Energy Efficiency at Home - Transcript
We all want a comfortable home – warm in winter, and cool in summer. And
especially these days, when most of us are keeping a keen eye on our electricity &
gas bills!
We’re about to find out the 5 key elements that’ll help you create a comfortable,
energy efficient home = and help you save on your energy bills…
Firstly, we need to work out the orientation of our home – and what we can do to
maximise the warmth of the sun in winter, and minimise it in summer.
The sun’s path changes according to the seasons – it’s higher in the sky in summer,
and spends a lot of time shining on your east facing windows in the morning, and
west facing windows in the afternoon. In winter it’s lower in the sky and will shine
through north facing windows. Once we understand how all that affects our house,
we can take steps to make it work for us.
For new homes, aim to having your main living areas facing north where possible, to
take advantage of the sun’s path – and place bedrooms or ‘wet’ areas like
bathrooms and laundries to the south or west.
For established homes, you may be able to change the way you use existing rooms –
for example, turning a north facing bedroom into a general living area
If you’re building or renovating, consider installing larger windows in your north
facing rooms. They’ll let in plenty of winter sun – and they’re easy to shade during
the summer months.
Eaves, pergolas or adjustable horizontal shading will provide effective protection for
north facing windows in summer. These will also allow the low angled winter sun to
enter your home in the cooler months.
Minimize the size of windows facing east, west and south – and make sure your east
& west facing windows have effective vertical shading for summer.
In winter, having thick, well-fitted curtains and pelmets will help to keep your rooms
comfortably warm.
And double-glazing windows is a great way to keep the heat in and reduce external
noise.
Insulation is one of the most important ways to make your home energy efficient –
and a well insulated home could save you up to a staggering 45% on your energy
bills!
The most important thing to consider with insulation is the ‘R value’ – a measure of
the material’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the R value – the greater the
insulating effect, and the bigger the savings.
The ceiling is the most important area to insulate. In Victoria a minimum of R3.5
should be installed, but if you have the space, you can install up to R5.0.
Walls and floors are harder to insulate in established homes, but if you’re building or
renovating don’t forget to include these areas.
Having windows placed across from each other wherever possible means you’ll get
good cross ventilation when those cooling breezes roll in at night or when a cool
change hits!
Think about draught proofing your house for the winter months. Cracks or gaps
around doors or window frames let the cold air in - and the warmth out! There are a
number of sealants and strips available that’ll help you draught proof quickly and
easily…
Making smart choices when buying heating or cooling appliances, water heaters or
other everyday appliances like your fridge will set you up for comfort and
manageable energy bills.
Always check the energy rating label on new appliances – more stars means greater
efficiency and lower running costs.
Lighting is one of the bigger areas of electricity usage, so you can make savings here
as well. Opt for more efficient fittings such as LED or fluorescent globes.
And avoid downlights if at all possible – they have to be installed in large numbers to
get even lighting, which of course increases your power consumption. If you’re
building or renovating make sure you think about your lighting plan – and opt for
pendant lights over multiple downlights.
So here’s a re-cap of the best ways to make your home more energy efficient:
Have Larger windows and your main living areas facing north
Install shading that keeps the summer sun out but lets the winter sun in
Make sure your home is well insulated – and well draught proofed
And opt for energy efficient lighting and appliances
If you want more information on how to make your home more energy efficient,
head to our website