold air infiltrations in winter and keep the house
warm.
Doors and windows

The windows are positioned in a way that permits cross

ventilation. The objective is to increase thermal com-
fort in the summer and limit the risk of moistures.
Cross ventilation

Reinforcement of strategic junctions for the house:

foundations, walls/ceilings, ceilings, windows, increases
the seism resistance of the building.
Anti-seismic measures

7
 COLLECTION OF SOLAR RADIATIONS

Solar radiations can be to collect, accumulate

converted into useful and distribute thermal
energy and used to heat energy.
the house.
Passive solar heating The first part of the
methods can be easily guide will provide basic
applied to new buildings methods to optimize the
by using windows, ve- collection of passive so-
randas, walls and floors lar energy.

Elements to
be considered
include: pla- 4
cement and 1
size of the
windows,
glazing type,
thermal insu-
lation, ther-
mal mass and
shading SOUTH

2 3

1. Collection of a maximum amount of solar radiations during

the day
2. Storage of the heat in the walls and the floor
3. The heat is released inside the rooms during the evening and
at night
4. Insulation of walls, ceiling and windows to reduce heat losses

8 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 ВВЕДЕНИЕ

Depending on the season and orientation of the

house, the amount of solar radiations received by
each surface of the house varies.

47%

19%

During the
SOUTH 18% summer, the
sun is higher
16% in the sky...

26%

13%

... and in
winter it is
13% lower

SOUTH 48%

Therefore, the orientation of the building is very im-

portant to optimize the collection of solar energy

9
 South orien-
To maximize the use of solar energy for space heating, large
tation can be
determined
windows must face the south. If the windows are installed on
with a com- the north, the house does not reap the benefits from the sun.
pass or in Windows installed on the eastern or western side result in limi-
relation to ted benefits from the sun and overheating in the summer.
the sun.

Facade with main

windows to the south

Back facade facing the

north

Facade with main

windows to the north

Facade with windows

to the west

Facade with windows to the east

10 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

Sometimes the building plot does not allow to build with an
exact southern orientation. In such cases, it is possible to deviate
the orientation of the house south-west or south-east.

20° South-West North

East
West

South

20° South-East

The maximum angle of deviation from the south to south-west or

south-east must be 20°.

11
 HOW TO DEFINE THE SOUTH?

1st method—by using a compass

1. Ring; 2 1

2. Baseplate

3. Needle

4. Orienting lines,

5. Red arrow;
5 4 3

Align the "South" of

the ring with the red
arrow

Place the compass on a

flat surface, wait until
the needle stops ;

Rotate the baseplate of the

compass to align the
"North" of the ring with the
of the red arrow. The red
arrow will then indicate the
southern direction.

During its utilization the compass should be as far as possible

from magnets and metal objects

12 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

2nd Method— with the help of the sun

At Dushanbe time, the sun is at its

highest during the following hours:
– In February at 12:40
– In October at 12:10
– For other months it is between
the two times

At its highest, the sun indicates

south, during which the shadows of
objects are the shortest.

As illustrated, the tip of the shadow

will point north, signifying that the
south is on the opposite side.

When compared, the shadow of the

stick and the red arrow on the com-
pass align.

13
 COMPTACTNESS

When designing a house, one should consider the option of posi-

tioning the rooms adjacent to each other.

Separate
location of
individual
buildings
on a plot

Utility rooms Living rooms

Compact
arrange-
ment of
residential
and ancilla-
ry facilities

Utility rooms Living rooms

Combining spaces which generate heat will reduce fuel con-

sumption; for example, the bathroom and the kitchen can be
attached to the living spaces.

14 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 ROOM LAYOUT

A proper arrangement of rooms ensures the supply of solar heat

in the winter to areas where it is most needed. The vestibule in
turn prevents the inflow of cold air when the door is open.

Bathroom Kitchen Storage

Living rooms

Living rooms

South

Storage Kitchen
Vestibule—Buffer zone

The living rooms are positioned on the south and the utility
rooms (kitchen, bathroom and others) on the north.

15
 DIRECT GAIN

There are two principal ways of acquiring solar energy: through

direct and indirect gain.
In the case of the direct gain, the room is heated by the sunrays
radiating directly inside through the south-facing windows. A
portion of the heat is used immediately, while the other is accu-
mulated inside the walls, floor, ceiling, furniture and is released
at night.

