Home Sustainability Assessments: Case Studies - Part 1
Sustainability Quotes
from local businesses
In my role as a Home Sustainability Assessor I see many households that have found innovative ways to reduce their energy and water consumption.
One householder lives a very comfortable and sustainable life by utilising her home's strengths and weaknesses to her advantage. The home is a recently renovated 19th Century terrace house which maintained the original planning of the front rooms, but featured a modern open-plan living area which faced North. This house has a ducted reverse cycle air conditioning system, but the owner finds she rarely uses her heating (a feat in itself given Melbourne's often bitter winters) and almost never uses cooling. Her secret is to migrate to different areas of the house according to the seasons and weather conditions. She spends the summer in the cooler southern aspect of the home, where thick, double brick walls retain their 'coolth' throughout the hot days. In winter she relocates to the sunny northern aspect where large windows let the sun stream in.
Another householder was worried that her electric heating/cooling and hot water service was inefficient and was considering installing a gas boosted solar system because she was worried about her environmental impact. She was surprised to learn that for an extra $80/quarter she could purchase 100% GreenPower - electricity sourced from accredited renewable resources. In this case her dependence on electricity for heating, cooling and hot water could be considered advantageous because by switching to 100% GreenPower, she could instantly cut her greenhouse gas emissions and would not be relying on any non-renewable resources such as gas.
One family found a clever way to reduce the use of their clothes dryer, even in Melbourne's miserable winter. By setting up a drying rack in the garage and using an electric fan clothes would quickly dry, even when it was wet and raining outside! The cost of running the electric fan is minimal, while the element used to heat their dryer sent their electricity usage through the roof.
Another family have been using a rainwater tank to fill their swimming pool. The rainwater tank is coupled with a solar heating system, making this one of the most sustainable pools I have seen. They haven't used treated water in their pool for the last two years, and they are able to enjoy their outdoor space for the majority of the year while confident that their environmental impact is minimal.
Sustainability Quotes
from local businesses
