We believe that in order to build and live in an environmentally sustainable manner, we should seek to avoid the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.
Whilst some people strive to attain this goal for primarily ethical reasons, an added benefit can be financial security. As fossil fuels become more difficult to source, prices will only increase and many consumers are seeking alternatives in order to become more self sufficient and less reliant on the major, gas, oil and electricity suppliers.
At Dark Skies Design we work from first principles to ensure the buildings we design are well orientated and built to maximise thermal efficiency, rather than relying on expensive technologies to solve problems that could have been avoided through more considered design.
High levels of insulation and better controlled ventilation for example, is often the more cost effective solution to high heating and cooling costs, however renewable technologies can also be financially viable when considering longer pay back periods and Government funded incentives.
Remote properties in rural locations often have limited access to existing services, so the higher set up costs often associated with building “off grid” are easier to justify or may even be the only realistic option.
