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Living Green

'Solar passive, sustainable design, eco homes and green living' are some of the terms associated with modern building practices. Assisting the enviroment by building a house that is sustainable is what all modern building projects should always incorporate.

Green living is a science that is practical and simple to understand when explained. The theory is basic, build your home so you don't need to use a lot of artificial energy to sustain it.

As we predominantly build in the Lower Southwest of W.A., which is classified as Zone 6, acheiving a 5 Star rating is more difficult than those who build in all other Australian zones. To acheive this energy rating, listed below is an outline of the basic fundamentals of energy efficient design and construction:

• Orientate your living spaces to the north adding larger windows and openings, allowing the lower winter sunlight into your living areas to warm these spaces naturally.
• Hard surface floors are beneficial in comparison to soft carpets as the reflective heat transfers better.
• Shading to the north for the higher sitting summer sunlight is paramount, so the transfer of heat through direct sunlight during the warmer months does not occur. This element is crucial to the overall energy efficiency of your home.
• Small windows and openings to the south.
• Insulate...insulate...insulate. Underfloor, walls, ceilings and roof. The more, the better, this part counts.
• Collect rainwater, its free and tastes far better.
• Grey water systems are a clever way to use your waste water for garden reticulation.
• Solar power systems are many and varied, you can store your own power in battery bank systems or feed back to the grid system for power credits.

Energy efficient homes are not a compromise, they should be a goal we strive to acheive. Come in to our office to discuss how we can design and construct a home for modern green living.

You can view further information on this link to the Department of Housing & Works "5 Star Plus" web page or the PDF attachment.

http://www.5starplus.wa.gov.au/

For further information please visit the Australian Government's new environment website: http://www.environment.gov.au/