Leaders in Energy Efficiency
Guided by Passive House principles, Cosgrave houses are designed to use less energy, the team’s commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable design is recognised at the highest national level.
Pioneers of the green agenda, Cosgraves continue to develop homes that exceed the requirements of regulations. The energy efficiency of a Cosgrave home cannot be measured just by a BER Rating, it is deeper than that, it is in every detail of the fabric of the building and is validated through a series of quality control measures that ensure every Cosgrave built house really is a superior energy efficient home.
Guided by Passive House Principles the Team at Cosgraves invest in the fabric of the house to ensure it delivers sustainable living in terms of lower energy usage, improved comfort and reduced life time running costs.
Cosgraves have been recognised as the best of the best when the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland awarded them the Overall Environment Award for outstanding leadership in the field of energy efficiency. This is a very significant achievement as the award is open to all sectors and has never before been awarded to a house builder and is a highly valued endorsement of Cosgrave’s higher standards in energy efficiency.
Cosgrave Energy Efficiency
Design to use less energy
Cosgraves first priority is to create homes that require less energy to operate. Investing in improvements to the fabric of the house the energy requirement is minimised, products and systems are installed to reduce energy waste and finally energy is recycled, particularly from the warm air leaving the house. The Photovoltaic Solar Panels then supply some of the reduced energy need decreasing even further the draw on the grid.
Highly insulated air-tight design
The passive house principles adopted by Cosgraves improve comfort while reducing the energy demand of the house. Superior insulation, increased levels of air-tightness, improved Low E argon filled windows and careful detailing to cut out thermal bridging combine to contribute to both reduced heat loss and solar gain.
Heat Recovery
Using a Heat Recovery Ventilation system Cosgraves use 90% of the heat energy that would otherwise be lost to the home while maintaining a constant flow of fresh air to the house and significantly reducing utility costs.
Reduced draw on grid
Having primarily reduced the energy requirement by maximising energy efficiencies and minimising wasted energy, Cosgraves then introduce features to more efficiently supply the reduced need, including an “A-Rated” condensing boiler unit and Photovoltaic Solar Panel system.
Sustainable
Comfort 24/7
By using heat gains from the sun, lights, appliances and even occupants, the houses work all year round to provide comfortable temperatures and excellent air quality with minimal need to use the heating system. Exceptional air quality is maintained 24/7 where excess humidity is removed and pollen is reduced with a Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system that constantly pulls the indoor air down to 500 parts per million of carbon dioxide and saves 90% of heat that would otherwise be lost to the house. The high quality insulation and argon filled glazing helps keep the heat in during the winter while during warmer months the bypass feature of the HRV allows the system to assist in cooling the air.
Practically
Passive
Using passive principles Cosgraves have developed their own set of construction details and standards which are expected to outperform the standards from the Dept. of Housing. Cosgrave houses are designed and constructed to deliver a “practical passive” ambience within the house customised to suit the temperate Irish climate. Insulated beyond the level of diminishing returns the houses feature best in class energy saving features. Based on the SEAI DEAP software the houses are estimated to use 11 kWh/m2yr, this is less than the 1.5 litres of oil per m2 used to define a passive unit. Considering this, it is estimated a house in Cedarview will use 20% less energy than a passive dwelling in continental Europe.
Sustainable
Cars
Sustainable homes now with provision for sustainable cars
The Cosgrave Team are committed to creating sustainable communities for residents, and now in addition to exceptional homes built on passive house principles the team has added a provision for electric car charging. It’s about making sustainable choices that bit easier, imagine streets without engine noises, with no need to queue at petrol stations, simply plug in your car just like your smartphone when it is parked at your home and enjoy clean electric motoring everyday. Cosgraves also offer the GoCar facility reducing the need for a second car.