Building an energy-efficient home is becoming more popular in an era of rising electricity costs.
A truly energy-efficient home starts with its design. When undertaken correctly, an energy-efficient home can reduce your environmental impact, improve your quality of life, and look stunning.
Here’s what an energy-efficient home builder should do to ensure you build a house for the future.
The core principles of energy-efficient house design
Perth has a unique climate; therefore, building energy-efficient homes in Perth requires an experienced builder. There are seven main core principles to how to make an energy-efficient home.
Passive solar design
The direction in which your home faces has a significant impact on its energy efficiency, and this plays an integral part in its design.
As Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the sun’s path is predominantly to the north. An energy-efficient design will take advantage of this. Oriented on a north-south axis, your home will be designed so its main living areas face north.
This allows them to get more sunlight in winter, when the sun is lower, warming them up. Wide eaves provide shade in summer when the sun is higher.
It’s a critical step that sets the groundwork for your home’s design.
Comprehensive energy modelling
Building an energy-efficient home in Perth starts in the planning phase. A truly energy-efficient house design is based on comprehensive energy modelling. This takes into account:
- The strength of your insulation
- Any identified thermal bridging
- The materials used outside your home
- Your building materials’ thermal mass—that is, their ability to absorb, store, and release heat
We undertake this modelling at your home’s design stage. We ensure you get the correct elements that create an efficient energy home together.
An air-tight design
A good energy-efficient house design ensures that air can’t leak through your home’s thermal envelope—no gaps, no leaks. This allows your insulation to work properly. An air-tight design keeps a consistent climate inside, reducing the need for extra heating or cooling.
An airtight design also helps to control dust and humidity in your home. It reduces mould and creates a healthier internal environment.
A high standard of insulation
It’s not just about adding some insulation to your roof.
We insulate the entire building envelope for a genuinely energy-efficient house design. The roof, walls, and floor all have insulation.
We ensure it’s installed properly and not interrupted by the services running through your walls.
This is your thermal envelope, and it works to reduce energy loss. This means the inside of your home is protected from the heat in summer and will not lose heat in winter.
High-performance windows
An energy-efficient home should feature high-performance windows. We recommend double glazing as a minimum standard to stop heat transfer in or out of the house.
This keeps a consistent climate inside while also blocking out outside noise.
Efficient heating and cooling systems
Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) is a mechanical ducted ventilation system. HRV draws fresh air from outside the home, gently circulates it around the house, and extracts the stale air.
This system supplies a constant source of fresh air while using very little energy to run.
Some air conditioning may be required to offset our extreme heat in Perth, but you will likely use it less in a properly designed and insulated home. Additionally, the power for the AC can be offset with a well-designed Solar Power setup.
Often, low-voltage ceiling fans will be sufficient to keep you cool and cost cents to run.
Energy-efficient lighting
Again, this isn’t about choosing an option that uses less electricity. Energy-efficient lighting also means choosing lights that don’t emit too much warmth.
LED lighting is perfect for this. It uses less electricity while providing more brilliant illumination without the heat.
Your design also includes an energy-efficient lighting solution. The placement of your windows supplies significant passive lighting, allowing more light in without too much harsh, direct glare.
Taking advantage of renewable energy
An energy-efficient house design should also be environmentally friendly.
At TrueLine, we champion eco-friendly design.
In addition to using more sustainable building materials, we recommend installing solar panels to reduce reliance on grid power.
We also recommend including batteries, which allow you to store generated energy. You can use the energy throughout your home when the sun goes down.
Getting your eco-friendly home design right
An energy-efficient home isn’t just about reducing electricity use. It involves a lot more.
The design needs to be bespoke to your unique needs. Consider your location in Perth, the surrounding structures, and what you want to achieve with your new build.
So we don’t just provide you with energy-efficient home plans. We involve you from the start, taking you through our approach to ensure you understand how to make your home more energy-efficient in Australia.
Our energy-efficient home designs, construction and maintenance are designed to reduce your energy footprint.
Work with an experienced energy-efficient home builder in Perth
When done right, your energy-efficient home doesn’t just look stunning. It creates year-round comfort while significantly reducing heating and cooling costs and environmental impact.
So, if you’re considering making your new home more energy-efficient, let us know. Contact TrueLine Homes and book an energy-efficient home consultation.
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