THE DIRT
There are hundreds of things you can do to make your renovation eco-savvy, so here are just a few things to consider from the Greenhouse Technical Manual.

Passive Solar Design
On average, 39 percent of energy consumed in Australian homes is space heating and cooling. Using passive solar design dramatically reduces this figure.
In very simple terms, passive solar design is about keeping summer sun out and letting winter sun in and incorporates the following design principles;

  Northerly orientation of daytime living areas.
  Appropriate areas of glass on northern facades.
  Passive shading of glass.
  Thermal mass for storing heat.
  Insulation and draught sealing.
  Floor plan zoning based on heating needs. 

Insulation
Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow and is essential to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer. A well insulated and well designed home will provide year-round comfort, cutting cooling and heating bills by up to half.

Choice of Materials
Embodied energy describes the total energy that goes into making a product from the raw materials to the end product. Choosing products with lower embodied energy can be a good place to start but you must also consider the Operational Energy and End of Lifecycle costs: This means how does your choice of material affect the need for other forms of energy use during it’s lifetime and what happens at the end of its life – can the material be recycled?

Transporting Materials
If you choose a material with low embodied energy, low operational energy needs and good end of lifecycle outcome, it would be a pity to have it shipped half way around the world to get to you, so looking for local products when possible is a good option.

Click here to read more on any of these ideas

G SPOT
The Climate Change and You expo is taking place in Perth from the 1st to the 4th of November. Visit the CleanLife events page for more details.


COME CLEAN
Start planning your green reno or new eco-home today with these ideas....

The Natural Paint Place stocks everything you need for fitting out your home with energy saving products. Including Air Cell, a fantastic low emmitance, lightweight insulation product and a range of draft proof sealants, solar lights, energy saving, long lasting light bulbs and a revolutionary paint insulator. Watch the power bills drop! www.energyandwatersolutions.com.au

Solar Dwellings a unique design and construction service of passive solar energy efficient homes in Western Australia. Solar Dwellings provide a professional, friendly service to design individual stylish homes that are functional and comfortable then work with highly competent builders to construct the home. Solar Dwellings are committed to serving you and the environment. www.solardwellings.com.au

If you are not quite ready to renovate or build - we recommend contacting your local energy supplier and switching to GREEN POWER (that is power sourced from renewable resources). For the extra cost of about a coffee a week you can run the average home on 100% renewable power!