on and off, open and close blinds and shutters, open and close vents and valves, and so on. Of course, the high-tech house is unsuitable if you are a technophobe, and the setup costs are high. Certainly, the whole idea has been heavily criticized as being not quite green (and, in many ways, this is true) but, once it is up and running, the high-tech approach is a very good way of cutting energy costs to the bone.
Overall, the high-tech approach involves reducing energy costs by trimming away every aspect of waste and by fine-tuning usage. Maybe a system that turns valves and lights on and off does not sound so wonderful, but if a network of systems—or, better still, a single completely integrated system—were to “follow” you around the house, turning on and off the lights, temperature, ventilation, and the like—then you can see that there are great cost-cutting possibilities.
The high-tech, or smart, system is designed to respond to outside stimuli. For example, if you link it with a passive solar heating system, temperatures outside the house, and your day-to-day time spent in the house, then it is capable of fine-tuning the various controls to a remarkable degree. Apart from cutting costs, and making all manner of everyday tasks easier, such a system is a great option if you are aged or in any way physically handicapped.
The Perfect House: The Natural House
A natural house is one in which every aspect of the house—its form, structure, materials, and setting—are completely in harmony with the environment. The whole notion of a natural house consists of trying to get back to “the way it was.” If you look at traditional folk and tribal houses through time from all around the world, you will see that, by using local materials and technologies that have been tried and trusted for hundreds of years, and by placing buildings so that they have their backs to the wind and their faces to the sun, the people were more in tune with nature. In the winter, whole families sat around a central fire; in the summer, they sat outside under covered porches. Rooms were small and dark, but the buildings did work. The scale was right, and the color and texture related to the environment; the house was healthy and in sync with nature.
A traditional thatched roof.
Once the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, the various communities around the world rejected their time-honored building methods in favor of new and easier options. Thatched roofs were replaced by shingles, tiles, and tin; thick mud walls were replaced by brick, asbestos, and corrugated iron; houses were built in neat and narrow rows without a thought to the direction of the sun or to prevailing winds; and so on.
The natural house involves taking a fresh look at old, sound, traditional principles. Think small, natural, local, passive, healthy, spiritual, and harmonious.
Heating and Cooking: Traditional Options
Electricity
Most of us in developed countries are on the electrical grid. Many of us have electric lights in every room and plenty of appliances and accessories, such as televisions, microwave ovens, toasters, electric heaters, power tools, computers, and so on ad infinitum—all powered by electricity.
ADVANTAGES
• Installation costs for electricity are relatively low, and electrical systems are long lasting.
• Electricity is instant, clean, silent, and very convenient—just flip a switch, and it is up and running.
• Electricity is relatively safe; it won’t leak out, and it is not going to be stolen.
• Electricity from the power grid is always there on demand; you don’t have to remember to order it.
• Governments regulate the prices of public utilities, such as electricity, so you don’t have to worry about costs spiraling out of control.
• Governments always try to ensure that their citizens’ electricity needs are met.
DISADVANTAGES
• You have to be linked to the power grid, which may be difficult or even impossible in some isolated areas.
• You have to pay a standing charge for electricity even though you might make efforts to reduce your consumption.
• Electricity is the most expensive fuel.
Gas
In times past, piped or on-grid gas seemed like a miracle fuel. It was once used for lighting but now is used primarily for heating and cooking. Though just a few years ago public gas was once considered a low-cost option and a good choice for central heating, reduced supplies rapidly forced costs up.
ADVANTAGES
• Though initial installation costs are relatively high, the system (the boiler and pipes) will last more or less indefinitely once in place.
• Public gas is instant and very convenient.
• Gas is relatively safe as long as it is installed by trained specialists.
• Gas is always there on demand; you don’t have to remember to order it.
DISADVANTAGES
• You have to be linked to the grid, which is not viable in some isolated areas.
• Gas prices have risen to the extent that it could become a prohibitively expensive option.
• You have to pay a standing charge no matter what your consumption is.
• Gas is potentially very dangerous because it is both toxic and explosive.
Oil
First, it was oil for lamps, and then oil for combustion engines, and then oil for domestic central heating systems, and then oil for everything! Since the early 1900s, our oil consumption has skyrocketed—think of the billions of cars on the road—and we have been practically throwing it away. Oil is great for heating and cooking, but how long will it last?
The oil tank is typically situated outside the home.
ADVANTAGES
• Though the initial setup costs are high, the system will last for a long time once it is in place.
• Oil is very convenient.
DISADVANTAGES
• You are at the mercy of the delivery truck; if it cannot reach you, you are in trouble.
• Supplies worldwide are dwindling and costs are spiraling upward.
• The potential for a future oil shortage is unsettling.
• You need to have a huge tank in your yard in which to store the oil.