The floor plays

the role a an ac-
cumulator, as the
solar radiations
directly falls on it.
However the rug
that is tradition-
nally used in
houses reduces its
capacity of
storage.
Additionally, to
limit the heat from
escaping through
the windows, it is
recommended to
use curtains.
Solar Radiation Accumulation of heatduring the day

Direct heat Heat release during the night

In order to
accumulate
Advantages and drawbacks of the direct gain
more heat,
Advantages drawbacks
the walls
and floor Affordable Delayed heating if oriented
should be SW
massive Aesthetic
In the absence of thermal
Rapid heating if SE oriented
mass, it is cold at night
Applies to houses oriented SE
It is cold on cloudy days
- 20° to SW - 20°

16 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 The area of the window plays a major role in direct hea-
For rooms that are
ting. To optimise direct solar heat, the south-oriented used only during the
window glass must be of a certain area in relation to the day (such as
classrooms), this
floor area. For living areas, this ratio ranges from 0.12 to ratio ranges from
0.17* (optimum 0.15). The glass area, on average, should 0.17 to 0.22
(optimum 0.19)
make up 60% of the total area of the window.

Example:

Let us calculate
the required win-
dow area Sок for
the solar heating
? of the room with
dimensions of
? 4м х 5м.
Sок =
0,15*4*5/60%
=5м²
.
5м

we can thus install

two windows,
each with the size
4 м.
of 1,5x1,67m

Table 1. Area and window sizes for different rooms

Dimensions
Dimensions Dimensions of Dimensions Number of win-
Number of windows of the win-
of the room the window of the room dows
dow

(3х3,5) 1,5х1,7 (1pcs) (3,5х4)

2,62м² 3,5м² 1,5х1,15 (2pcs)
10,5м² или 1,5х 0,9 (2pcs) 14м²

1,5х2 (1pcs) (3,5х5)

(3х4) 12м² 3м² 4,37м² 1,5х1,5 (2pcs)
или 1,5х1 (2pcs) 17,5 м²

(3х5) 15м² 3,75м² 1,5х1,25 (2pcs) (4х5) 20м² 5м² 1,5х1,7 (2 pcs)

(3х6) 18м² 4,5м² 1,5х1,5 (2pcs) (4х6) 24м² 6м² 1,5х2 (2pcs)

17
 INDRECT GAIN

Indirect gain occurs when there is a veranda on the southern

side of the house. The sunrays heat the veranda as they enter it.
When the temperature of the air in the veranda is warm enough,
opening the windows allows for the warm air to circulate into
the adjacent rooms. If the veranda is made of polyethylene film,
a part of the solar energy enters directly into the room and heats
it. If the veranda has a roof, then rooms gain only from indirect
heat.

Solar radiation

Heat due to the convection

Veranda Heat due to radiations

Example of a solar veranda

The solar
The cost of solar veranda
veranda buildings requires
range from 100 to ventilation
to avoid
150 somoni per
moisture.
1м2 .

18 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 SUN OBSTRUCTION

In winter, the sunrays should reach the rooms. However, the

neighbouring houses, large trees, fences and other barriers may
obstruct the sunlight. This can be avoided through the evaluation
of potential shadows created by nearby objects. The results from
calculations are shown in the table below.

A distance of 6m at least is
necessary for a 1 storey buil-
ding

There is no benefit
from the Sun

Table 2: Required distance between the house and bar-

Height of the obstacle

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
(m)

Minimum distance from

2,2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
the obstacle

The calculations above are for the month of December, when the
sun is low in the sky (at 28°) and the shadow of the objects are
the longest.

19
 PROTECTION AGAINST THE SUN
PROTECTION AGAINST

To prevent the sun from overheating the premises, horizontal

protections or overhangs must be installed. The length of the
overhang depends on the angle of the sunrays, which in turn,
varies according to the time of the year.

63о — Angle
of the rays
falling on a
horizontal
surface in
April.
Н— Height
from the
bottom of
the window
to the
bottom of
the cornice
L—Length of
the overhang

The table shows the calculations of length L of the roof over-

hang at different heights H:
H, м 1,7 1,8 1,9 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3

L, м 0,8 0,85 0,89 0,94 0,99 1,04 1,08

Sunray angles are the same between April and August. There-
fore, the rays begin entering the room towards the end of Au-
gust.
If there is a grape trellis near the facade of the building, the roof
overhang is not necessary, because in summer the leaves will
prevent the sun rays from entering the rooms.

