Being ecologically minded when it comes to home improvements is only going to become more important as time goes on and it becomes clear just how big an impact human activity is having on the planet.

In order to hit its goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050, the government will have to retrofit its existing building stock – and new builds will have to prioritise sustainability as standard moving forward… which will include the installation of new Victorian conservatories and other such home extensions.

If you do have a project like this in mind for the near future, once the pandemic is over, there are all sorts of ways in which you can make your new conservatory or orangery eco-friendly. 

In fact, the installation itself can help your house reduce its overall energy consumption because it creates something of a buffer between the inside and outside, with heat escaping from the walls of your house moving into the conservatory to create a warm space during colder weather.

So that’s a great start – but how else could you make sure your new extension boosts the green credentials of your property? The materials used are often very eco-friendly, such as aluminium (which can be easily recycled) and timber, which is also able to be fully recycled and you could use reclaimed wood or go for something sustainably sourced.

Since you’ll be starting your project from scratch, you might want to think about having solar panels installed on the roof. These can be used to either heat the space itself or, if you want to go all out, provide power for the rest of the house as well, depending on the size of the extension, of course.

One way to improve the energy efficiency of the space, which can be done even if you already have a conservatory in situ, is to consider going for a solid roof instead of something glass or polycarbonate.

This means that less heat will be allowed in during the summer (because you’ll have less glass) and the insulation in the roof will help to keep the conservatory warm in winter.

It would also be worth thinking about the kind of conservatory furniture you want to invest in and what sort of materials to go for. Rattan furniture is often seen in this part of the house and the good news about rattan as a material is that it’s a renewable resource and grows in around five to seven years.

It’s also relatively easy to manufacture the furniture itself so the production of rattan is low impact – and it’s easy to recycle and, as a natural material, is biodegradable so it ticks all sorts of boxes where eco-friendliness is concerned.

It’s also quite similar to bamboo so you won’t have to worry about compromising on strength and durability in your pursuit of going green.