In Australia, we have star ratings for new houses to indicate how much water and energy you’ll consume when you live in them. Star ratings are great, but in order for them to ‘work’ the house has to be put together smartly in the first place. You really need to understand how to use your house the way the designer intended too…
In Australia, we have star ratings for new houses to indicate how much water and energy you’ll consume when you live in them. Star ratings are great, but in order for them to ‘work’ the house has to be put together smartly in the first place. You really need to understand how to use your house the way the designer intended too…
Another element of sustainable design which is way too often ignored (and which doesn’t count towards star ratings) is ’embodied energy’, and life cycle analysis (LCA) in general. It’s worth remembering that everything from the roof down to the toilet roll holders requires energy to produce, manufacture, fit and dispose of. The embodied energy in an ‘average’ house is pretty substantial – about the same as is used inside the house over a 15 year period.
Building a sustainably designed house may involve a bit more thought and expense, but it’s likely to pay for itself in the longer term…