20 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 VENTILATION

Inhabitants of the house produce heat, humidity and carbon

dioxide. Humidity can also come from the kettle on the stove. It
is therefore necessary to remove these excesses and ventilation
is the best way to do it.

Supply air flow through Upward flow of air

the main doors and through the northern To create
windows small windows cross-
ventilation,
southern
and nor-
thern win-
dows must
be open at
the same
time.

WINTER: SUMMER:

Opening the doors and windows

on both sides of the house will
Open the windows on the sou-
enhance a natural cross-
thern side AND on the northern
ventilation and prevent over-
side for at least 5 minutes every
heating. If you let them open
morning.
during the whole night it will cool
down the rooms.

21
 MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION

If you prefer Indirect gain:

having a  The veranda is oriented towards the south
veranda you  The windows of the living rooms are also oriented south for
have two natural lighting and for the acquisition of heat from the ve-
options randa during the day.
 Small windows on the north side for cross ventilation.

South
Direct Gain
 The veranda is oriented towards the north
 The windows are positioned on the southern side for the ac-
quisition of natural light and direct heat from the sunlight.
The sizes of the windows should correspond to calculations
provided on P. 17.
 In this case, opening the doors for cross ventilation is suffi-
cient. It is unnecessary to have windows on the northern side.

22 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

Combination of direct and indirect gain If you prefer
 The vestibule is oriented towards the south not having a
 The corridor is near the vestibule to acquire heat in the day veranda, you
 The windows are positioned on the southern side to get the- have 2 op-
natural light and direct heat from the sun. The window size tions.
must correspond to calculations provided P. 17.
 Small windows on the north side for cross ventilation.

South
Direct gain:
 The windows are positioned on the southern side for natural
light and direct heat from the sun. The size of the windows
must correspond to calculations provided on P. 17.

23
 The size and position of windows:

Windows play the following essential roles in your home:

 They ensure solar radiation for heating

 They bring natural light into the rooms

 They allow a good air ventilation

 They can increase the heat losses in the building (as

needed for the summer)

It is recommended that you follow these rules:

 Never place the large windows on the northern facade

 Try to put medium-sized (for indirect heating) or large

windows (direct heating) on the southern facade

 Always place windows or at least openings (such as

doors) on opposite sides of the house (north and south)

 The living room should be aligned along the east-west

axis with medium / large windows on the southern side.

24 PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

 EXAMPLE

An example of efficient design

Evening Morning

Midday

Buffer Zone
1 Veranda and shed
Living rooms oriented towards 2 Winter room
the souht 3 Bedroom
4 Guest room
External Insulation
5 Bathroom
6 Corridor
South orientation 7 Kitchen
8 Storage
Cross-ventilation

25
 WHY IS INSULATION NEEDED?

In theory, an average of 3240 kg of coal are needed to heat fully

a non-insulated 3-bedroom house for one winter. For an insu-
lated house it is only 1160 kg. Consequently, 2080 kg of coal can
be saved per season. The repartition of heat losses through the
envelope of a non-insulated house are illustrated below.

Repartition of heat Roof = 24% Doors/

loss Windows
= 7%

Walls = 45%

Infiltration/ Ventilation = Floor = 4%

20%

Although the majority of the heat escapes through the

roof and walls, in order to achieve thermal comfort, it
is necessary to also insulate windows and doors.

26 INSULATION
 In a non-insulated house, the temperature of the inner surface of
the outer layers is lower. In this case, even if the inside tempera-
ture of the air may equal 18 °C, the state of comfort of a human
is lower than at the same temperature in an insulated house.

Temperature of the inner surface of the outer wall:

Tempera-
ture of the
inner surface
Non insulated wall

OUTISIDE
INSIDE

Insulated wall

In an insulated house, the temperature of the surface

of the wall rises by 4 °C, thus increasing the personnal
comfort.

27
 Double-glazed windows are more costl than single-glazed win-
dows, however the thermal resistance of double-glazed windows
is significantly higher and they overall provide much better com-
fort.

