Greenhouse Friendly

Design for
the Tropics

By Steve Beagley
Acknowledgements
This book could not have been written without my willing band of helpers. Support and
drive to keep me going came from Program Manager, Robin Knox, and the rest of the
mob. Thanks to Derrick Wrigley for inspiring me to write this book. Also, thanks to Jan
and Carolyn, for editing and proof reading my work - a big task for them!
A special thanks to Sally Heinrich, better known as an illustrator and author of books
for children, than of building illustrations. This was a difficult task as she had to work
from my rough sketches and altered photos, and was helped with input from Sandra.
Finally, thanks to my wife, Penny, for the time we spent driving and walking the streets
looking for the bad examples of tropical design.

Disclaimer
The content of this publication does not necessarily represent the
position of our sponsors.
This book is designed to be read in conjunction with the COOLmob Greenhouse
Friendly Hardware for the Tropics and COOLmob Greenhouse Friendly Habits in the
Top End Booklets.
 Contents

Chief Minister’s Foreword 2

Preface 3
Why Sustainable Design? 4
Getting Started 6
The Structure 17
Outside 28
Inside 33
Why This Book Was Written 39

1
 ,
Chief Minister s Foreword
Congratulations to COOLmob on developing this wonderful community
resource for Territorians. It complements the actions being taken by my
Government in its “Greening the Territory” initiative. Whether you are building,
buying or selecting where to rent, you will find this book useful.
The material presented here will ensure that you have useful information when
taking your first step towards choosing your own home. You can make informed
decisions now that will save considerable money over the coming years in lower
power and water bills.
A well designed house does not require lots of additional cooling and will increase your
comfort and quality of life. By taking into account the information presented here you
can also live more sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint on our planet.
This book compliments the COOLmob Greenhouse Friendly Hardware and
Greenhouse Friendly Habits books also produced by COOLmob.

Paul Henderson
April 2011

2
Preface
In 2007 COOLmob developed a It is estimated the average household
household comparison system based with air conditioning (one in each
on the number of kilograms of carbon bedroom and one in the lounge room)
dioxide (CO2) being emitted per will spend approximately $60,000
(Appendix 1.2) on power costs over
person per day from homes we had
the next ten years and produce over
already audited. Apart from those 145 tonnes of greenhouse gases with
households on the extremities, we this level of consumption.
were able to decide on a close fit
straight line from the graph giving a We believe that the current trends in
0-10 star rating (0 worst cases) with housing design and the increased use of
electrical appliances need to be reversed.
the mid range households being 5.
Only by doing this will we be able to
(Appendix 1.1) lessen our impact on the environment and
COOLmob has increased our areas of reduce the amount spent on electricity.
audit coverage to include the newer COOLmob has identified a need for more
suburbs of Palmerston and more of public advice in this area so this booklet
the ground level private homes in the has been produced to help the public:
northern suburbs. In these areas we
• To identify positive and negative
have found a tendency for the houses to
features of houses with regards to
have increased consumption of energy
energy consumption when designing,
per person per day. The new designs are
building, modifying or renting homes.
relying far too much on unsustainable,
consumptive technologies. Take note of • To reduce their costs and the
the number of air conditioners now being carbon footprint they produce
installed in these new homes instead of through the amount of energy
adapting the design to our climate. consumed in their home.

3
Why sustainable design?
For centuries humans have known So why is it that today, with all the
how to build houses that utilise the advances in science, technology and
elements to achieve comfortable materials, we build houses that require
living conditions. such high amounts of energy to provide
acceptable living conditions?
In the Middle East, adobe houses were
the order of the day. They were built to As a society we now demand better
catch breezes, utilise the cooling effect living conditions as standard. However
of water and their design and orientation our increased energy consumption
limited the ingress of direct sunlight, far outweighs the improvement in
conditions. We have forgotten what our
Even Australia’s European settlers, forbearers taught us! Relying only on air
limited by the available building materials, conditioning to cool your home is as
built houses that opened up to allow logical as running a refrigerator inside
through-ventilation, despite being made an oven.
from galvanised iron. They used simple
concepts such as high pitched roofs The negative effect on our environment
with vents that maximised the gain from caused by this increased energy
induced ventilation. consumption will increase. We all have

“Windcatchers”,
Yazd, Iran
Breezes are directed down into
the houses and the hot air forced
out on the “downwind” side.

