GREENHEART TREE ENERGY HOMES

 

In May this year GHTE was invited to participate in the HOUSING Solutions 2017 & Beyond, ”Expo - an exhibition of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) geared at creating a cohesive community in Perseverance, East Bank Demerara.

GHTE in partnership with LSTech Homes and Royal Europa Sp.zo.o, both from Poland, constructed two model homes for the expo as we prepare to enter the housing sector. 

LS Tech Homes S.A. is recognized for producing composite panels manufactured in SIP (Structured Insulated Panels) technology in home construction. SIPs are 21st Century building material and are high performance building panels that are used in floors, walls and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings.The panels are made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two structural facings - MgO (Magnesium Oxide) green panels. This construction material brings environmental benefits - it is fire resistant and maintains a cool interior in a building thereby reducing the need for air conditioning in tropical climates. 

GHTE is working to establish a factory in Guyana to manufacture these panels for home construction and have Guyanese trained to assemble the panels. This would reduce the costof constructing the homes but the homes will have the same structural strength.
This project will provide much need jobs to help grow the Guyana economy. We intend to build homes for the low, middle and high income sectors of the Guyana market. Each home will be equipped with an affordable solar system.

 

Model Homes

 

The two model homes are 900 and 600sq ft. They are built to last over 50 years andthe larger one is completed with a 1kw solar system. 

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900 sq ft. model home

The 900 sq ft. homes have three bedrooms, bath, kitchen and living room, a 463.5 sq ft patio and extra storage in the ceiling above the bath. The steel doors are very secure with numerous locking bolts and the windows are double glazed with several opening features. The lights are LEDs.

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600 sq ft. model home

The 600sq ft. has similar features like the 900sq ft.home. However, the 600 sq ft. home has two bedrooms and two separate patios of 171 sq ft at the front and back of the home . Once the foundation is completed the homes can be built within one month. The homes are equipped with upgraded flooring and tiling.

 

Model Home Specifics

Putting the Panels up:

  • On site, in Guyana, the exterior walls of the house tailored to “low budget” customers started at 10:45 AM and was completed at 12:36 PM on the same day.

Trusses:

  • Trusses were built by a Guyanese construction team. Local wood was used. All trusses are tied down with L- shaped metal brackets.

Foundation:

  • The foundation was built by a Guyanese construction team.

Roof to ceiling:

  • There are four levels of protection from the weather:
    • Metal roof
    • Water resistant membrane that sits below the metal sheet.
    • Insulated panels that sit on top of the ceiling
    • Ceiling constructed of water resistance dry-wall.

Access to Attic:

  • There is a concealed ladder access to the attic.
  • Three sheets of compressed ply-wood in the attic provide room for storage.
  • It will provide an escape route if a home is flooded and normal exit routes are blocked. The escape will be through a window in the attic. NB: escape access not included in the homes being built. 

Modular:

  • The home is modular and can be designed in all shapes and sizes; current certification limits are 3 to 4 storeys high.
  • Expansion is a breeze. On site, in Guyana, we actually reduced the original sizes of the bathrooms , based on feedback, by simply moving a wall. The structural integrity was not compromised.

Windows:

  • Windows are double glazed and frames are sealed using expandable foam.
  • Windows have 3 working positions:
    • Open
    • Open with a tilt . Perfect for rainy days.
    • Closed but not sealed to provide air flow.

Doors:

  • Doors are steel with 9 built-in bolts; steel doors are important to improve the fire-resistant properties of the home (panels are fire resistant)

Sidings , Gutters and Eaves:

  • All made out of materials that provide easy maintenance for years to come.
  • NB: the outside of the homes can be completed in any finish (stucco, trowel-mix, etc,)

Porches:

  • Porches have a concrete base and the railings are made out of green-heart.

Solar:

  • The Solar system is designed to operate  the following:
    • One 19’’ TV for 4 hours
    • One 10W Security light for 12 hours (reduce this load and you will have more hours on the internal lights)
    • 3 internal 10W lights for 3 hours
    • NB: Each day, with the above usage at night, the battery would be approximately 75% discharged and would have to charged up the next day
    • The system has a separate circuit to GPL's power source in the home

Objective:

  • Reduce GPL's cost to the owner
  • Provide light for the children to study and do their homework .
  • Provide entertainment (TV) for the parents while they monitor the activity of their children
  • Provide light in the bathroom and main bedroom.
  • Provide a security light.

Our PartnerS:

LS Tech Homes S.A. and Royal Europa Sp.zo.o