Temperature of the inner surface of the window

+18оС +18оС

-2оС +7оС

-10,8оС -10,8оС

Single windows Double-Glazed window

When using double-glazed windows, the temperature

of the surface of the inner glass rises by 9°C

28 INSULATION
 WHICH PART TO INSULATE FIRST?

Insulating the entire house is not always easy. In such cases, it is

important to select a part of the house which needs to be insu-
lated first. According to the diagram on P. 26, almost half of the
heat escapes through the walls. Therefore, by insulating the out-
side walls, you can conserve the majority of the heat. However,
the cost for insulating walls is very high and takes much longer to
pay off.

Table 3: Payback period for insulation measures (when one cor-

ner room with kitchen and bathroom are heated)

Payback period (years)

Material used for insu-

Cost of insulation , TJS

Coal Saving, kg
Area, m²
lation

Part of the building to be

insulated

Mineral
Outer Walls 50.1 4208.4 380 24.6
Wool

Ceiling Reeds 32.1 385.2 305 2.8

Double
Doors and windows gllazed & 5.4 720 155 10.3
rubber

Outer Wall
55.5 4928.4 535 20.5
+ Doors and Windows

Ceiling 4.9
37.5 1105.2 501
+ Doors and Windows

As seen above, insulating the ceiling, requires mini-

mal expenses and conserves a high amount of heat.
You can achieve particularly good results if you com-
bine this with insulated double-glazed windows.

29
 PARTIAL INSULATION

Insulation

Insulated rooms

Buffer Zones

Insulation
*The cost of
Coal
insulation Saving Payback
Options for insulation 2
includes Total Cost Cost for 1м
per perido
insulation of (TJS) of floor (TJS)
season (years)
the walls, of (kg)
the roof,
doors and
1.Middle Room, 17.5 м2 1839.6 105 344 8
double-
glazed win-
dows.
2. One corner room with 5640
176 836 11
buffer zones, 32,1 м2

30 INSULATION
 3 3

Insulation

Insulated rooms

Buffer Zones

4 4 4

Insulation
*The cost of
Coal
Saving Payback insulation
Options for insulation
Total Cost Cost for 1м2 includes insu-
per perido
(TJS) of floor (TJS) lation of the
season (years)
(kg) walls, of the
roof, doors
3. Two rooms with and double-
7320 148 1023 10
buffer zones, 49,6 м2 glazed win-
dows.

4. Full House, 67,1м2 14149 211 2137 13

31
 WALL INSULATION

Required thick-
ness of the insula-
tion, if the brick
wall is 38cm thick: 1

Polystyrene – 3см 5

Mineral wool—4 см

1. Brick outer wall

2. Cement-sand plaster
3. Insulation blocks made of mineral wool
4. Fiberglass net on glue
5. Outer decoration layer
Reeds – 8см 6. Plastic dowels

The proposed insulation materials for outer walls have been

selected for there affordabilty and according to various market
prices.

32 INSULATION
 Step 1.
Flatten the
surface of
the wall by
applying a
plaster on it

Step 2.
Prepare the
adhesive
solution.
(Ceresit CT
180” or СТС
–190)

Step 3.
Cut the mini-
ral wool
plate in ac-
cordance
with the
preleminary
measures of
the wall

Be careful! The installation of mineral wool plates must be

executed in accordance with specific installation techniques.

33
 Step 4.
Apply the
adhesive
solution with
a notched
spatula on
the mineral
wool

Step 5.
Install the
mineral wool
on the wall

Step 6.
Install the
plastic
dowels on
the mineral
wool to fix
the plates to
the wall

Mineral wool is heavy: the adhesive solutions must be applied

entirely. Five to seven plastic dowels per square meter of mine-
ral wool must be used.

34 INSULATION
 Step 7.
Glue a 20cm
wide net on
the corners

Step 8.
Apply the
glue on the
plastic
angles

Step 9.
Glue a 20 cm
wide net on
the plastic
angles

To glue the net to the plastic angles you can use the glues
"Master" or "Moment".

35
 Step 10.
Apply the
adhesive
solution on
the windows
and doors
slopes.

Step 11.
Glue the
plastic angle
with the net
on the cor-
ners bet-
ween the
frame and
the wall;

Step 12.
Reinforce
the upper
corners with
a piece of
net.

