| When building your home or renovating you have | | | | walls and under floor. Of these the most |
| an excellent opportunity to make it energy | | | | important one in the ceiling insulation and this is |
| efficient and save up to 40% on your energy | | | | also the the easiest to install into the home. When |
| costs. | | | | building a new home, ceiling and wall insulation are |
| Building your energy efficient home | | | | added to part of the energy efficiency of the |
| When building from the ground up you can take | | | | building. However ceiling insulation can be added at |
| the opportunity to select the orientation of your | | | | any time and wall insulation can be added when |
| house, wall and ceiling insulation, hot water | | | | renovating allows. |
| systems, lighting, heating and cooling and energy | | | | Lighting |
| efficient appliances. This is not only great for the | | | | Lighting your home is changing as the average |
| environment but also for saving money on your | | | | home uses about $100 per year is lighting alone. |
| power bills. | | | | Older lighting using the traditional light bulb is being |
| Planning | | | | changed by compact fluorescent light globes that |
| Planning your home is important and most people | | | | use alot less energy and last longer than old light |
| put in a great deal of thought into the room sizes, | | | | globes. Using these type of globes will reduce the |
| layout, paint colors and the over all look of the | | | | average home lighting costs by up to 50%. |
| house. At this stage it is also important to make | | | | However another change is on the ways and is |
| your building choices energy efficient. This starts | | | | better than compact fluorescent globes - LED |
| with the use of energy efficient building materials | | | | lights. These types of lights will reduce energy |
| with good thermal mas like stone, brick, Hebel | | | | costs by a further 25% and the globes last |
| (light weight concrete). These type of the | | | | longer. |
| materials fall into two main parts: | | | | Hot Water |
| - absorb heat during the winter days and then | | | | Solar heated hot water is an excellent choice for |
| release it back into the home during the cooler | | | | the energy efficient house and this can still be |
| nights. | | | | heated by electricity or gas when the sun is not |
| - The material blocks the summer heat and | | | | shining. Also the new heat exchanger hot water |
| releases it back into the environment during the | | | | systems are very energy efficient . This type |
| cooler night prevent it heating the inside of the | | | | uses a heat exchanger to take heat from the air |
| home. | | | | and heat the hot water (this works similar to a air |
| Other considerations would be thermally designed | | | | conditioner). For the both of these options the |
| windows which reflect heat and UV rays helping | | | | climate must be taken into account for the |
| to block thermal transference outside to inside | | | | product to work efficiently. |
| and inside to outside. Thus keeping the heat out | | | | Solar Power |
| during summer and the heat in during winter. | | | | Solar Power has always been expensive however |
| Renovating and Building | | | | with government rebates it is now easier to |
| If you are renovating there are many energy | | | | make this choice. Solar panels are mounted on the |
| efficient products to choose from that will make | | | | roof of the building and can even replace the |
| your home become energy efficient. | | | | roofing material. When the energy is captured by |
| Cooling your home during the hot summer | | | | the panels it runs through an inverter which turns |
| months can be expensive without energy efficient | | | | it into power that can be used in your home |
| design and building products. However, today | | | | deleting or reducing your energy costs. There are |
| there are efficient inverter air conditioners and | | | | two main systems -- battery and grid connected. |
| ceiling and wall insulation which cut costs and | | | | Battery solar systems store the power in |
| improve the efficiency of the cooling appliances. | | | | batteries to be used when needed. Grid |
| One of the largest problems with older homes is | | | | connected feeds power into the grid running your |
| that they leak energy. The cool air leaks out and | | | | power meter backwards and then runs forwards |
| the hot air flows in during hot days. Thus the air | | | | again as you need to use the power. |
| conditioner continues to pump cool air in to | | | | Using energy efficient products not only saves |
| because the temperature continues to raise. The | | | | money but will make your home more |
| reverse is also true during winter heat is | | | | comfortable and place less load on the family |
| continually lost to the outside environment. | | | | budget. Make sure you plan to install energy |
| Insulation | | | | efficient items and products into your home as |
| Insulation comes in in a few main forms - ceiling, | | | | you build or renovate. |