Ice storage, Abarqu, Iran

During hot summer months ice was
stored in these mud structures without
the need for the energy consuming
complex refrigeration systems of today.

4
a responsibility to the environment. A win/win situation, how good
Just because someone can afford does it get!
higher power costs or because we are
The suggestions made in this booklet are
compensated for the provision of the air
provided to help in your decision making
conditioning doesn’t mean we should be
and with well-considered early planning
using it.
reduce your on- going power costs. This
It is now time to revisit some of the may ultimately give you a property with a
historical knowledge of our ancestors. higher resale value as the impact of rising
By doing so, we can reduce our energy costs really hit home.
consumption, save money and help
our planet.

TIP
Your home is probably the most expensive
purchase you will ever make. Careful thought
and planning now can save you a lot of money
and future discomfort.

5
Getting Started
This section provides information on Look for
the important starting points for your • blocks facing a street running east/
house, basic orientation and layout, west that have long frontage and less
initial block choice, siting of your depth, or
house and getting the groundwork
• blocks facing a street running north/
right. Get these right and you are on
south that have less frontage to the
the way to building a home with low street and greater depth, or
energy use
• blocks facing streets aligned north-
Selecting a Block of Land west/south-east or north-east/
south-west that have equal frontage
Did you know that the way your house and depth. This will allow steps in
sits on your block can have a big external walls that provide self-
impact on your energy bills? shading to walls from the low angles
When looking to buy land ensure the of the afternoon sun, or alternatively,
block will allow you to orientate your rotation of the house plan to orientate
home in the direction that will minimise long walls to the north and south
heat load on your walls and catch Have some idea of your house shape
prevailing breezes. and layout and make sure that you
The main starting parameters are can position it on the block for good
orientation with consideration of shade orientation. Do this before you buy
and breeze: your block of land! This is the most
important factor in giving you a good
1. North or south facing walls offer start in minimising the carbon footprint
the best opportunity for shading sun of your home. Remember, the money you
on windows and walls by the use save by buying an unsuitable block with
eave overhangs which don’t obstruct poor orientation may well cost you many
breezes.1 times more in providing shading and/or
2. Ensure the layout/design of your home cooling (energy) costs over the following
is such that natural ventilation is used years particularly as energy prices rise,
to the maximum. and they will!

1
Aynsley R (2006) “Sustainable Housing in the Humid Tropics Part 3, Strategies for Design”

6
It’s important to select
the “right” block

Acceptable

Not acceptable

Acceptable provided
“self-shading walls”
incorporated into the
design

Investigation has shown that good block With the current reduction in block size,
developments can be achieved. Some reduction in space between houses,
sub-divisions are being developed that increased use of solid fences, and
not only specify the environmental combined with the increase in ground
requirements for each of the houses on level houses the opportunity for house
the sub-division but have also ensured designers to make use of natural breezes
that with correct block layout and is limited. The use of “gaps” in solid
the retention of open spaces homes fences provides very minor increases
are guaranteed reasonable access to in available breezes and is really only a
prevailing breezes. token gesture.

7
House Shape and Style
Correctly orientated house, well shaded A simple rectangular design makes the
and designed to utilise the predominate above additions much simpler. Provided
breezes. the orientation is correct, easier control
of the heat load on the building is
Modern house designs are often irregular
available and maximum natural ventilation
in shape with several external angles.
can be achieved. In the following example
Roofs that are more complex result in
the 900mm wide eaves on the southern
higher construction costs as well as
section of the house near the living
making the future installation of photo
areas will provide shade to the walls and
voltaic (PV) panels, solar hot water
windows from direct sunlight.
(SWH) systems and the collection of
water for rain water tanks more difficult
and expensive.

