When planning renovations to their home, most homeowners look to make changes that will not only make their lives more comfortable, but will potentially reduce energy costs into the future.
‘A guide to sustainable home renovations’, is a practical guide published this week by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), and it is full of ideas to make your home more sustainable.
The guide offers important and practical information, as well as the easy wins, to make your renovation better for today, and tomorrow. Here are some of their top tips.
For minor home improvements:
1. Install ceiling fans with a multi-directional flow. Ceiling fans are an inexpensive way to facilitate better ventilation in your home and reduce reliance on air conditioning. In winter, the fan will push heat back down towards the occupied part of the room and in summer, it will let the heat rise.
2. Seal draughts, including weather strips to doors and windows, dampers to vents and sealing gaps/cracks. Uncontrolled air movement through a home is estimated to cause 25% of winter heat loss, leading to more energy consumption and higher bills. Draught proofing will improve your home’s energy efficiency, comfort and acoustics.
3. Use door mats or have a ‘shoe-free’ household. Pollutants and dust can be carried indoors on footwear and get trapped in carpets, which could be a problem for young children on the floor and reduce air quality.
4. Prioritise native plants in your garden. Over a third (40%) of the average household’s total water consumption is used for outside purposes, the majority of that for gardens and lawns. By choosing plants that are indigenous to your area, you not only create a resilient garden, but you’re also providing native habitats and increasing biodiversity.
For major renovations:
1. Consider the layout of your home, ensuring main living areas and windows face north where practical. The way the sun travels across different seasons can be harnessed to provide free heating (in winter) and reduce overheating (in summer).
2. Insulate walls, roofing and suspended floors in all new construction. Insulation helps to stop the transfer or heat both in and out of the home. This can make your heater/air conditioner run more efficiently, or in some cases, not need to be turned on at all.
3. Select efficient all-electric appliances and air conditioners, including induction cooktops and avoid gas ovens/stoves. Cooking with gas is estimated to be responsible for up to 12% of the burden of childhood asthma in Australia. Replacing gas appliances might be more costly upfront, but investing in all-electric appliances will save you money long term.
4. Install a rainwater tank and consider irrigation to toilets and laundry. Installing a tank is a good strategy to reduce drinkable water use. They are best situated in higher locations as gravity will reduce pumping power.
5. Simplify the roofline and install light-coloured metal roof sheeting. In fire season, it is important to be able to reduce the opportunity for debris and embers build up. Metal roof sheeting offers greater protection from fire than tiled roofs as it is firmly secured and sealed at junctions. Having a light-coloured roof will also reflect the heat of the sun and safeguard you from intense heat.
For more advice, the full sustainable renovation guide is available for download from the GBCA website.
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