At the Southern Star Group, we love a sustainable home and helping the Earth as much as we can.
And why wouldn’t we? Living sustainably not only saves the planet, but it can also save you a lot of money.
So, to help you create your own sustainable home oasis, we’ve compiled six tips that will help you make your new home as sustainable as possible.
Well-insulated homes are better at keeping a constant temperature all year round. They stop the heat and cold from leaving, reducing reliance on heating and air-conditioning (which will save you the big bucks).
The National Construction Code dictates the minimum insulation quality that you can use depending on the climate zone that you live in, but you can add extra environmental efficiency to your home by upgrading to a higher performing recycled polyester, mineral wool or cellulose fibre insulation.
Home design has come a long way in just the past 30 odd years. Homes that heat and cool ‘passively’ incorporate elements like orientation, air movement, thermal mass and shading to create spaces that rely less on heating and air-conditioning (which has been found to contribute to a whopping 2% of all greenhouse emissions).
Visit the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme Website (nathers.gov.au) and to get in touch with a NatHERS assessor to help you increase the overall energy efficiency of your home.
If you have the budget for it – produce your own power! Solar power if by far the most popular way of going ‘off-grid’ but by no means the only way – options using wind power and geothermal energy can also help you go off grid, and greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
Sophisticated battery solutions also now exist to store additional solar generated power – or even additional power from the grid, so you can keep the Netflix running even during a power outage.
Wastewater from your shower, washing machines, baths, basins and many other appliances can be collected using greywater treatment systems and then reused in your garden and on your lawn – while saving the high-quality drinking water for your chai tea.
Sorting out a greywater system can be inexpensive, with the simplest water diverters starting at under $1000. But more advanced systems can be installed depending on your usage requirements and budget.
Many environmental inclusions that you might be budgeting for might already be the bare minimum required. This is also the case on a local level – many local councils will impose mandatory inclusions like water tanks, or minimum required insulation in your new home.
State, Federal and Local governments love greener buildings. You only have to look at the new energy efficiency mandates in the National Construction Code 2022 to see that this is the case.
When it comes to making your home as green and energy efficient as possible, you need to understand U-values. In essence a U value measures how energy efficient a building product is by measuring how well a product is resistant to heat flow, and the easier it is to regulate the building’s heat internally. A lower U-value indicates higher insulative performance and greater energy efficiency.
U-values in Australia typically fall between 2.0 and 10.0 (with 2.0 being at the higher performing end of the scale).
The Thermal Star™ range from Southern Star Aluminium Windows & Doors features some of the best performing U-values for thermal efficiency available to the Australian market. With cutting-edge inline reveals, thermally improved frames and double glazing as standard, you will be able to maintain a constant temperature in your home without having to use energy guzzling air-conditioners or heaters.
Sustainability has never been more comfortable.
Learn More About Thermal Star™
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