Start with a simple house shape

8
Elevated versus Orientation and Siting of
Ground Level your Home
In recent years, fewer elevated houses Good orientation is an essential start if
have been built and the ground level you want a low energy consuming home.
blockwork house has become more In the future your home may have a higher
popular. However, the elevated house resale value as we recognise the economic
does have a number of advantages for and environmental value in good decisions
tropical living being made at the design stage.
• The house takes up less space on Poor orientation contributes considerably
the block increasing your ability to to the heat load of a house. It adds to
orientate the house correctly, and construction costs as verandahs, extended
also freeing up space for plants and eaves, insulation or other passive solutions
verandahs that provide external are required to offset the increased heat
shading. gains. Gaining a good star rating for your
home will be significantly more difficult if
• The under house space can be used for
handicapped by poor orientation.
car parking, storage, laundry facilities
and entertainment areas.
• The area under the house
also acts as an under-cover
play area for children during
the Wet Season.
• Under house areas can be used for
clothes drying during the Wet Season
eliminating the need for an electric
clothes drier.
• Lightweight construction means that
the walls cool down much quicker
once the heat source (ie the sun) has
set, than the heavier concrete block
construction.
• The elevated house has the ability to
catch a breeze more easily than the
ground level house
To prevent low morning and afternoon sun
These advantages are becoming
from heating up the house, minimise the size
increasingly important as block
of east and west facing wall areas and avoid
sizes reduce. windows in these walls unless well shaded.
Conversely, the elevated house can have The top house clearly shows how
the problem of heat gain through the correct orientation reduces the effect
floor which will be discussed later. of the sun on your house by reducing
the area of walls affected by the low
morning and afternoon sun.

9
The exposure of walls and windows on summer sun and using the winter sun to
the western and eastern sides of your heat your home; whilst here in Darwin it is
house can be critical. Research shows much simpler.
that “residential tree cover cooled surface
For Darwin, east west orientation reduces
temperatures in the relatively mild month
the heat load through the external walls
of October 1999 by up to 5 degrees
provided the eaves are of sufficient width
Celsius. When applying the effects of
to provide the wall shading. Even for an
tree shade on the eastern and western
elevated house the size of eaves required
sides of a single storey, 3 star energy-
is in the order of 900 to 1200mm
rated home, energy savings of up to
depending on which side of the house.
50% per annum could be achieved.” 2
This is a very minor increase in the cost
For those living “down south” orientation of a house.
is a compromise between avoiding the

TIP
Every home needs to be designed specifically for the site that it is intended for.
Design your house on an east-west axis (or within +/- 10˚) for less direct sun on
your walls and consequent heat gain. Ensure living areas are located to receive as
much access to prevailing breezes as possible

The “face the street” mentality, highlighted by Derek F Wrigley in his document
“Climate change needs housing change”, sadly has also crept into much of the housing
design in the newer suburbs and replacement houses in the older suburbs of Darwin.
The double garage, front door, lounge room and main bedroom across the front is
repeated in house after house with little regard to the orientation or shading.

2
T Hall in his paper “The Death of the Australian Backyard – A Lesson for Canberra” cited research
carried out by L Plant for the City Council of Brisbane.
Plant, L. (2006) “Brisbane: ‘beautiful one day, perfect the next’ - is there room for improvement?”
TREENET 7th National Street Tree Symposium, Adelaide.

10
Ensure your home is located far enough home with adequate privacy without
back from the street to enable plants to the need for heavy drapes and curtains
provide shading, privacy and reduce the which severely restrict available breezes.
nuisance noise and light (both street and The need to keep out street noise will
traffic) from the street. This will ensure result in shut windows and therefore the
that you can live comfortably in your unavoidable use of air conditioning.

