Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Apr 13, 2010 10:12 pm Hi, I am planning to build a new home with NB. Design can be found at http://www.nationalbuilders.com.au/PDF/BLAXLAND%2020E.pdf. The design will be flipped so that the meals, family and porch to the side will all be north facing. The home will be built in the Macedon Ranges region and will have a colorbond roof (will select a lighter color), R4.0 insulation in the roof and R2.0 insulation to the external walls. I will also be selecting a facade that has 450mm eaves. My query is, given my limited budget that I can spend on upgrades for energy efficiency (approx $5,000 to $8,000) what should I prioritise on upgrades to maximise the energy efficiency (assuming these options will be within my budget). - increasing the size of the eaves. if so to what? - double glazing of some windows. if so which windows? - upgrading external wall insulation from R2.0 as your home recommends a minimum of 2.2 for Melbourne and Ballarat. In a few years when I can afford it, I would like to look at installing solar power. What does everyone recommend that I upgrade now to increase energy efficiency? Thanks, Michelle Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 2Apr 13, 2010 10:25 pm Install five star gas heating, with zoning. ( if you have Gas) Personally benifits of increasing eaves will depend on which way ur house will face. You could make west facing windows small and perhaps check what R rating your ceiling inulsation. Also the first step would be to ensure that the cieling insulation is installed properly aim for min 3.5 if not then 4 for the macedon ranges which is a bit of a colder region i believe. Install Solar hot water with Gas backup. (if you have Gas). As soon as solar power comes back down to more reasonable rates grab it straight away. Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 3Apr 13, 2010 10:51 pm Hi, Ceiling insulation is R4.0 already. Natural gas is available in the area, solar gas hot water system is being installed as standard and I have already elected to upgrade the gas ducted heating to a 5 star unit with zoning. I should also add that my block size is 18m x 40m, so I will have approx 15m backyard. I am considering planting a few decidious fruit trees that should help to provide some shade to bedrooms 3 and 4 which are west facing. Looking at the plan, maybe I should move bed 3 window from the west side to the south site, and move bed 4 window from west side to the north side which will be covered by the porch. I will be using bed 4 as a study anyway. What do people think? Thanks, Michelle House - Lockup completed 23rd December 2011 - Painters are in!!! https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37261&start=0&hilit=Blaxland Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 4Apr 13, 2010 11:16 pm looks like you have most of the upgrades. Double glazing windows is very expensive I would probably look at moving windows as you mentioned before double glazing. Eave size im not sure if this will make a great deal of difference. Yes definatly look at upgrading the external wall insulation that will help with your efficiency and the cost isnt that much. Budde Design 3D Architecural Visualizations, Architectural Rendering, Artist Impressions, 2D & 3D floor plans http://www.buddedesign.com nathan@buddedesign.com Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 5Apr 14, 2010 12:07 am Your closest weather station is here: Macedon Forestry Your climate is even colder than where we are in the Adelaide Hills and we have double glazing and 450mm eaves. I wouldn't lengthen the eaves much more because your biggest issue is keeping the house warm in winter and eaves will block the sun. Our summer air con needs are about 1 hour per day maximum but winter heating can be considerable on sunless days. The price of DG can be variable but it is still cheaper to do it now than changing your mind in 10 years time. Shop around. Even just using SG with timber frames or UPVC will assist with insulation. Add heavy curtains and pelmets or cellular blinds to keep heat in. Your insulation levels are appropriate for the climate. Adding more will only have marginal benefit. Deep eaves are not a good way of keeping out the low west or east sun. Vertical shades are better. Use either blinds or deciduous vegetation. Make sure your windows and doors have good seals on them. Put backdraft dampers on ducts. We have achieved about 7.5 star efficiency by adhering to these principles. We do not need any artificial heating or cooling at bedtime and no heating during the day on sunny days. Keeping cool should be relatively simple. Radiant foil to walls and ceilings. Have ceiling fans throughout. Blinds to the west. +/- additional deciduous vegetation Other things that will help - uptilt eaves that allow more winter sun in - slab edge insulation - relatively cheap and will easily pay for itself - reverse brick veneer construction for thermal mass indoor. Remember that even though it is cold where you are, don't overglaze because you might overheat on sunny winter days but the large windows become a source of heat loss at night. Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 6Apr 17, 2010 6:23 pm Hi Everyone, Thanks for all the feedback. Very much appreciated. Michelle House - Lockup completed 23rd December 2011 - Painters are in!!! https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37261&start=0&hilit=Blaxland Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 7Apr 24, 2010 10:24 pm Hi buildingwest, We're building in the same region, though unfortunately we don't (yet) have access to natural gas. Do you live in the area now? The reason I ask is because I'm also interested in solar power, but I have some concerns with how useful it would be. It seems to me that macedon ranges area is in fog, or cloud, for quite a bit of the year .... so I'm just curious as to whether solar power will ever be a good option there? What do you think? Building on an acre in Macedon ......one day. Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 8Apr 24, 2010 10:59 pm Hi Mummagoose, I currently don't live in the area but will be building in Kyneton. To be honest I haven't looked into installing solar panel in detail yet as I realise it is out of budget for now. At the moment I am just trying to get the home I am planning to build as energy efficient as possible to reduce energy usage for when I look at solar power down the track. I am not sure what stage you are at with your building, but you could look at the Central Victoria Solar City project for some additional information. The website is http://www.centralvictoriasolarcity.com.au/index.html Under the offer they are allowing a small upfront payment followed by interest free payments over a two month period. It may be worth checking out the website and contacting them for some additional information. Michelle House - Lockup completed 23rd December 2011 - Painters are in!!! https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37261&start=0&hilit=Blaxland Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 9Apr 26, 2010 5:43 pm My 2 cents worth, spend a couple of $100 and get an independant energy rater to look at the design and site plan. They should be able to assist in the decision making for you. Depending on the block, adjoining properties, vegitation etc they may have some changes you havn't thought of. Our rater in Inverloch cost only$200 and discussed a number of thinngs with us including eave widths and window heights, insulation levels and could back up the discussion by putting it in the energy rating model. While the model is not ideal or a full reflection of livability it is an even playing field for making decisions on energy efficency that is not closely available elsewhere. If you can measure the outcome and conpare the possible changes it adds information to your decision making. Your decision should also be tempered by your style of living. Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 10Jun 12, 2010 1:21 am Cheapest and best solutions: - sarking (check under roof - should be there for metal roof) - draught sealing - doors, windows, exhaust fans - good blinds (not holland, roller) - roman or backed drapes with pelmet - flexible shading on windows ie awnings cheap and can let in winter sun or block summer sun Do all of this well, with good orientation and your house will perform really well. I would also spend they extra on double glazing - expensive but for a new build relatively not that much more. Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 11Jun 12, 2010 6:01 pm how flexible are you on design changes? You really don't have much north facing windows in there... Solar orientation is probably one of the most important things you can do to get greenifying your house right. What you have there has awesome potential if you're able to do it. Personally, if bed4 is planned for use as your study I'd move the study to where the dining is, then have lounge and dining going that length of room from the kitchen through to end of house (where bed 4 is). Move the porch from that north wall over to the west wall so that you completely open up the northern aspect for lots of sun, but still have alfresco access to the main living areas. You could easily hang some drop down blinds to the end of the alfresco to block low western sun and not have to worry about moving the windows. I'll throw together a plan a little later to see what you think. It means your office is a little smaller (and more open), but your living and dining is a little bigger. It's not changing the size of any spaces, so it probably wouldn't change the cost much at all. You could use your 5-8k on new furniture or something nice Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 12Jun 12, 2010 7:00 pm here's what I'm thinking of... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ western windows are either removed completely or able to be covered by a cheap drop down shade ($300 ea from bunnings?), gorgeous alfresco area, you can put in some deciduous fruit trees on the north side of your living area or some other type of removable shade to offer shade in summer and sun in winter without spending a fortune on larger eaves. There is no change to the room sizes or the dimensions of the house, there is only change to the location of the patio - and possibly a little bit to the size of the patio, although I would hope that they wouldn't charge you a fortune for that. Changes like this would help a lot more than pretty much any other "green option" you could come up with. You've already added a LOT to your house, so it is quite obvious that you care. Adding more northern sunlight would add a lot more =) You get your solar orientation right and you probably won't even need that 5-star heating you've added oh - and check what sarking you get. That will make a massive difference to your heat intake in summer. I hope that this is of some use to you. Take it or leave it as you see fit. And good luck with your build - it's always nice to see people wanting to do a little better by our environment =) Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 14Jun 13, 2010 6:16 pm somewoman, nice job. Although bed 4 has dissappeared... ? Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 15Jun 13, 2010 7:01 pm kiwi somewoman, nice job. Although bed 4 has dissappeared... ? Cheers. The OP mentioned that bed4 was to be used as a study, so my proposal was that the meals area be used as a study instead. So these changes would mean that the study is more open to the rest of the house - if that is something that the OP can live with then this is an option that would allow them to have SO MUCH more sun into their living area. My suggestions may not work for them, and that's fine. If it does, then that's fine also =) Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 16Jun 14, 2010 8:01 am true...she did indeed. so basically get as many north facing windows as you can..in all the rooms...that is the best way to get winter heat in? (and not have big eaves/ verandahs blocking those winter windows?) Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 17Jun 14, 2010 10:49 am Almost true. Too much glazing even in winter will cause overheating. Too little mass and you can't absorb the excess heat gain. At night, the redundant glazing just becomes a heat sink. You need the right combination of glazing, shading and mass to provide year round comfort. The proportions depend on climate, insolation and existing levels of insulation. Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 18Jun 14, 2010 10:56 am With Sw's version, the kitchen could be moved back in line with the laundry, allowing the meals/study area to be closed off if requiredand taking space from the front living and adding to the family room. Entrance to the laundry could be either through the kitchen (which I personally hate..) or by creating an alcove entry to both the study & laundry....SW, do you get what I mean? Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 19Jun 23, 2010 12:21 am Hi Everyone, Thanks for all your replies. Somewoman, I do like your proposed changes but my only concern is how open the study is. I do work from home once a week, and I believe requirements are normally that the study is to be a separate room separate from other areas. Deemaree I cannot shift the kitchen back as I have already modified the plans to pinch 1.5 metres of the living/dining area to create a large wip off kitchen and a wil closet off the laundry. I am not too far down the track so I can still make changes, so will take into account any suggestions. At the moment I have only paid the $1000 holding fee so there is no reason why I cannot make changes, or even back out of the build. I will at least get my soil reports! I did look at other builders plans but most of the homes were too large (ie do not need a rumpus room, retreat areas etc). If anyone happens to know of a plan that will suit the block and will also incorporate passive cooling etc I am willing to consider it. I am building in Kyneton, so not all companies will build there. DF, Big M, GJ, JGK, Rivergum and NB all do. I know that Hnly and PD do not extend that far. House - Lockup completed 23rd December 2011 - Painters are in!!! https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37261&start=0&hilit=Blaxland Re: New Build - Energy efficiency upgrade on limited budget 20Jun 23, 2010 12:49 am buildingwest somewoman, I do like your proposed changes but my only concern is how open the study is. I do work from home once a week, and I believe requirements are normally that the study is to be a separate room separate from other areas. Are you REALLY keen on an island bench in your kitchen? You could quite easily close off the study if you were willing to change your kitchen around a little. Move the location of the fridge and pantry, then you could even extend the pantry along the study wall to meet up with what is currently the island bench - more kitchen storage space, less open. Personally, I love an island bench. So will completely understand if you don't like this option. It would also mean laundry access is via the study, and that would probably suck. Unless you add in a little passage way from your kitchen to the laundry, but then you lose some space from the study in doing so. go upvc window frames ensure insulation under colorbond. not just sarking, lighter color roof also not sure if you have seen this viewtopic.php?t=5823 last couple of pages… 4 98077 Coming back to your old stomping grounds, huh? Renovations on a budget can be quite the journey. It's like giving your house a new lease on life. The twist of not knowing… 1 2792 Thank you so much everyone. This all makes a lot of sense. I guess when you talk to a builder who butters up everything to look very polished, you get to start believing… 8 2234 |