Improving the houses's energy efficiency

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The last two posts on this blog focused on reducing emissions generated from transport. This post and the next one look at how we have reduced emissions generated at home. This post looks at how we have reduced the energy used in the house and thereby reduced the greenhouse gas emissions. The next post will look at how we have replaced all gas appliances with electric appliances, to reduce direct emissions through no longer burning gas.

My partner and I live in a 61 year old five bedroom home in the Canberra suburb of Ainslie. We have four children who no longer live at home. We have kept living in this house because we have not found a suitable smaller alternative. The house faces north with lots of windows on the north facing wall and almost none on the east and west. 

Double Glazing

We have installed double glazing on windows and doors. We have a lot of windows and doors! We used Magnetite to retrofit double glazing to the existing windows. This was significantly cheaper than replacing all the windows and meant the existing windows could be reused. 

Insulation

One of the earliest changes we made to the house was to install insulation in the roof. This was easy to install and was a clear winner in terms of returns on the investment. We do not currently have insulation in the walls or under the floor because of the difficulties of retrofitting insulation to an existing house.

Shading

We have placed shade cloth on a pergola above the north facing windows during summer to reduce heat coming into the loungeroom. This is removed during the winter months to allow the heat to come in. There are some deciduous trees in the garden in front of the north facing windows which provides additional protection in summer.

Curtains / Blinds

We have ensured all windows and glass doors have curtains or blinds. In the late afternoon in winter we close the curtains to trap in heat. Similarly, on a hot day, we close the curtains early to stop heat getting in.


Eliminating draughts

We have draught proofed doors, manholes, vents and architraves and filled gaps and cracks to eliminate draughts. This website has videos to show how easy it is. You can feel the improvements when you don’t have a draught on the back of your neck.


Lighting

We have replaced all light bulbs with light-emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). I recently did an audit of all the lights in the house and found two old incandescent bulbs – they were quickly replaced.

Individual Behaviours

In conjunction with improving the house’s energy rating, small changes in individual practices around the house can also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including:

  • Wearing more clothes in winter and less clothes in summer.
  • Placing an electric heated throw rug over legs and chest whilst watching TV or using computers during winter. This makes one feel a lot warmer with the heating source so close and not as reliant on the space heater.
  • Switching appliances off at the power point when they are not in use.
  • Turning off lights when not in use.
  • Preparing meals in summer that require little cooking and thus no need to use the oven or cooktop.
  • Preparing food in batches to minimise the time using the oven/cooktop.

Costs

Many of the items above did not cost much to implement e.g. eliminating draughts, shading, lighting and changing individual behaviours. The lights were initially replaced by compact fluorescent lamp under a Government funded program – we have since replaced a number with LED lights. 

The most expensive item in the above group was the double glazing, which cost us just under $21,000. We have a lot of windows in our house which is why it was so expensive.

It is hard to assess the benefits of these changes. Changes in eliminating draughts and installing double glazing can be felt in the house through lack of draughts, particularly during the winter months.

More information:

https://www.greenityourself.com.au/category/topics/draught-proofing Videos showing how easy it is to eliminate draughts in your house. You should do this before spending money on heaters as you will be surprised by how much air escapes through gaps.

https://www.sustainablelivingguide.com.au/make-your-renovations-green Ideas on how to reduce greenhouse gases if renovating.

An Inside Energy article notes that an induction cooktop is the most efficient (85%) at boiling water compared to kettle (80%), standard electric cooktop (70%) and microwave (50%).

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