One package of net is enough for 70 m² of wall surface.

For 1 m², 3kg of adhesive solution is needed.

36 INSULATION
 Step 13.
Cut the net
according to
the dimen-
sions of the
wall

Step 14.
Apply the
glue on the
mineral wool
and put the
net on the
glue. When
putting the
nets, two
nets must
overlap by
10 cm.

Step 15.
Apply the
last decora-
tion layer.

When you glue the net the joint between two nets must
overlap by 10cm.

37
 RECOMMENDATIONS

Before
gluing the
mineral
wool, the
surface of
the wall
must be free
of any dust
or other dirts

Insulation on
windows
and doors
slopes must
twice
thinner.

To prevent
any problem
in the finis-
hing, plastic
dowels must
be well
pushed in-
side the in-
sulation ma-
terial.

When installing the insulation plates, pay attention to their

verticality and horizontality using a water level.

38 INSULATION
 If necessary
the gaps
between
the plates
must be
filled with
leftover
mineral
wool.

If there is
no plinth at
the base of
the wall, a
guiding
profile
must be
installed
under the
mineral
wool.

To avoid
thermal
bridges,
insulation
of the wall
must ex-
ceed insula-
tion of the
ceiling.

There must be no gap at the junctions between the mineral

wool plates.

39
 CEILING INSULATION

Required thick- Ceilings of houses can be insulated in two ways:

ness of the local  Above the ceiling, in the attic
thermal insulating  Under the ceiling, between the beams
materials:

Insulation of the ceiling from the top using

local materials
5
4

Straw -12см 3
2

1 – Wooden beams; 2 – Ceiling board; 3 – Vapor barrier; 4

Reeds -15см
– Reeds for insulation 5 – Straw and clay layer

Clay plaster

Waterproofing

Sawdust -12см Insulation

Vapor barrier

Local materials must be treated with a fire retardant and anti-

septic. Lime powder can be used as an antiseptic.

40 INSULATION
 Step 1.
Dry and
clean the
reeds and tie
them into
bundles

Step 2.
Mix the fire
retardant
powder with
water within
the right
proportion
and fill a
sprayer with
it.

Step 3.
Spray the
solution on
the reeds.

The proportions for the flame retardant must be the following:

2 tablespoons for 1 liter of water

41
 Step 4.
Install the
vapor bar-
rier on the
ceiling
boards.
Layer the
reeds and
apply the
antiseptic
(lime
powder)
;

Step 5.
Layer the
5cm thick
clay plaster
on the reeds

For 1m² of surface, 500g of lime powder must be used.

42 INSULATION
 Insulation of the ceiling
from the bottom between the beams
1 1. Clay and
2 straw layer;
3 2. Water-
proofing
4 layer;
5 3. Ceiling
board;
6 4. 3-layer
7 insulation;
5. Vapor
8 barrier;
6. Wooden
beams;
7. Profiles
8. Ceiling
cover
Insulation options and
required thickness

Mineral Wool—7см

Straw – 12 см Polyurethane foams – 5 см

When using polyurethane foam or straw as insulation, vapor

barrier and waterproofing layers are not necessary.

43
 STEP-BY-STEP INSULATION

Step 1.
Measure the
distance be-
tween the
beams;

Step 2.
Install the
vapor
barrier;

Step 3.
Cut the
required size
of mineral
wool;

There must be no gap between the elements of construction

and insulation.

44 INSULATION
 Step 4.
Install the
insulation
between the
beams and
fix it tempo-
rarily;

Step 5.
Install the
vapor barrier

Шаг 6.
Assemble
the ceiling
along the
guiding pro-
file to fix all
the layers

When selecting insulation materials, attention should be paid

to the density, fire resistance and environmental caracteristics.

45
 INSULATION OF THE FLOOR

Two types of floor can be used for the construction of an

energy efficient house:
 Floors directly on the ground
 Floors on beams

1. Laminate Floor di-

or linoleum 1 2 3 4 5 6
2. Insulation rectly on
layer made of the
clay ground
3. Waterproo-
fing layer
4. Levelling
layer of sand
5. Filling
made of sand
and clay
6. Compacted
soil base

Options for insulation

Polystyrene

Clay with straw Expanded clay

Floors that are directly on the ground do not require massive

insulation but need a good waterproofing.

