Prioritising Your Choices
The "Your Home" project should be about improving the quality of life of the residents and reducing the overall environmental impact. Cost is usually the main consideration when selecting what to include and what to leave out. Creating the perfect sustainable home will be out of the range of most budgets - but what does that mean anyway. This sums it up: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the future without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED, 1987 Brundtland Report).
Planning a reno includes prioritising the things you want to achieve such as more space, a better kitchen or bathroom, more sunlight, reduced energy and water consumption etc. Search the internet for facts on suitable materials, types of glass, well designed lighting, and energy saving appliances.
The following important considerations are helpful when decisions have to be made on designing, buying, building or renovating a home.
Energy Efficient, Sustainable Homes
These are rapidly increasing in value owing to their greater comfort levels and lower running costs. Your home will be around for at least 50 years and its resale value will be increasingly linked to these features. Sustainable housing include technologies that cover a wide range of topics including rainwater storage, solar energy, composting, renewable building materials, efficient appliances. In Australia there are now whole housing developments being built as sustainable homes.
Reducing Energy Consumption
This is an urgent priority. Global warming and its effects on climate change are already becoming apparent.These will invariably lead to higher prices for energy from non-renewable sources. Look for appliances with high star ratings that will not only save on your pocket expenses but will help save our planet. Little things like monitoring your gas and electricity bills for unexpected increases then working out how you can further decrease your usage; Insulate hot water pipes; Set the thermostat at 60-65 Deg C on storage hot water systems and 50 deg C on instantaneous systems; Turn off hot water systems when on vacation; Put a timer on the electric booster of solar hot water heaters and on peak electric storage systems to avoid heating water when not needed; turn appliances off at the wall (you'll be amazed how much energy you can save - not to mention reduce the risk of fire).
Water Usage
Water is in short supply the world over. Rising demand for houshold water is competing with needs of agriculture and both are reducing the environmental flow needed to keep our rivers and waterways healthy. The application of these ways to use water in a sustainable way will depend on whether you live in the country or the cities, in the tropics or the temperate areas. Examine these suggestions and decide what may be able to improve your quality of life and reduce your impact the on the environment. Install AAA rated shower heads and dual flush toilet cisterns that save water; Reduce water demand; Rainwater harvesting; On-site wastewater reuse; Waterless toilets; Stormwater management; Outdoor water use; Fix leaking taps.
Passive Cooling
Air movement is the most important element of passive cooling, and this is produced by fans. They increase cooling by increasing evaporation rates. Hot humid (tropical) climates limit the body's ability to lose heat by evaporation of perspiration. Sleeping comfort is a significant issue. Design eaves and shading to permanently exclude solar access to rooms; Maximise shaded external areas with trees and plants - this will also lower the ground temperature.
Use low energy ceiling fans and natural cooling whole house fans to draw the cooler air in from outside and when there is no breeze. Note that natural cooling whole house fans also remove the odors and toxins from your home and lower the need for refrigerated air conditioning. Choose windows with maximum opening areas e.g. louvres or shutters - avoid fixed glass areas.
Hot dry areas require the introduction of water into the atmosphere. Evaporative cooling is an effective passive cooling method and works best when relative humidity if lower (70 percent or less during hottest periods) and the air has a greater capacity to take up water vapour. Design solutions include the use of pools, ponds and water features immediately outside windows or in courtyards to precool air entering the house. Carefully located water features can create convective breezes. Other cooling tips in tropical areas can also be applied to hot dry areas.
Passive (Solar) Heating
In cold climates establish where your sun moves during summer and winter and design your windows to let the suns heat in while insulating against the cold. In hot and moderate climates admit light but reject the heat. Open floor plans allow more sun inside. The sun's heat is stored in the thermal mass of your building - concrete, masonry, stone slabs - and is slowly released. Proper building orientation will allow solar heat to enter the home in winter, while allowing in as little sun as possible during summer. Shading and overhangs also reduce excessive summer heat, while still permitting winter sun. In passive solar designs, the optimal window-to-wall area ratio is 25-35 percent.
I hope that this information has helped you make important decisions on your most important projects.
About the Author: Brendan Hogg. Brendan is Manager of Cardiffair natural cooling fans. He is Housing Industry Association Green Smart Qualified and experienced in air movement for comfort and a healthier indoor environment. Visit http://cardiffair.com.au/
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