Achieving a high star rating is the culmination of numerous design elements working together for the right climate zone. Here are the key considerations.
Consider the home's location and orientation on the block. Place non-habitable rooms to the east and west, bedrooms to the south, and main living areas to the north.
Maximise north-facing windows and minimise western, southern and eastern windows. Plan proper shading and consider tinted or double-glazed options.
Increase ceiling insulation to R4. Consider wall cavity insulation, targeting east and west facing walls. This significantly impacts your rating.
Keep size in mind as larger homes are more difficult to rate highly. Minimise wall area by avoiding complex floor plans that increase external wall area.
Seal doors, windows, vents and exhaust fans. Utilise ceiling fans and identify areas that can be 'zoned' or closed off for efficiency.
Choose energy efficient lighting with sensors. Consider floor treatments such as floor tiles to living areas. Select appropriate outside colours for roof and walls.
Rate Energy encourage clients to plan with energy efficiency in mind from the start. This is the most cost effective way of achieving 6 stars or the required star rating.
You can achieve the 6 or 7 Star Standard with a few simple adjustments to design and construction, and by including a combination of the many options to improve the building's energy-efficiency:
Passive design is design that does not require mechanical heating or cooling. Homes that are passively designed take advantage of natural climate to maintain thermal comfort.
Incorporating the principles of passive design in your home:
Well designed envelopes maximise cooling air movement and exclude sun in summer. In winter, they trap and store heat from the sun and minimise heat loss to the external environment.
For most people, the place where you have the most opportunity to make choices which will save you energy - and money - is in your home. There are many things to consider, each one taking you a little further in your quest for energy efficiency.
Ideally you would have engaged a thermal performance assessor from the planning stage of your project for the best results.
Your new home design will be assessed using the latest FirstRate5 version software. Understanding your climate zone helps achieve the best results.
Highly humid with a degree of 'dry season'. High temperatures year round. Minimum seasonal temperature variation. Lowest diurnal (day/night) temperature range.
High humidity with a definite 'dry season'. Hot to very hot summers with mild winters. Distinct summer/winter seasons. Moderate to low diurnal range.
Distinct wet and dry seasons. Low rainfall and low humidity. No extreme cold but can be cool in winter. Hot to very hot summers common.
Distinct seasons with low humidity all year round. High diurnal range. Low rainfall. Very hot summers common with hot, dry winds. Cool winters.
Low diurnal range near coast to high inland. Four distinct seasons. Summer and winter can exceed comfort range. Mild winters, hot summers.
Low diurnal range near coast to high inland. Four distinct seasons. Mild to cool winters with low humidity. Hot to very hot summers.
Low humidity, high diurnal range. Four distinct seasons. Cold to very cold winters with majority of rainfall. Hot dry summers.
Low humidity, high diurnal range. Four distinct seasons. Cold to very cold winters with some snowfall. Warm to hot, dry summers.
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