How to Build an Energy-efficient Residential Dwelling

-

 


When your home has an energy-efficient design, it will use less energy to maintain heating in the winter and to remain cool in the summer. 

With energy costs rising, now is the perfect moment to construct a home that is more sustainable and energy-efficient. 

The Australian Energy Regulator confirmed a price hike of up to 18% in NSW, and this rate increase will inflate a home's annual electricity costs. 

You can either make your home as energy-efficient as possible right away or pay hundreds of dollars more every year in energy bills. 

BASIX certificate and NatHERS assessment help maintain sustainability standards in residential dwellings. 

What Does Energy Efficiency Means?


The NCC defines energy efficiency as the smart use of energy that can be managed through regulatory obligations and voluntary choices. 

The NCC also states that constructing homes that will use less energy for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, and other domestic services while keeping required standards in these areas is the desired goal. 

Energy efficiency in buildings depends on important elements like structure and fixtures. Better thermal performance means reduced energy use in a home. Both energy-efficient housing structure and tenant behavior influence the overall quantity of energy used.
BCA Section J report demonstrates the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. 

Structure:


  • Walls

  • Floors

  • Roofs

  • External glazing

  • Shading


Fixtures:


  • Insulation

  • Central heating

  • Water piping

  • Artificial lighting

  • Area heating

  • Heating and pumping of swimming pools

  • Heated water supply system


How to Make a Home Energy-Efficient?


  • The design guideline known as the Passive design minimizes unintentional heat gain and loss in the house while utilizing natural sources of heating and cooling. 

  • Passive design minimizes or completely eliminates the need for supplemental heating or cooling by interacting with the local climate to maintain a pleasant inside temperature.

  • Your home's location can greatly influence how much heating and cooling you need. Take advantage of the sun and the direction of the winds. 

  • Your home's building materials have the capacity to absorb and store thermal energy. Designing an energy-efficient home requires finding the right thermal mass balance. NatHERs assessment involves evaluating thermal comfort. 

  • Insulation essentially prevents heat from escaping. The quantity of heat kept or lost may be considerably affected by glazing, which functions as insulation for windows.

  • Shutters and landscaping may provide the maximum amount of thermal comfort by limiting the amount of sunshine a property gets. 

  • On the other hand, skylights and roof windows are wonderful sources of natural light that can reduce energy bills.

  • Make sure your home has adequate ventilation.

  • If condensation is not addressed, it can lead to rot and mould, which can be deadly.

Key Target Areas to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

Windows 
  • Install coatings or double and triple glazing on windows.
  • Install climatically appropriate windows.
  • Other crucial factors to consider are size, positioning, and shading.
Doors 
  • Increase the number of doors in the home design to better use natural heating and cooling.
  • Doors can be added to hallways or next to rarely used rooms for better ventilation.

Insulation 

  • Boost the R-value of your insulation. 
  • Add insulation to rarely insulated spaces like the garage, interior walls, and areas like the laundry and bathroom. Insulation is an important component of NABERS as well. 
Colour 
  • Replace darker, more heat-absorbing colours with lighter, heat-resistant ones.

Wrapping Up


By following these simple methods, it is possible to make your home more energy efficient. If you are building a new home, you can make careful changes in the design to make it more sustainable. 

And don't forget to collaborate with Eco Certificates! An  experienced building consultation agency for your development sustainability requirements.
Location: 413/33 Lexington Dr, Bella Vista NSW 2153, Australia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Practical Insight To natHERS Assessment

-
Image
It has become crucial for every constructor or builder to pay special attention to energy consumption efficiency. They have to make houses that consume the least energy without compromising comfort. This is where the natHERS Assessment certification steps in! What's NatHERS? NatHERS or Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme is a procedure used for measuring a house's thermal efficiency. It determines how much energy will be needed for heating or cooling the home.  Structural details and specifications are used as input to the assessment software to calculate the efficiency. It then calculates and compares the result with the fixed scheme data.  Once done, the software displays the rating in 10-star credits. Following this, about 5.4% of energy consumption was decreased in the household sector.  What do the NatHERS star ratings mean? The higher the NatHERS star rating, the more efficient a concerned property is. For example, a 5-star property will need more energy to cool...
Read more

5 Important Things You Should Know About BASIX Report

-
Image
  What Is A BASIX Report?  BASIX or Building Sustainability Index was drafted in 2004 by the New South Wales Government to ensure that residential developments (homes and apartments) were sustainable.  This BASIX initiative was actually underlined in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. BASIX reports come with a BASIX certificate that enables the NSW state to have sustainable dwellings that can reduce water consumption and greenhouse gases.  BASIX reports were created to target about 25% minimization in greenhouse gases and 40% in water consumption.  These targets not only help to save the environment but provide economic savings for any homeowner as well. Consequently, a BASIX certified home has a better market value. What Does a BASIX Report Encompass?  A BASIX report comes with an assessment certificate (BASIX certificate) needed during any development application process in New South Wales. The BASIX report entails various criteria, includin...
Read more

How To Improve Your NABERS Rating For Existing And New Buildings?

-
Image
  Green Building and sustainable development are gradually shifting from a luxury to a necessity. So why this shift in mindset? Is it due to the stringent laws and regulations alone?  One-third of the global carbon footprint is generated by buildings alone (both residential and commercial). The investors, Government and the general public are becoming more aware of the benefits of sustainable buildings to the natural world.  Keeping this revolutionary shift in mindset and regulations, most building planners and project owners are looking towards developing sustainable building design. NABERS provides a measurable sustainability index for various components of building design.  So what exactly is NABERS Rating , and is it really necessary? What Is NABERS Rating? Although the demand for eco-friendly office spaces was increasing, how would you know for sure which buildings were actually following sustainability protocols? That’s where the National Australian Built Envir...
Read more