Hello,

I wonder if any of you can help me please?

I am in the very early processes of buying a small piece of land in the village I live in in Spain.  I would like to build a sustainable house using solar power and recycling water.  I have read about monocapa thermocellit blocks....what i have read seems really good.....does anyone have any experience of using these.  Do they really need no installation?

Any other advice you may have in building eco friendly in Spain would be much appreciated............. we are very lucky that although Spain can sometimes be old  our mayor is very forward thinking!


Thank you very much

Well, your first step is to find a green builder in your area to see what they have to offer. I hope you have a good amount of money to fund your project and would be interested to see how it turns out. Which part of Spain do you plan on building your new home?

Cellit and thermocellit are just 2 of the seemingly endless types of clay tile products available in Spain.  These are typically used as load bearing walls and they DO require mortar and installation.  These are fairly common construction solutions and in my view are not terribly green, but not bad, either.  Thermocellit provides a decent, but not great amount of insulation.

Monocapa is a normal "stucco" type finish.  The interior is usually finished with gypsum plaster.  Channels for wire and plumbing are cut into the clay tiles. 

I lived in a house with ±30cm solid masonry walls, single pane windows and no weatherstripping outside of BCN for a few years.  A bit chilly in the winter....probably like living in an English castle but in a better climate.

If you want to really go green, think about doing a Passivhaus.  http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intellig...ive_on.pdf

Bruce

Surely autoclaved aerated concrete block is used in Spain as well, which would provide more insulative value than clay tile blocks:

http://www.xella-group.com/html/esp/es/5273.php?language_id=25&countries_id=20&area_code=2&dyn_section=detail&product_id=739

goverdgirl

I am a passive solar consultant and SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) builder living and working in Castellon Province. If you are in this region please feel free to call in and take a look.

Have a look in the excellent SIP forum for details of this building system.

Glad to hear that you have a forward thinking 'Mayor' but please make sure that your project has all the appropriate permissions and licences before work starts.

Spain is a perfect country for passive solar homes, hot summers but cold, sunny winters.

Good luck with your project.

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