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5 Steps to Building a Sustainable Home
(1) Save your energy! Think about the energy that will be used in your home including the heating and cooling, lighting, use of appliances and hot water before you build.
Did you know that the average household's energy use is responsible for over seven tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions?
Why not consider?
Renewable Energy
Photovoltaic systems
Wind systems
Batteries and inverters
Home automation
Energy smart lighting
(2) You should be materialistic! Reduce the energy used when building your home by considering alternative materials.
Did you know that Australians create about 28 million tonnes of garbage every year?
Why not consider?
Mudbrick
Rammed earth
Straw bale
Lightweight timber
Clay brick
Autoclaved aerated concrete
Concrete slab floors
Green roofs and walls
Minimising waste
(3) Liquidate your water use! Think about the combined water demand of showers, toilets, taps, washing machines and dishwashers before you build.
Did you know a typical household uses over 650 litres of water every day? This equates to around 240,000 litres (or 5 average sized swimming pools) each year!
Why not consider?
Collecting rainwater
Wastewater re-use
Stormwater re-use
Better management of outdoor water use
Low impact toilets
(4) Design for climate! Know what climate zone you're in and use appropriate design elements to passively condition your home.
Did you know that just by orientating your house in the right direction and making it with the right shape (and with properly placed windows) you can cut your energy bills by 30 percent or more?
Why not consider?
Orientation
Shading
Passive solar heating
Passive cooling
Glazing
Skylights
Installing insulation
(5) Be friendly to the locals! Retain and enhance habitat for locally native flora and fauna.
Did you know that a single tree will absorb one tonne of carbon dioxide over its lifetime?
Why not consider?
Sustainable landscaping
Encouraging biodiversity in your backyard
Reducing the impacts on biodiversity resulting from your development