TIPS FOR ENERGY SAVING IN OLD AND NEW HOMES

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1 TIPS FOR ENERGY SAVING IN OLD AND NEW HOMES NOTE: The following information is intended as a rough guide only to improving efficiency of home energy use, and hence to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Users are advised to obtain professional advice for all renovation and technical tasks in their home, for their own safety and to ensure the structural integrity of buildings. Ten most cost-effective steps, taken in any order: 1. Apply passive design principles in siting and later 2. Replace old lights with LEDs 3. Stop draughts 4. Improve insulation 5. Upgrade windows 6. Use energy-efficient appliances 7. Install reverse-cycle air-conditioning, for heating and cooling 8. Use solar or heat-pump systems for water heating 9. Monitor and control energy use 10. Solar panels to generate your electricity. Adapted for Ballarat, from research in Beyond Zero Emissions Buildings Plan - See BZE book: Energy Freedom House available to purchase from Renovators often overlook measures which improve energy efficiency Category Energy saving opportunities missed Percent missed opportunity (%) Insulation No insulation fitted to suspended floors 72 No insulation fitted to external walls 60 Incomplete ceiling insulation (Gaps) 30 No insulation under roof tiles 30 Draught proofing Door seals missing 30 No dampers on exhaust fans 10 No chimney dampers fitted 5 Windows Areas of unprotected western windows 20 Inefficient new windows/ frames 15 Lighting Inefficient lighting choices 50 [But be sure to check the costs and benefits of each option] From Victorian Household Energy Report See also: Australia s guide to building, buying or renovating a home 1

2 Windows Use closely woven, close-fitting curtains or blinds Ensure there s a snug fit on both sides of the window and at the top of the curtain to stop warm air from moving down behind the curtain and cooling Install boxed pelmets or solid barriers above the curtain rail, or position the curtain within the window space Use curtain tracks that provide a return of curtain to the wall to create a seal Close curtains or blinds when you have the heating on, especially at night by leaving curtains or blinds open, you're wasting money and energy To keep the heat in, consider Internal window coverings Double glazing Secondary glazing Material used for window frames To keep the heat out in summer, consider Shading external windows Glass coatings and films 2

3 Daily behaviour to save energy: 1. Dress for the weather in winter, wear extra layers inside and lower your heating thermostat. By setting your heating thermostat between C, you can decrease your running costs by 10% or more. In summer, wear lighter clothing and keep your air conditioner s thermostat between 24 C 26 C. 2. Only heat or cool and light rooms you are using. Where possible, zone your lighting and ducted heating or cooling and close off doors to unoccupied rooms. Set your thermostat with care: With heating, every degree above 18 o C adds 10% to your bill; with cooling, every degree below 26 o C adds 10% to your bill. 3. By washing your clothes in cold water and drying on a line or rack, you can save up to $100* a year. 4. Compare your electricity suppliers to check you are getting the best deal on your rates at switchon.vic.gov.au. Appliances - how to save energy 1. Your fridge runs 24 hours a day 365 days a year. This adds up and makes it the most expensive appliance to run. Make sure that the door seal is tight and free from gaps so cold air doesn't escape. If you have a second fridge, give it a winter break - just turn it on when you need it. Reduce fridge contents to a minimum, but keep your freezer full 2. Consider using energy efficient light globes, such as LEDs as an alternative to general lighting and avoid halogen downlights 3. Switch off appliances not in use, at the wall. The cost of appliances which are switched on and not being used (on standby) can add over $100 on your annual power bill. 4. Have a free standby power controller installed to save money and electricity. Standby power controllers automatically cut off power to your electronic devices when you switch them to stand-by mode by pressing the on/off button on your remote control. For a list of accredited installers go to 5. When buying, get the highest star rating practicable. More information about this: Air losses though ceilings can cause high energy bills - so Seal your ceiling Hot air from heaters rises, so any leaks through the ceiling result in heat loss and higher heating costs. Common cause of loss Poor insulation above ceiling Unsealed exhaust fans Unsealed down-lights Skylights with vents or leaks Old air vents that are now not needed Unsealed joints between walls, floor and ceiling Simple solutions Increase thickness to R6 or higher Install effective draft stoppers Install LED bulbs and Seal vents Seal leaks and double glaze Seal old vents Seal and insulate all wall corners 3

4 UNDERSTAND THE HEAT TRANSFER QUALITIES OF ALL YOUR HOUSING MATERIALS Table of R-values and U-values For common housing materials/ components R Value is the Thermal Resistance e.g. used for ceiling Insulation. The higher the R value the better. U Value is Heat Transfer value e.g. used in window materials. The lower the U value the better. Wall materials R value U value Floor, roof, ceiling & window materials R value U value Weather board wall Floorboards (19mm) plus carpet & underlay Brick veneer wall Sarking with 200mm static airgap Brick veneer with 75mm batt Concrete slab 150mm thick Brick veneer w 10mm aerogel blanket Glasswool batts (175mm thick) Cavity double brick wall Aerated blanket (10 mm thick) Cavity Double brick wall with lose-fill or polyurethane insulation Tiled roof (tiles alone) Metal roof (alone) Solid brick wall (230 mm) Single pane clear glass (3mm) Solid brick wall (300mm) *Single Perspex pane (3mm) Solid stone wall (300mm thick) Single pane Low E glass Solid stone wall (300mm thick) with plasterboard & sarking inside Double glazing with 16 mm air gap D-glazed unit with Low E coating Solid concrete wall (200 mm thick) D-glazed unit with Low E coating and 16mm argon-filled gap Aerated concrete wall (100mm block) Centre of framed window pane data Aerated concrete wall (200mm block) *Aluminium frame unit single pane Mud brick wall (300mm block) *Alum. frame unit D-glazed 12mm gap Plaster board 10mm thick *Wood/PVC frame unit single pane Solid wooden door (12 mm thick) 3.0 *Wood/PVC frame unit D-glazed 12mm Data mainly from Marsh AD (2001) Sustainability and the old Australian house. * Data from other sources. The U Value is the Inverse of R value. Divide 1 by either the R or U value to convert to the other unit. For instance a substance with an R-Value of 2 has a U-Value of 0.5 = (1 divided by 2) Heat loss through window (for e.g.) is calculated by: Watts = Area x U value x Temp Difference (diff between outside & inside temperature 4

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