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Sustainable housing is better for the environment, but it could also help you to avoid the tough heat and stay cool in summer.
When building or designing a home, integrating specific design elements can ensure your house is versatile during warmer and cooler months.
A spokesperson from the federal Department of the Environment and Energy said a house without air-conditioning was entirely possible.
“If a house is well-designed and constructed appropriately for its climate, then in many cases air-conditioning may not be needed. This can save households money in running costs while making [it] more comfortable,” the spokesperson said.
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Consider these building tips:
1. Orientation
The department spokesperson said that when building it was important to understand your local climate and design your house with opening windows in spots that would make the most of the prevailing breezes.
Envirotecture director Dick Clarke agreed orientation was crucial.
“Pay attention to the site and what the site is telling us about the natural forces. We work with the natural forces instead of fighting against them - looking at orientation of the building, and asking ‘where is the sun coming from?’. That is a very brief introduction into passive design,” Mr Clarke said.
2. Window selection
Double-glazed windows are a way of insulating a home, Mr Clarke said.
“The best approach is to add external shading so you are stopping the direct summer heat from hitting the glass in the first place. Look at glass that can block solar radiant heat by looking at the glass’s performance characteristics,” he said.
The department spokesperson said adding blinds or films or tints to the windows to reflect the sun were easy changes that could make a difference.
3. Insulation
Mr Clarke said the thickness of walls was not as important as the material of walls.
“The material and density of the material is the most important factor for everything and brick or concrete material has the better effect.
“The height of the ceiling is a powerful thing too, it’s all about air movement. The higher the space, the more cool air you’ll have to enjoy at the bottom of the space.
“That’s where ceiling fans come in, to break up warm air if they turn slowly,” he said.
4. Roofs
Mr Clarke said there was not a huge difference between tiled and steel roofing when it came to temperature control.
“We used to believe steel roofing was more beneficial, but the University of Newcastle found this isn’t the case. What is more important is the colour of the roof. Dark roofs are horrible for accumulating summer heat, a lighter roof will allow the heat to reflect off it. The next thing to think about is the insulation you put under the roof,” he said.