Rural House Design Guide (County Development Plan 2023–2029, appendix 4)

1. Page 41

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   6. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 43 Rural houses have significant energy impacts as the floor area of the average rural house is above the national average. There are also increased transport requirements as rural housing is further away from towns and villages with their services (schools, shops, places of employments etc.). However, they also present an opportunity to integrate a wide range of sustainable energy approaches and technologies. Rural houses should therefore be designed and built so that they use as little energy as possible, by minimising heat loss and increasing solar gain. This will ensure that the householder is investing in a future-proofed home. The overall area and volume of the dwelling is the most important consideration when determining the energy requirements of a dwelling. Consideration should be given at the earliest stages of a project to reduce dwelling size and emphasize quality of space over quantity. This section will discuss several options open to applicants to assist the proposed dwelling in becoming more sustainable and energy efficient, under the following headings: x Energy Efficiency x Renewable Energy Options x Water Harvesting/ Drainage 6.1 - Energy Efficiency in Buildings The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings 2010/31/EU (EPBD), contains a range of provisions aimed at improving energy performance in houses. The incorporation of good design is considered as being the key in achieving optimum energy performance of buildings. As part of the Energy Performance Building Directive, a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate, which is effectively an energy efficiency label, is required for all houses. Like electrical appliances dwellings are rated e.g., A, B, C, D and so on with A being the most efficient. Houses should be designed to achieve the highest possible energy rating, which will reduce the overall running cost of the house as well as being good for the environment. All new and refurbished dwellings will be required to comply with the relevant parts of the Building Regulations and the Nearly Zero Energy Building Standard (NZEB)1. 1 See Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (www.seai.ie) I for more details

2. Page 42

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   6. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 44 6.2 – Renewable Energy Options The most popular renewable sources are Solar, Wind, Geothermal and Biomass. Each are discussed below. Solar Siting: Microclimate is the variation in local climate around a building. It therefore has an important impact on both the energy and the performance of a building. The design and orientation of buildings and space can bring about more sustainable communities and reduce the operational costs throughout a buildings life by reducing the need for artificial lighting and heating. In some cases, site planning and appropriate orientation alone can almost halve the energy demand of a dwelling. By locating the principal rooms and the larger window opes to the south of the house, benefits of solar gain can be enjoyed with the larger openings acting as solar collectors. Planning applications for buildings should incorporate basic passive solar design principles to: - Maximise solar gains in building through good orientation, layout, and glazing. - Avoid heat loss through ensuring a high level of insulation and airtightness of buildings; and - Ensure a high degree of comfort by using controlled ventilation and day lighting. Solar Energy: Applicants should consider the potential to include solar panels as part of their house design. This has the capacity to make a significant contribution to meeting the energy needs of the home and is a positive climate action mitigation measure. Panels should ideally face south and mounted on the main property roof, or in some cases on a shed roof or floor/wall mounted. Ground mounted panels can be unsightly and risk damage if not located in a secure part of the site. Thought should be given at the early design stage to ensure they are properly integrated. Figure 6.1 – Image of roof solar panel.

3. Page 43

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   6. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 45 Biomass Energy: Biomass energy is obtained from organic materials such as wood (chips or pellets) and the domestic stove is the most common example. A wood burner or pellet boiler is simple to install, and there is very little adjustment needed to existing plumbing if converting from a conventional system. Wind Energy: The efficiency of a domestic system will depend on factors such as surrounding environment. Careful siting of a domestic wind turbine is required to reduce visual impacts and impacts on neighbours. If considering the installation of a wind turbine, applicants should check if the proposal constitutes exempted development, if not planning permission will be required and details of the turbine will need to be submitted with the planning application. The following details will be required: - Dimensions of the turbine (including rotor blades). - Height above ground or building. - Material type and finish. - Plan showing position on the ground. - Brief technical specifications such as power and noise output (as usually supplied by the manufacturer). Geothermal Energy / Heat Pumps: Air-to-water heat pumps are the most likely type of heating system to be used to meet current Building Regulation and NZEB standards. Such systems do not require boreholes or site excavation associated with geothermal systems and they can easily be used in conjunction with solar systems if required. Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating and, in some cases, to preheat domestic hot water. A typical system can provide 95%- 100% of a household’s heating requirement. Applicants are advised to check if proposals for a domestic heat pump constitutes exempted development. If not, details of the heat pump system will need to be submitted as part of the planning application. If considering the installation of a ground heat pump system you will need to provide the following details as a minimum: - Existing and proposed ground levels in the vicinity of the system - The total area of the heat pump - Plans showing position on the ground. - Brief technical specifications such as power and noise output (as usually supplied by the manufacturer)

4. Page 44

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   6. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 46 6.3 - Water / Rainwater Harvesting: Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable solution to surface water management when building a new home. Techniques for harvesting rainwater to be considered at the site planning stage for reducing domestic water consumption include: Water butt – A simple, low-cost method for collecting rainwater from the roof and storing it for use in the garden (e.g., instead of a mains water hosepipe for lawns, washing cars etc). Figure 6.2 – Sketch of water butt method Rainwater harvesting - provides an efficient and economic means for utilising the rainwater coming from roofs to supply toilets, washing machines and irrigation systems. Figure 6.3 – Sketch of tank located underground for storage of rainwater which can be re-used. Greywater recycling - enables slightly polluted water from the bath, shower, and washbasin to be reused in the house (e.g., for toilet flushing, in the washing machine, watering the garden or for cleaning purposes). If designing a rainwater recycling system, applicants should take account that: - For rainwater collection, the external drainage of the roof needs to be designed to bring water to a central point. - Access for an underground storage tank and excavation is required. - A pumping system with electrical supply and housing may be required. - Internal plumbing should separate out the drinking water (including bathing) from the non-drinking water (WC. washing machine, outside tap).

