Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home. Connecting you to a more sustainable future

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1 Case Study domestic Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home Connecting you to a more sustainable future

2 Case Study / Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home pg 2 Keeping up with the Joneses Saving the planet but also saving your pocket! Building their dream home on the shores of Lake Boga in Northern Victoria, the Jones family, wanted to ensure that their dream home would be as energyefficient as possible. The design of the home and the selection of energyefficient technology would be crucial elements in meeting the family s two main goals and would ensure that their major investment yielded a financial return and as well as reducing their impact on the environment. Building from scratch, gave Mark and Belinda Jones the opportunity to design a home that met their primary objectives. They took the time to plan a dwelling which to meet their future needs. They considered what they did and didn t want The on-going and rising costs of energy and negative affects on the environment. The Challenge A green home The goal To make our home as energy self-sufficient as possible, reducing our water and energy usage and carbon footprint Mark Jones, homeowner. The Jones worked with architects to ensure the design of their home was as eco-friendly as possible. The Design encompassed the following efficiencies: Passive solar design This is a means of using sunlight for useful energy without use of active mechanical systems (as contrasted to active solar) - This ensures the natural daylight is used to the optimum. Evaporative cooling An evaporative cooling system is based on a totally natural cooling process; therefore, no harmful CFC gases are released. These systems boast lower energy use, lower running costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions than refrigerated air conditioners. (Information sourced from sustainability Victoria Choosing a cooling system ) Air Conditioning Set in between the joists to efficiently service 2 floors. Strategically positioned on the ground floor roof, the unit receives afternoon shade from the second storey of the home. Gas heating used throughout the winter months. Insulation To increase comfort from the elements and improve energy efficiency. Double glazing To increase comfort from the elements and improve energy efficiency. Blinds - To increase comfort from the elements and improve energy efficiency. The design laid the foundation for their energy efficient possibilities. For their home to provide optimum efficiency, it was essential that the technologies selected and the family s usage complemented this design. They had the dream, they had the design, but they needed to find professionals to provide them with the expertise in the field of energy efficiency.

3 Case Study / Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home pg 3 The Expertise The need for Green expertise They contacted Richard Electrical, a recognised accredited EcoSmart Electrician, and a local builder with complementary energy efficient expertise through the Master Builders Association Green Living training program. Richard Sammon, Managing director of Richard Electrical, is known as an energy efficient expert within his local community. He has built a green reputation and is often approached for advice by organisation, whenever a notable change occurs relating to energy efficiency and environmental issues. The drive to offer energy efficient expertise was born after he put himself and key members of his business through the EcoSmart Electricians program. A subsequent trip to Europe showed him how far other regions around the world had moved in reducing resource use, illustrating to Richard, the possibilities for future change and growth. The Solution Getting the right Green advice Taking advice from Richard and their local builder, the Jones changed the aspect of the house from facing west to north west. This offers the home the best use of the sun during winter, through providing passive heating which saves on heating costs, and reduces the impact of the harsh sun throughout summer. This simple decision will increase the Jones comfort and reduce energy consumption across all seasons of the year. Richard acknowledges there is a lot of misinformation in the market place; he often needs to spend time educating potential clients on the importance of reducing energy use around their home, before they commit to investing in an energy generating system. He stated that, Many clients contact me asking for the biggest system available to generate enormous amounts of energy that they will never use Identifying the potential market opportunity, Richard completed further training. In 2008 he became the sole dealer distributor in the Swan Hill area for the premium solar hot water brand, Edwards and the North West Victorian dealer for Conergy photovoltaic generation systems. Confident that they could offer clients a complete energy efficient solution, Richard now promotes this service to the community, helping confused consumers and business owners alike to see through the greenwash. DEFINITIONS Greenwash: The use of misleading information by an organisation to promote the environmental benefits of a product or service in order to present a positive green public image.

