The Weekend Post - Real Estate
9 stars? That’s eco friendly
this is our fourth year of having a home represented,’’ Kenick building consultant Rachel Whymark said.
“The last display home won three industry national awards and around 10 regional awards for Kenick.”
The property on Hatch Close was des igned to be energy efficient – minimising solar gain and maximise prevailing breeze.
Ms Whymark said some of the “green” features include wide eaves, extensive use of louvre windows, cross ventilation in all rooms, an open-plan design with high ceilings and doors to promote airflow.
“The carpet in the master bedroom is made from 37 per cent corn syrup and has 64 per cent less embodied energy than a typical nylon carpet.”
Light colours were also used as well as Earthwool insulation, reflective foil, solar hot water and even a water feature.
“While solar hot water systems are a little dearer initially than gas, depending on your usage, they can pay for themselves typically in under five years.
“After that you have free hot water.
“Having a water feature near the home has a natural cooling effect as the air passes over the water, as well as creating a pleasant and soothing sound as the water cascades down the feature wall,” Ms Whymark said. There was no shortage of other newfangled eco features, including a product called Low E film adhered to windows to reduce the sun’s rays and a type of paint that contains fewer nasty chemicals, she said.
While admitting the setup might initially be costly, Ms Whymark said being green could give better returns in the long-term.
“You will be saving money year-on-year if you incorporate even some of the features.
“Personally, I am ahead $2400 per annum on running costs, but with clever use of passive design, which means less reliance on airconditioning, combined with LEDs, solar hot water and solar PV, you too can save hundreds if not thousands every year.”