46 INSULATION
 Step 1.
Tamp the
foundation
soil under
the floor

Step 2.
Fill the
trench with
a mixture of
gravel and
clay

Step 3.
Add a level-
ling layer of
fine sand

The fine sand must be dry before being laid

47
 Step 4.
Install the
waterproo-
fing layer of
polyethylene
film;

Step 5.
Layer the 5
cm thick
straw and
clay plaster;

Step 6.
Install the
flooring la-
minate or
the linoleum

It is recommended to apply a layer of gauze when layering the

clay to prevent the appearance of cracks once it dries out.

48 INSULATION
 Floor on
beams
1

6
7
8
9

1. Floor; 2. Vapor barrier; 3. Insulation block; 4. Waterproofing

layer; 5. Wooden beams; 6. Rough floor; 7. Wooden floor racks;
8. Concrete or bricks; 9. Compacted soil ground

Insulation
options

Insulation with straw Insulation with mineral wool

Insulation between beams is done when there is a raised floor

and when there is a ground floor

49
 Step 1.
Tamp the
foundation
soil under
the floor

Step 2.
Build con-
crete or brick
columns;

Step 3.
Place a wa-
terproofing
layer over
the columns
and install
the wooden
beams;

When applying hydrophobic materials, waterproofing and va-

por barrier layers are required.

50 INSULATION
 Step 4.
Arrange the
wooden
floor racks
between the
beams

Step 5.
Install the
waterproo-
fing layer
and then the
insulation
boards

Step 6.
Lay out the
vapor barrier
and apply
floor boar-
ding.

Insulation between the beams should be stacked without gaps

and crevices.

51
 AIR INFILTRATION

Air infiltrations occur because of the difference of pressure bet-

ween inside and outside that makes the cold air come inside. The
intensity of air infiltrations is greatly increased when there are
gaps on the windows and doors.

Windows with
gaps

Non air-tight doors

Gaps in windows and doors are usually a main source of ther-

mal discomfort in a house.

52 INSULATION
 INSULATION OF DOORS AND WINDOWS

With self-adhesive rubber

Step-by-step ins-
tructions:
1. Gradually re-
move the pro-
tective film (so
that the glue
does not have
time to dry out)
2. Glue the ad-
hesive side along
the perimeter of
Sealing of window frames the window or
the door
3. Cut the leftover
section

Avoid sealing win-

dows and doors
when the outside
temperature is low.
The tape does not
adhere, or adheres
poorly and is not
reliable.
Sealing of doors

Different types of self-adhesive rubber

53
 Insulation of doors and windows:

Outside Step-by-step Instructions:

doors can 1. Cut the foam with a gap of
be insu- 1cm between the perimeter
lated with of the perimeter and the edge
an extra of the door;
3cm thick
2. Cut the leather with a mar-
foam
gin of 5 extra cm with the pe-
rimeter of the door .
3. Wrap the foam in the lea-
ther and let 1 cm exceeding
the size of the door.
4. Prepare leather straps and
nail them to the door.

Insulated door

Double-
glazed win-
dows store
twice as
much heat
as single-
glazed win-
dows.

Double-glazed window

Remember: the durability of cheap plastic windows is limited.

We recommend to use wooden windows with double glazing,
particularly those with a leaf.

54 INSULATION
 INSULATION MATERIALS

Humi- Envi-
Thermal
Fire dity Durabi- Compres- ronme
Materials Conduc- Cost
Safety resis- lity sion ntal
tivity
tance Impact

Mineral
Wool

Glass Wool

Expanded
polystyrene
(EPS)

Extruded
Polysty-
rene (XPS)

Straw

Reeds

Wool

Good Average Bad

Before buying any insulation material, it is necessary to pay

attention to the quality certificate or technical certificate, which
shows the thermal conductivity of the material. The lower this
ratio, the better the insulation material.
You must also pay attention to the density of the material, for
example, if the walls are warm mineral wool, minimum density
of insulation must be 130 kg / m3.

55
 3-ROOM MODEL WITH INDIRECT GAIN

North facade

South facade Front view

Total estimated cost of the house | 86 000 TJS 57.8 kWh/m²*year is the
energy consumption tar-
geted by the Tajik Norm,
Total area | 96м² - Heated area | 68 м² with a tolerance margin of
tolerance of 9%.

