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The issue  | Avoid & Reduce | Offset | Links

What's the issue?

The design and construction of your home can have a significant impact on its long-term environmental performance.  Extra time and resources spent in the early stages of your construction or renovation project can lead to enormous cost and emissions savings in the long-run.

How to avoid and reduce emissions

At Greenfleet our mantra is to avoid creating a greenhouse gas emission where possible; reduce or minimise the emissions you do create and offset any emissions you do create.  Here are some tips to help you build or renovate a house that will have reduced emissions.

Orientation - avoid large areas of glass on the side of the house that gets hot afternoon sun in summer.  Position bedrooms on the side of the house that receives the least summer sun, so they remain cooler for sleeping.

Materials - make the most of the 'thermal mass' in building materials.  Concrete, brick and tiles all have high thermal mass, which means a lot of energy is needed before these materials change temperature, thus keeping the temperature inside your house more constant.

Shade - prevent hot summer sun from heating up your house by taking advantage of natural shade (trees and other plants) or artificial shade (wide eaves, external blinds, verandahs, shade sails, etc.).

Natural light - position windows and skylights to reduce the need for artificial light in the rooms you use most during the day.  Well proporitoned eaves on your house can ensure that ambient light penetrates a room without the direct sun heating up the room.

Natural ventilation - open windows if you can.  Natural air flow helps to cool the house and also reduce your reliance on the air conditioner.  Many housing estates include ornamental lakes - take advantage of them if you can, or create a pond or water feature in your own yard - air that flows over water can reduce its temperature even further.

Insulate - to prevent heat transfer between the inside of your house and the external elements.  Insulation will keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer.  There are a range of materials available to suit all needs.

Solar power & hot water - these will both save you energy and money in the long term and attract government rebates for part of the upfront financial commitment.  Panels should be positioned so they receive sun during the hottest part of the day.

Windows - choose double-glazed windows to reduce heat transfer.  Try to avoid aluminium frames which are good conductors of heat.  Look for the Window Energy Rating Scheme label on window products, which shows performance in winter and summer  - 5 stars in each is a top performer. 

That's only the start - visit the suggested websites at the bottom of this page for more helpful information.

Offset the rest

Even if you do all the things above, you are still likely to create some greenhouse gas emissions through the use of gas or electricity at home.  Use the Utilities section of our Tree Totaller calculator to calculate and offset the emissions you do create.

Links

yourhome.gov.au - An Australian Government guide to sustainable house design and construction.  Over 300 pages of practical solutions for builders and designers.

ecospecifier.org contains over 3,500 eco-products, eco-materials, technologies and resources.

The very first Australian Zero-Emission House (AusZEH) opened its doors on April 2010 in Melbourne's North.  The demonstration house has been developed by CSIRO and industry partners to pave the way towards sustainable housing in Australia. The greenhouse gas emissions of the tenants will be monitored for a year, it is expected to use up to 70% less energy than a traditional home of similar size.  Check out The CSIRO Energy Saving Handbook for ideas to apply at your place.