Smart Housing Tips
Designed for people and the environment.
Whether you are building a new home or renovating your existing one, incorporating Smart Housing features at the design stage will ensure your house is more comfortable to live in, cheaper to run and has minimal impact on the environment.
Top 10 Considerations
1. Orientation:
The north side is warmer in winter and the best place for rooms you use a lot, like living areas. The west side gets hot in the afternoon and is best for rooms you don’t use often, like bathrooms, garages and laundries. The south side is the coolest and good for bedrooms in warmer climates, as well as rooms you don’t use often. The east side gets morning sun and is good for breakfast rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.
2. External Colours:
Light coloured external walls and roof sheeting absorb less heat from the sun than dark colours, ensuring the home remains cooler.
3. Roof Eaves:
Wide overhangs provide shade to external walls and windows, helping to keep the home cool and protect it from the elements.
4. Water Heating:
Energy efficient hot water systems such as solar hot water, natural gas and electric heat-pumps will lower your water heating bill and reduce the households carbon footprint by an average of 4 tonnes of CO2 per year.
5. Breezeways and Zoning:
Position the windows and doors to provide good cross-ventilation throughout all rooms of the house. This will help catch the breezes and cool the home. Use internal doors to separate areas of the house so if you do have to heat or cool your home, it can be a smaller area.
6. 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. This, in turn, will reduce the households carbon footprint.
7. Ceiling Fans:
Fans will create movement of air, increasing comfort in the home.
8. Look for the Stars:
Make water and energy efficiency a top priority for appliances and fixtures. You can search and compare the water efficiency rating of appliances and fixtures at  www.waterrating.gov.au . You can do the same for energy efficiency at www.energyrating.gov.au
9. Lighting:
Make smart lighting choices. Refer to ‘designing in detail’ for more information.
10. Stormwater Pollution:
Where possible, include a grassed area adjacent to the driveway so vehicles can be washed on the grass instead of the driveway. This will prevent vehicle wash-down water from ending up in local waterways.
A well designed and well fitted-out home may cost a little more up-front, but it will be more comfortable, have cheaper running costs and demonstrate your commitment to a sustainable future.
Please click on the headings below for more information...
BASIX
Introduced by the NSW Government, BASIX, the Building Sustainability Index, ensures homes are designed to use less potable water and be responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions by setting energy and water reduction targets for house and units.
New Home Buyers
The buyers guide will take you through the process of choosing a new home step-by-step, explaining what to look for and the important questions to ask. It has heaps of great tips for choosing an environmentally friendly new home.
Renovating
The renovators guide contains a range of tips and checklists for designing a healthy, comfortable and environmentally friendly home.
Designing in Detail
The link to the right will take you to the ‘your home technical manual’. If you are building, buying or renovating, the technical manual has been developed to show you how to design and build a more comfortable home that has less impact on the environment – a home that will also be more economical to run, healthier to live in and adaptable to your changing needs.
Solar Hot Water
The link to the right provides a document that contains a list of frequently asked questions on solar hot water including rebate eligibility, choosing a tank size, frost issues etc.
Solar Power
This section currently under construction.
Insulation
The link to the right provides a document that contains a list of frequently asked questions on insulation including rebate eligibility, types of insulation, installation tips etc.
Rainwater Tanks
The links to the right provides documents containing a list of frequently asked questions on rainwater tanks, an installation checklist, registration requirements, Plumbing and Drainage permit and Council rainwater tank policy.
Grey Water
The NSW Department of Water and Energy have produced a range of information to assist you in the use of grey water.
Links to the introduction brochure and the rest of the fact sheets are available to the right.
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