Wet season sun Dry season sun

Solar orientation
and extended eaves
shade windows

Ventilation
Cooling through natural ventilation • the construction of solid fences to
demands a good exposure of the building provide privacy and to reduce noise
and its windows to the dominant breezes. interference,
However, with the your ability to catch the predominate
breezes is severely reduced. Research has
• reduction in block size,
shown that with houses blocked together
• the increase in house size like most houses are, the breeze flows
over the roof not penetrating down into
• the predominance of ground
the house.
level houses
• the reduction in the distance between
houses, and

11
Pathway of breezes around and above closely
positioned ground level houses in new sub-divisions
“The dwellings in the newer suburbs previous experimental results from
are generally of deep-plan layout with wind-tunnel tests with models of
small windows. Their design relies on air buildings (Lee, Hussain and Soliman,
conditioning for them to be habitable. 1980). For single-storey dwellings with a
However, even if they had been designed comparatively narrow gap between them,
for natural ventilation, the reduction the prevailing winds skim over the roofs
in width between the dwellings would without exerting air pressure within the
make this very difficult, especially in gaps to force natural ventilation. Natural
those parts of Australia with subtropical ventilation of houses from the wind is
climates. A study by Lee Su San (1998)3 increased if the buildings are two, rather
of suburban development in the Douglas than one, storey high. The problem was
area of Townsville revealed that the exacerbated by the exhaust from the air
narrowness of the gaps between the conditioners and the dark coloured roofs
houses prevented airflow around them, which absorbed, rather than reflected,
creating a “heat island effect”. Her the heat.”4
studies of actual buildings confirmed

3
Lee, S. S. (1998) Natural Ventilation and Medium Density House Forms in the Tropics, PhD Thesis,
Institute of Tropical Architecture, James Cook University
4
Hall, T. “The Death of the Australian Backyard – A Lesson for Canberra”

12
Orientation/breeze conflict
Our hot climate demands high cooling Some designs use this fact in a more
loads during most of the year; therefore radical way. They involve a wing wall
minimising sun exposure should take at the downwind end of the home (in
precedence over maximising wind order to create a positive pressure zone
exposure (whenever they conflict). there) and another similar wing wall on
In most cases, the conflict between the leeward side (at the upwind end, to
exposure to sun or prevailing breezes create a negative pressure zone); this
is a false one as there are several ways design ensures stronger cross ventilation.
to deflect breezes into buildings, even Casement type windows, large open
when the building doesn’t have the best areas of louvres and sliding doors/walls
exposure to wind. will improve the catching of breezes.
The use of Wing Walls is one method. Air conditioning is often used to achieve
Simple solid panels located alongside comfortable sleeping conditions by
windows redirects cooler breezes into lowering temperatures and humidity. The
the home and also pulls the hotter air out number of operating hours required for
(wing walls also accelerate the natural air conditioning to achieve thermal
breeze speed, due to the differences comfort can be substantially reduced
of pressure they create). They can be (or eliminated) by careful design of new
constructed as an architectural feature homes, alterations and additions.
using various decorative materials.
Casement windows also provide a similar
action though on a lesser scale.
TIP
We can’t change the sun’s path, but we
Placement of Solar panels can deflect breezes.
The simple roof line of an elevated
house with east west orientation suits
installation of solar panels. Vegetation on
the western end wall provides shade to the
main bedroom in the afternoon while still
allowing cool breezes to enter the house.
It also provides shade to the western end
of the northern verandah in late afternoon.
Minimal high vegetation on northern side
ensures that solar equipment receives
maximum sunlight between 10am and 3pm,
the most productive sunlight hours.

13
 A wide verandah ensures the northern
wall is shaded all day.
As the northern wall is well protected
from the sun, dark colours could be used
without the wall absorbing heat from the
sun. The lined ceiling, (also fitted with
“sisalation”), reduces the radiant heat that
would otherwise heat those sitting on the
verandah and the walls.
Nearby vegetation creates an envelope of
cool air around the house and encourages
the circulation of cooling breezes.

