Passive solar design should be as effective at keeping a house cool in summer as it is at keeping it warm in winter. Heat loss through uninsulated glazing can be ten times as great as through a wall with average insulation. Insulating windows via double glazing will reduce heat loss in winter by nearly 50%, and reduce the heat gain in summer by 10%.
Louvres, and joinery with ventilation strips are prone to leakiness. Instead, use thermally broken frames. Heavy curtains or thermal drapes, fitted with a pelmet or overlap, are another good way to insulate windows. Why spend money on double glazing if your frames are ventilating all your warm air?
Related governments departments are putting regulations in place to encourage energy efficiency in new home builds.What about wood and weatherboard?
Weatherboards and wooden floors are popular building materials in Australia. However wood is not as dense as concrete, and cannot hold heat for a sustained period of time.
If you like the appearance of wood, you could consider using indirect and isolated solar gain methods for space heating in your home. While it is density, not colour, that retains heat, wooden floors should be coloured at 30-40% darkness for maximum solar gain benefits.Who is responsible?
When building a new home, ask your architect or builder to incorporate energy-efficient or passive solar design for example, ask for a sun study of your property before it is built.
The Australian government's Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts has a specialist home-related website where architects, builders and homeowners can find more information. Visit the websites: www.nathers.gov.au, or www.environment.gov.au.