As the temperature soars so to do the power bills and with the new rates imposed by the State Government it is time to get smart and green about energy use.
The federal and Western Australian governments provide rebates to those who make their homes more eco-friendly since houses currently contribute to 22 percent of the nation’s carbon footprint.
Going green is also touted as being a great cost saver, which is backed by the building industry that says the more air tight the home, the more energy efficient.
Perth architect Joe Chindarsi designed a seven star rated energy efficient home for his grandfather in Bridgetown, where temperatures drop to minus three degrees and soar to 40 degrees.
‘We did that by orientating it in an east-west direction to minimize the solar gain and maximise the north winter sun, with lots of glass facing north and then cut it out on the west face,’ Chindarsi said.
‘The whole house was double glazed as well because glass is the weak point of the house.’
The double glazing was filled with argon gas, which can be sourced from interstate or overseas and provides a higher level of thermal retention than a standard vacuum seal.
However it does come at a cost and Chindarsi suggested low-emissivity glass for those who could not afford it.
‘The Bridgetown home has grey water going into the garden and collects its own rain water so it is entirely self sufficient and not on the scheme,’ he said.
‘It has a 1.4 kilowatt (solar) system on the roof and pretty much does most of the power but has the grid connected as a back-up.’
He also created a dry compost toilet which was ecologically friendly and saved on water.
He is very passionate about designing homes to meet requirements and creating multi-functional rooms so that the overall size of the house does not require lots of heating and cooling and overall reduces its emissions.
He also used a lot of recyclable materials, particularly timber which had come from his grandparents’ house in Karrinyup.
‘Certain materials use less energy (to make) such as a concrete block is a better choice than traditional fired clay bricks which uses up a lot of energy,’ he said.
‘Timber is the most sustainable material to use, which I would strongly encourage the use of.’
He also recommended limestone since it was mined locally and added warmth and character to a home.
For fans of the television show Grand Designs, Chindarsi’s firm utilises Sips – which is a pre-fabricated structural material of sandboard with insulation built in, making it air tight and thermally efficient.
Sip technology is one way of helping home builders meet the new building codes being introduced next year, which plans to raise the rating of new houses from five stars to six, Chindarsi said.
Meanwhile Peter Galloway is hoping to help homeowners furnish their home in environmentally friendly ways using ethically sourced merchandise.
As an environmental engineer and interior designer, Galloway says people can investigate ways of altering their homes to allow more light into rooms as a means of reducing the need for electricity – such as buying blinds with louvers that track the trajectory of the sun, possibly using different paint colours and ensuring that their lamps have been fitted with energy saving light bulbs.
His shop, Concept 78 store in East Fremantle, sources bags made from recycled skateboards and fire hoses and other home furnishings made of organic materials, including a range of candles which donates profits to support an AIDS community in South Africa.
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