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Design for Climate
- Australia has eight climate zones, and each climate zones has its own requirements for design and construction.
Read more about, Design for climate
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/design-climate
Orientation
- Orientate your home to make best use of sunlight and winds
- Good orientation can increase the energy efficiency of your home, making it more comfortable to live in and cheaper to run.
read more about Orientation
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/orientation
Shading
- Direct sun can generate the same heat as a single bar radiator over each square metre of a surface, but effective shading can block up to 90% of this heat.
- By shading a building and its outdoor spaces we can reduce summer temperatures, improve comfort and save energy.
- unprotected glass is often the greatest source of heat entering a home.
Read more about Shading
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/shading
Passive Solar Heating
- Passive solar heating uses free heating direct from the sun to dramatically reduce the estimated 40% of energy consumed in the average Australian home for space heating and cooling
- Put simply, design for passive solar heating aims to keep out summer sun and let in winter sun.
Read more about Passive Solar Heating
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/passive-solar-heating
Passive Cooling
- Passive cooling is the least expensive means of cooling a home in both financial and environmental terms
- The most appropriate passive cooling strategies for your home — including orientation, ventilation, windows, shading, insulation and thermal mass — are determined by climate.
Read more about Passive Cooling
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/passive-cooling
Sealing your Home
- Sealing your home against air leakage is one of the simplest upgrades you can undertake to increase your comfort while reducing your energy bills and carbon emissions by up to 25%
- Air leakage accounts for 15−25% of winter heat loss in buildings.
Read more about Sealing Your Home
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/sealing-your-home
Insulation
- Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow and is essential for keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer
- Climatic conditions influence the appropriate level and type of insulation. Establish whether the insulation is predominantly needed to keep heat out or in (or both).
Read more about Insulation
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/insulation
Insulation Installation
- it is vital that the insulation is put in correctly
- To install insulation without compromising its effectiveness, you need to consider a range of issues: thermal bridging, vapour barriers, ventilation, air gaps, and physical handling of the different types of insulation
Read more about Insulation Installation
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/insulation-installation
Thermal Mass
- Thermal mass is the ability of a material to absorb and store heat energy
- Appropriate use of thermal mass throughout your home can make a big difference to comfort and heating and cooling bills
- Thermal mass can store solar energy during the day and re-radiate it at night.
Read more about Thermal Mass
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/thermal-mass
Glazing
- windows can be a major source of unwanted heat gain in summer and significant heat loss in winter
- Windows can severely impact on the heating and cooling loads of a building. Up to 40% of a home’s heating energy can be lost and up to 87% of its heat gained through windows. Improving windows’ thermal performance reduces energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more about Glazing
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing