The impact of climate change is significant — for Norway, the impact can be felt from the fishing industry to shifts in the country’s biodiversity, not to mention the cultural impact in regard to Sámi practices. As such, around 48% of Norwegians report feeling angry when thinking about climate change. In this article, our British correspondent, Karoline Gore, looks behind solar panels: Innovations Highlight Sustainable Housing Solutions in Norway
While the country is well known as a pioneer in leading sustainable strategies to combat the threats of climate change, solutions extend well beyond the standard solar panel. Constant innovation highlights solutions that range from hydro-power to those led by creative individuals and concepts that are deeply rooted in Norwegian culture.
A pioneer in sustainable solutions
Buildings account for approximately 40% of the EU’s energy usage, and 36% of its energy-related CO2 emissions. These facts have prompted many European countries to take action through initiatives that are geared towards eco-conscious housing solutions. In regard to Norway, the country has been long known as a pioneer in zero-energy buildings. These structures feature zero net consumption of renewable energy, while energy-positive buildings generate more than they use — and feed it back into the grid. Business Norway highlights the National Museum in Oslo; once opened in 2021, it would be heated by water from the Oslo Fjord in addition to other renewable sources.
In Norway, around 97% of the country’s energy already comes from hydro-power, though sustainable home design extends well beyond the concept of clean energy. Most homes, highlighted by National Geographic, are equipped with smart metres, which empower homeowners to harvest solar energy, store it, and sell it back to energy companies. “This makes renewables a smart investment on several levels and provides a strong incentive for people to get behind the technology,” the article states. However, innovation in Norwegian homes extend to prefab models and even individual initiatives that evoke inspiration all on their own.
The promise of prefab homes
Prefabricated homes are defined as housing that is manufactured off-site in advance, and is typically shipped and able to be assembled upon arrival. These homes boast a range of benefits, which include affordability and the ability to be customized. The concept of prefab homes isn’t necessarily new, and has become more prevalent throughout the world. “We get a thousand inquiries a month coming in to the website for our modular homes,” says Robert Pierson, the development director at a Vancouver-based prefab home development firm called Eco Homes. “And that’s spread across Canada and a little bit down into northern U.S.A..”
Beyond Solar Panels: Innovations Highlight Sustainable Housing Solutions in Norway, article continues below image.
Business Norway details Nordic Smart House, a modular home developed in order to meet the demand for smaller and more affordable sustainable housing. With added advantages that include reduced construction time, it’s noted that energy consumption is also nearly halved.
The drive behind eco-home inspiration
Many across the country have embraced environmentally friendly ways of life. ‘Open-air life,’ or friluftsliv, “conveys the importance of spending time outdoors to be healthy and happy,” explains one 2019 BBC article. Norwegian Axel Bentsen, founder and CEO of Urban Sharing, explains that the concept is deeply rooted in the culture. For example, a trip via public transit into the forest is noted to be a popular activity to do before or after work in order to spend more time outdoors. As such, friluftsliv has the potential to play a major role for those who wish to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
While the adoption of friluftsliv can help one become more environmentally conscious, many have even reevaluated their home’s design for the sake of a more sustainable lifestyle. Love Exploring highlights the Hjertefølger family, who have called a sustainable glass dome in the heart of Norway’s Arctic Circle home since 2014. In regard to the home’s materials, cob (a natural material created from subsoil, fibrous organic material, water, and sometimes lime). “We were doing research online about different natural building techniques, and fell in love with cob houses,” Ingrid Hjertefølger said. Ingrid goes on to further note that the task seemed difficult to accomplish in Northern Norway due to the short summers and rainfall, though this didn’t stop their vision. The cob used for the home involved a mixture of sand, clay, and straw. The cob home is encapsulated in a glass geodesic dome, designed by the construction company Solardome, which results in a greenhouse, like effect that retains heat on the inside.
Sustainable features are attainable
The Hjertefølger’s Norwegian eco-home also boasts several sustainable features that extend well beyond the unique structure. Solar panels draw in energy from the sun, and natural materials have been utilized throughout, with a wooden front door prominent in the home’s design, Love Exploring highlights. Homeowners throughout Scandinavia can take a page from eco-homes like this through the incorporation of natural materials throughout a home, which presents an ideal way for homeowners to create a more eco-conscious environment. Successful eco-friendly home office design, for instance, is easily achieved through sustainable thinking — this involves considerations that range from the use of low-energy equipment to the prioritization of natural light, as well as the use of furniture that incorporates natural materials. Other factors, such as the establishment of paperless work practices and the incorporation of plant-life can further the environmentally friendly design.
Beyond Solar Panels: Innovations Highlight Sustainable Housing Solutions in Norway, article continues beow image.
Norway is home to a number of sustainable housing solutions that range from the incorporation of clean energy to eco-friendly building materials. While the country itself has taken to eco-friendly initiatives, creative individuals and concepts that are rooted in Norwegian culture further drive innovation and serve as inspiration to others who wish to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Beyond Solar Panels: Innovations Highlight Sustainable Housing Solutions in Norway, written dedicatedly for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.
Feature image (on top) © Pixels Pixabay