The energy-efficient house

Cost for 1 м² - 900 TJS will consume 1.16 T of coal
per year (full heated house),
while the traditional one
Energy consumption| 57,5 kWh/м² *year (Class C) would consume almost three
times as much: 3240 kg of
coal per season. If the house
is north oriented rather than
1 160 kg of coal / winter (fully heated house) south, the consumption will
increase by 16% (around 200
kg of coal per season).
Total saved compared to a non-insulated house - 935 TJS/year

56 MODELS AND OPTIONS

 Section А-А

2 3 6

6
8
7

3 4 5

2 1

1 Open2veranda 3 First 2room 5 Guest room

2
7 Kitchen
2
8,1 м 17 м 17,5 м 10 м
2 Closed2 veranda 4 Second2 room 6 Bathroom
2
8 Storage2
9,5 м 17,5 м 5,1м 10,5 м

57
 MATERIALS AND COSTS

The proposed materials have been selected according to local

availability, prices and technical efficiency. However, other deci-
sions can be made according to budget availability and specificity
of the house.

Estimated cost Cost for 1m² of cons-

Part of the construction Total Volume
of materials truction

Rubble-concrete foundation 29 м3 5 410 74,6

Walls (mudbricks) 53,5м3 5 710 25

Wooden ceiling 4,6 м3 7 485 70
Wall insulation with mineral
130 м² 9 045 68
wool

Ceiling insulation with reeds 126 м² 1 854 15

Reeds 130 м² 7 045 54

Mud floor 52 м² 3 634 70
Windows 7,1 м² 2 892 420
Doors 13,6 м² 3 400 250

Antiseismic measures - 4 097 90

Other - 7 176 107

Total 57 748*

Transportation and labour 28 252

TOTAL COST OF THE HOUSE 86 000 TJS

*Prices of construction materials may vary depending on the market price

58 MODELS AND OPTIONS

VARIANTS

Variant А-2
A vestibule replaces the
closed veranda. An incon-
venience is that it does not
accommodate space for a
tapchan or other commodi-
ties. The advantage is that
the solar gain through the
windows on the south will
increase.

Variant А-3
This variant proposes a
store-room (saray) at the
northern side, directly ac-
cessed through the corri-
dor. The veranda can also
be extended along the
whole southern side and/or
be completely open.

Variant А-4

The rooms are accessed

through the northern corri-
dor. The size of windows
on the south facade of
rooms can be increased.
This increases the solar
heat gain to the rooms but
limits direct access from
the south.
59
 2-ROOM MODEL WITH INDIRECT GAIN

North facade

South facade Front view

Total estimated cost of the house | 75 000 TJS The proposed design of the
house will consume 913 kg
of coal per year (with a full
heated house), while the
traditional house would con-
Total area | 58 м² - Heated spaces | 33 м² sume almost three times as
much: 2 411 kg of coal per
season. With an improved
stove, the fuel consumption
Cost for 1 м² - 1300 TJS of the green home can be
decreased by up to 640 kg
per heating season.
The total cost of the green
Energy consumption| 61,3 kWh /м²*year (classe C) house with two rooms is
around 75 000 somoni,
which is 20% higher than a
traditional house.
913 kg of coal/winter (fully heated house)

Total saved compared to a non-insulated house - 674 TJS/year

60 MODELS AND OPTIONS

 Section А—А

1 2 4 6

6 А

4
5

3 2

1 Vestibule
2
3 Guest room
2
5 Kitchen
2
8м 17,5 м 10 м
2 First 2room 4 Bathroom
2
6 Storage2
17 м 5,1м 17,3 м

61
 MATERIALS AND COSTS

Estimated cost Cost for 1m² of cons-

Part of the construction Total Volume
of materials truction

Rubble-concrete foundation 19 м3 2 600 74,6

Walls (mudbricks) 47м3 5 323 25
3
Wooden ceiling 4,13м 6 822 70
Wall insulation with mineral
95 м² 6 748 68
wool

Ceiling insulation with reeds 80 м² 2 989 15

Reeds 128 м² 6 912 54

²
Mud floor 34,5 м 2 415 70
Windows 5,1м² 2 495 420
Doors 12,2 м² 3 050 250

Antiseismic measures Общая площадь 3 747 90

Other Общая площадь 10599 132

Total 53 700*

Transportation and labour 21 300

TOTAL COST OF THE HOUSE 75 000 TJS

*Prices of construction materials may vary depending on the market price

62 MODELS AND OPTIONS

VARIANTS

Variant B-2

A veranda replaces the tam-

bur at the south facade.
This option accommodates
space for a tapchan but
slightly limits direct gains
through the house.

