Did you know that residential buildings account for over 12% of carbon emissions and 24% of overall electricity usage in Australia? This has an impact on the overall energy grid and economy of the country. Thus, if you plan to build a new home in Australia, consider using green techniques and features to create an energy-efficient home. Energy efficiency can help you lessen your power bills, improve the indoor air quality in your home, and reduce overall carbon emissions, reducing your carbon footprint. Here are a few green home-building techniques and ideas you can use when building your new home:
When building your home, you should pick a home that is not west-facing so that your home does not get much sun and can stay cool. This will reduce your reliance on cooling devices like air conditioners and thus bring down your electricity and energy bills. You should also pick a home in an area that is less prone to hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Lastly, try to pick a location that is close to your place of work or has good transportation facilities. This will lower your use of your own vehicle and reduce carbon emissions and travel time.
It would be best if you created a green home with only energy-efficient appliances with 4- or 5-star energy ratings. These energy ratings describe how much energy your appliances use, and the higher the star, the more energy-efficient your appliance is.
You should speak to a home building consultant in Australia and make a proper plan to insulate your new home using green techniques. Insulation can reduce your heating and cooling costs by about 50% by ensuring no air leaks and heat loss areas in your home. This will reduce your need for heating and cooling devices and thus will lower your home’s energy consumption.
The best way to build a green home is to use sustainable materials such as recycled glass and plastic, reclaimed lumber and natural products like cork and bamboo. You can use these natural products to build roofing material, cabinets, walls, floors and shelves for a more environmentally-sustainable home.
Lastly, ask your home building consultants to install water fixtures and features to conserve water and make it more eco-friendly. For instance, installing low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads can reduce your water bills and using efficient washing machines can reduce your energy costs to a large extent.
Conclusion
These tips will help you build a green and clean home with energy-efficient appliances, water-conserving features, sustainable materials and proper insulation. It would be best if you also discussed where you want your home to be located and the direction of your new home with your building consultants and builders in Australia. This will help you build the green home of your choice that will reduce your carbon footprint and make your home environmentally friendly.