5. Page 45

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   6. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 47 Surface Water Drainage: All domestic buildings should be provided with a drainage system to remove surface water from the roof, or other surfaces. Surface water is generally dealt with using soak pits and professional advice should be sought on the design and siting of any on site foul or surface water systems. If the site cannot drain to an infiltration system, it may be necessary to discharge to a water course. The discharge of storm water from roofed and paved areas to a foul water sewer or onto the public road is not acceptable. Surface water discharge should be carried out to a point of disposal that will not impact / endanger the building, environment, or thirdparty properties. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency - Key Principles: Achieve the highest possible energy rating for your house. Ensure that the house is orientated to achieve the maximum benefit from solar gain and large areas of south facing glazing. Provide enhanced levels of insulation to reduce energy consumption. Incorporate solar water heaters and / or photovoltaic panels into the design of the roof. Explore other renewable energy sources such as micro wind turbines, heat pumps, heat recovery systems, biomass – such as wood burning stoves and wood pellet boilers. Information on renewable energy sources and possible grants available can be found on www.seai.ie. Reduce water consumption by rainwater recycling – rainwater collected from the roof which can be used to flush toilets. Use sustainable building materials such as locally sourced natural minerals and recyclable building materials. Use intelligent heating systems with time/temperature/zone/function controls. Incorporate energy efficient lighting systems into the design of the house.

6. Page 46

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   6. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 48 Key considerations: - Ensure solar gain is maximised by orientating the main rooms to the south. - Try to achieve the highest possible BER rating. - If using renewable energy sources, consider location of infrastructure (i.e. solar panels or wind turbine) early in the design stage. - Check to ensure renewable infrastructure is exempt or if details / specifications are required with the planning application. - If using a geothermal heating system check if specification is exempt or if details are required with the application. - Consider the re-use / recycling of rainwater and greywater and incorporate infrastructure for same early in the design stage. - Use nature-based solutions for surface water management.

7. Page 47

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   7.ELEMENTS OF THE LANDSCAPE 49 This section deals with the importance of linking the dwelling with the landscape through appropriate boundary treatment, landscaping, and entrances. This is discussed under the following headings: x Boundary Treatments x Entrances x Rural Gardens x Biodiversity/Indigenous Species 7.1 - Boundary Treatments: Boundaries and the materials used in them can impact the rural character of an area. Boundaries can provide a significant level of richness and add to the character of a site and therefore attention should be given to their design. The objective in site selection is to ensure that most of the boundaries are already in place in the form of existing hedgerows, trees, stone walls and/or vernacular gates. Applicants should try to retain as much of all existing natural site boundaries. There are ecological and visual benefits for the homeowner and the rural area in general in this regard. Where boundaries need to be completed, care should be taken to link these to the landscape. By landscaping the boundaries of the house, the visual impact of the development will be softened and will be more easily absorbed into the surrounding countryside. New boundaries where required should be planted before or at least simultaneously with the building work to anchor the new building with the surrounding landscape. In general, high walls and fences, - in particular, decorative brickwork, should be avoided. Stone walls may be appropriate in certain parts of the countryside. Recommended / Key Principles Existing hedgerows, trees and stone boundary walls should be retained as they are key components of rural character. Timber post and rail stud fencing may be acceptable as a boundary treatment where it is planted with indigenous hedgerows. High roadside boundary walls, entrance gates and piers are discouraged where they appear incongruous and dominate the landscape. Commence planting of the required boundaries before the construction of the house begins.

8. Page 48

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   7.ELEMENTS OF THE LANDSCAPE 50 Figure 7.1 – Image of traditional stone wall at Devoy Barracks, Co. Kildare. 7.2 - Entrances: Vehicular entrances to new rural houses must provide clear visibility in the interest of safety on public roads. The entrance must comply with the policies and controls set out within Sections 3.16 and 15.7 of the Development Plan. Figure 7.2 – Sketch of Entrance Driveways The retention of existing mature hedgerows, trees and planting is encouraged in all opportunities when designing new entrances and associated sightlines.

9. Page 49

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   7.ELEMENTS OF THE LANDSCAPE 51 Figure 7.3 – Stone wall, pillars and gate, Naas (note gentle lines and stout pillars) Where existing boundaries need to be removed to achieve required setbacks they should be replaced with an earth or sod and stone boundary or the planting of a new semi-mature hedgerow of indigenous species. Existing stone walls should be relocated behind the line of vision. Recommended / Key Principles Driveways should follow the contours of the site to avoid highly visible and un-natural looking straight roads. Driveways should be surfaced with local permeable material. Excessive use of tarmacadam for driveways and circulation should be avoided. Buffer the house as viewed from the road. Integrate existing features where possible (i.e., vernacular gates and gate post as they are of heritage value and contribute to the character of the rural area). Figure 7.4 – Gates to farmhouse, Kildare.

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    7.ELEMENTS OF THE LANDSCAPE 52 Figure 7.5 – Example of a driveway surfaced with permeable material (Straffan, Co. Kildare). Figure 7.6 – House buffered from the road with hedgerow maintained and added planting. Figure 7.7 – Some good examples of traditional and contemporary entrance types with gentle lines and simple stout pillars.

Source Kildare County Council: Rural House Design Guide (County Development Plan 2023–2029, appendix 4) (2023) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.