4 Case Study / Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home pg 4 Richard educates his clients, informing them that introducing a system to generate energy is not the sole action to be taken to reduce energy bills. Before renewable energy generation can be seriously considered, it is important that homeowners and businesses alike look at their energy usage and reduce the electricity they consume. The team take pride in educating potential clients, recognising their energy saving needs and takes the opportunity to begin the lengthier energy efficient conversation, Each energy generation system needs to suit the specific property; an analysis is required to determine the appropriate system, as some systems perform differently and are not as efficient at different times of the year, says Richard. He continues, We are able to show our clients reasonable pay back periods, therefore, the long-term gains speak for themselves. The Jones benefited from Sammon s all encompassing energy efficient solution, the following was recommended for their eco-efficient home: Energy efficient globes in all areas of the home Energy efficient globes were installed throughout the home. Downlight fittings were installed with a 20w Compact Florescent Lamp (CFL) instead of the usual older 50w halogen lamp. This lamp not only boasted a reduction in energy consumption compared to its peers but offered a lux (light output) that reduced the need for further fittings in some areas by up to 50%. For example, in the living room area, four fittings containing the older technology would have been required, when using the new CFL technology, only 2 fittings needed to be installed. DEFINITIONS Lux: (lx) is the unit of illuminance and luminous emittance. It is used in photometry as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by the human eye, of light that hits or passes through a surface. In simple terms Lux is how the human eye perceives brightness. Light emitting diode (LED) lamps were used in other areas, such as the wall lighting. LED s offer long life and high efficiency. Reducing the electricity used throughout the home.

5 Case Study / Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home pg 5 Sensors set up in low usage areas Motion sensors were installed to activate lighting in areas with low usage. All hallways, landings, porches and toilets in the home have motion sensor lighting set-up. In some cases, for as little as 10 seconds, just the time it takes to walk along the hallway or landing. Reducing the electricity used in low usage areas. Photovoltaic system A 2.04KW Photovoltaic (PV) system* was recommended and installed. This system generates an average of 9.1 kwh per day, generating enough energy to supply the needs of the family of 4. Generating all energy used by the family and more during the height of summer. DEFINITIONS Photovoltaic System (PV s): best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity. Ceiling fans Recommended and installed to provide a natural energy saving cooling solution. Most fans use only about as much power as a 60 watt light globe, around 1 cent per hour to run. Ceiling fans can save money on utility bills in both the winter and summer months. (The calculations on costs and savings are approximate only and may vary based on size and use of fan Provided by Reducing the electricity used throughout the home. Solar hot water A 305 litre Thermosiphon Solar Hot Water system* was installed. This system uses natural convection to heat the water. During the summer no electric boost is required, meaning the system generates enough energy to heat the entire 305 litres of water. During the winter months the system generates a smaller solar gain, warming the water and then relying on an electric boost. This reduces the energy used as the system does not have to heat 305 litres of cold water. Reducing the electricity used to heat water.

6 Case Study / Lake Boga Energy Efficient Home pg 6 Energy efficient appliances Richard recommended the Jones refer to the energyrating.gov.au website when selecting their new appliances. This site allows consumers to select the most energy efficient options for their needs. This site assisted them in selecting a new microwave, dishwasher and fridge. The site also allowed them to check the efficiency of their existing appliances. Reducing the electricity used throughout the home. The Outcomes Their dream home is delivering The family are confident that the money they have invested in energy consumption reduction and energy generation will offer a significant return, which they will benefit from well into the future. They are astonished when they compare their reduced energy bills with those of their friends and neighbours. Where some of their neighbours are using up to $1000 of energy per quarter, their home is already running at cost neutral. Mark said, There is absolutely an economic rationale behind what we have done here, we are excited about the opportunity of getting paid for the excess electricity we supply to the grid. He says they are already generating more energy than they use. By their second quarter bill they will be making a saving of $450. Eliminating their $150 bill and receiving $300 for the excess energy they produce. They are able to receive 66c per KW via the Victorian government premium feed-in tariff, providing a real benefit for producing excess electricity. All our planning and effort has been well worth it, we are making amazing savings on our running costs compared to our previous home and feel happy that we have been able to reduce our impact on our children s future environment, said Belinda Jones, home owner. The course in electrical energy efficiency and the development of the EcoSmart Electricians accreditation was developed by NECA in conjunction with Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the National Framework for Energy Efficiency. PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED Products recommended and installed were: Motion sensors: Clipsal Infrascan Airconditioner: Breezair PV system: Conergy 2.04KW Ceiling fans: Hunter Pacific Inverter: SMA CFL globes: Pierlite Solar Hot Water system: Edwards LX33 Thermosiphon