Variant B-3

The kitchen/bathroom
block is located between
the two rooms, all of which
are linked by an internal
corridor.

Variant B-4
The kitchen junctions the
storage (saray) at the north
facade and the veranda at
the south.

63
 MODEL FOR DIRECT GAIN

North facade

South facade Front view

In this proposed design, the

Total estimated cost of the house | 53535 TJS use of solar energy is op-
timized in order to heat the
rooms during the winter. In
order to reduce the air infil-
Total area | 46 м² - Heated spaces | 35 м² tration through the door,
there is a glazed veranda.

Cost for 1 м2 - 1150 TJS During the day, the veranda

is heated by the sun and
opening the doors of the
inside rooms will allow
Energy consumption| 43 kWh/м² * year (Class В) heated air flows to provide
addtionnal heat. It can also
be used as an additional
space during the day.
460 kg of coal / winter (fully heated house)
A roof overhang will also
allow to provide protection
Total saved compared to a non-insulated house -560 TJS/ against overheating during
the summer

64 MODELS AND OPTIONS

 5 4
3 2

1 Veranda
2
3 Guest room
2
5 Bathroom
2
8м 17,5 м 2,7 м
2 First 2room 4 Kitchen
2
12 м 5,1м

65
 MATERIALS AND COSTS

Estimated cost Cost for 1m² of cons-

Part of the construction Total Volume
of materials truction

Rubble-concrete foundation 22 м3 1 641 74.6

Walls (mudbricks) 31 м3 775 25

Wooden ceiling 46 м2 3 220 70

Wall insulation with mineral
85 м² 5 780 68
wool
Ceiling insulation with reeds 63 м² 945 15

Reeds 107 м² 5 778 54

Mud floor 46 м² 3 220 70

Windows 24 м² 10 080 420

²
Doors 10 м 2 500 250

Antiseismic measures - 4 140 90

Other - 10 000 158

Total 48 079*

Transportation and labour 15 456

TOTAL COST OF THE HOUSE 63 535 TJS

*Prices of construction materials may vary depending on the market price

66 MODELS AND OPTIONS

 VARIANTS

Variant C-2
This variant differs from the
variant C-1, because there
is no veranda or kitchen,
but a porch and a small
corridor

Variant C-3
In this variant, instead of
the corridor there is a ver-
randa and the living roo-
mand instead of a single
large window there are two
smaller windows.

Variant C-4
Here, the entrance is on the northern side
across the veranda. The veranda acts as a
buffer zone. There is no bathroom nor
kitchen. The two living rooms are not con-
nected.

Variant C-5
A variant with three
rooms. The entrance to
the two rooms is across a
corridor and the guest
room is separated. The
bathroom is linked with a
dressing.

67
Energy Information Center
Are you planning to build a house?
Call us: 98 700 52 52
Visit us: 34 Huseinzoda, Dushanbe
Website: www.infoenergy.tj

Free consultation and advice from specialised experts

on energy efficient construction!
This practical guide
«HOW TO BUILD AN ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSE?»
is proposed by:

Group for Environment, Renewable

Energies and Solidarity

Authors:
Mirzokurbon Pochoev, Energy Specialist
Faridun Bazarov, Energy-efficiency Technical Advisor

With the participation of:

Armand Blondeau, Project Manager
Constant Janner, Architect

Design:
Alisher Makhmadaminov

With the technical support of:

SRICA—Scientific Research Insti- Tajik Technical University

tute for Construction
and Architecture

And the financial support of:

AFD—French Agency Abbé Pierre Foundation Organisation for Security and

for Development Cooperation in Europe
GERES - TAJIKISTAN
Address: Ak. Rajabov 7, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Tel: (+992) 98 700 52 52
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.geres.eu

December 2016