When building a new house or extension, there are various things you need to account for in order to reach the building authority’s energy efficiency threshold. In fact, without obtaining a 6 Star home energy efficiency rating, you won’t be cleared for a building permit at all.
Many of the building authority’s requirements are concerned with minimising heating and cooling costs as much as possible, which contributes greatly to total energy use. But even if you aren’t going for a building permit, it’s worthwhile knowing a little about how you can save energy in your home using the modern HVAC system.
This article will go through a handful of pointers that may help you reduce cooling/heating costs.
1. Use A Portable Heater
Using your centralised heating for long periods can be very inefficient and expensive. Consider purchasing a new, portable space heater and placing it in your lounge/living room on those cold winter nights and switch off the main heating source.
You can then take it with you and head to your bedroom rather than keeping the ducted heating blazing for hours on end. Some modern heaters on the market cost as little as 20 cents an hour to run. Of course, the rest of the house will be cold but you should be able to keep relatively warm.
2. Insulate the Attic Door
Most Australian homes have an attic door that is used to reach the upper confines of the house. But this opening can allow warm air to easily escape, which obviously has the effect of making it more difficult to heat your home. Basically, you want to be sure that you have a tight seal here and that the door lies as flat as possible. You might consider using a latch-bolt system or adhesive if you notice that this is a problem.
3. Plant More Trees
A large percentage of the heat that enters your house during summer comes directly from the sun shining down on it. While it’s no doubt a long term strategy, it’s always a good idea to have plants and trees surrounding the exterior of your home to block the sun and reduce your need for air conditioning. Further, studies show that if your air conditioning unit is shaded from the sun, its efficiency can be increased by as much as 10%.
4. Clear Furniture Away from Air Ducts
This is an obvious one but is often overlooked. If you have a couch or some other piece of furniture blocking the duct opening, this makes it much more difficult for the air to circulate and you won’t be getting the most out of your heating. Rearrange your furniture so that the air has a clear path and if you’re building, consider putting the heating ducts in places you aren’t likely to want to put furniture.
5. Use Solar Screens
As discussed above, the sun light’s impact on the high temperatures of your house is paramount. If you don’t have fly-screens or solar-mesh screens installed on windows and doors, this may be well worth the investment the long run. They can block 60-70% of the sun’s energy before it enters the house and they can be used when the door/window itself is open, meaning you can enjoy a cool breeze as well.
There are many ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home, and usually, if you make an effort you can see the results in your cooling and heating costs. Don't forget to try these out next time.