Size of house - Build better not bigger

In her article “Size Matters”5 cool, light, clean and furnish. This adds to
journalist Jenny Brown finds that your costs both now and in the future.
Australians have been building bigger
Smaller well designed houses can fulfil
houses, an increase of 50m2 since 1986.
our needs and result in savings of up to
With block sizes being reduced this has
1 tonne of carbon emissions per year.
resulted in much less space around and
between houses reducing the cooling “In the US, pressure on available land is
and shading that can result from a well prompting the beginning of what appears
developed garden. The larger houses are to be a rationalisation of house size.”
of course more expensive and certainly American based architect Sarah Susanka
less sustainable. in her book “The not so big house says
“Build better, not bigger “and “scale is the
Think carefully about what you really
first consideration of sustainability.”
need. A bigger house means you will have
less garden space and more house to

5
Brown J. ATA “Sanctuary” Magazine - Issue 9
Pages 84 and 85 “Size matters”

14
Sustainable Living
For us to live sustainably we cannot Densification should be a deliberately
continue to go on building these single planned and designed environment that
dwellings on individual blocks creating allows the better use of a given area
urban sprawl and massive transportation increasing the number of dwellings on the
problems. As the price of fuel rises so will site but improving the environment, both
the cost of our transport. Although a lot physically and socially. It can be achieved
of Australians don’t like the idea we have by the development of environmentally
to increase the density of our living if we friendly low energy houses, in “duplex”
want to live sustainably. form, eliminating the wasted and useless
space between houses, having correct
By definition, “densification” means
orientation, reducing the amount of space
increasing the number of units of housing
needed for through traffic and developing
per square metre of land, either through
community areas.
building on vacant land or allowing
taller and larger structures but does not It is essential that this sensitive infill
necessarily mean smaller block sizes with development occurs along efficient
our houses taking up a greater share of public transport corridors as part of the
the block. requirement is to reduce our reliance on
cars and move away from the two car,
double garage mentality.
This diagram is based on the same
sub-division as shown on page 7.
The first development had 46 sites, only
28 of which were considered suitable
because of being able to correctly
orientate the house. This alternative
style of development has 49 suitably
orientated residences plus an area for
public facilities and services. The density
can be increased even further if some
two-storey residences and multi-storey
units are included in the high density area.

Minor roads
Pathways
Bus stop
Commercial Area
Community gardens
High density/multi-storey units
Carports

15
The other suggested form of sustainable in concrete and bitumen to create
densification is the development of stormwater and heat sink problems.
multistorey units. Densification does not mean cramming
the maximum number of units into
This does not however mean the
a development just to maximise the
current approach of building multistorey
developer’s profit. Such a development
complexes filling most of the block
has a lot of ongoing costs both socially
with a building orientated only by the
and financially to both the tenants and
restrictions of the block boundaries and
the community in general.
what is left of the block being covered

 indows on eastern and western

W  ark coloured exposed walls on
D
walls exposed to direct sunlight eastern elevation
(depending on unit)
Hot water not provided from solar
 arge concreted areas with little
L
Minimal cross flow ventilation, if any
permeable surface area creates the
potential flooding  oncreted areas and heavy
C
construction walls exposed to direct
No facilities for naturally
sunlight act as heat sinks
drying clothes
Narrow sliding windows
 o use is made of predominant
N
natural breezes I ncorrect orientation; both buildings
orientated north-south

We need well designed, energy efficient and sustainable complexes adjacent to

efficient public transport and facilities, removing the heavy reliance on vehicles and
the need to provide excessive car parking. The complex design and layout should take
into account noise pollution, stormwater control, grey water reuse and ensure that
heat sinks are not developed. Open green space should be developed between these
buildings to provide social and community areas and facilities.

16
The Structure
In this section you are given All three options however still rely on the
information to help in the selection principle of requiring good orientation
of the best materials and design for and shading to reduce the heat load from
your roof, walls, floors and windows the walls and windows. This is essential
in all cases but is particularly vital for
to ensure the good work you started
the air conditioned environment where
in the previous section is continued. operating costs can be severely increased
The information is aimed at ensuring as a result of poor design.
your home provides a comfortable
environment with the minimum use Design relying on full air conditioning to
of energy. provide comfort is not environmentally
friendly and this decision has the
Design philosophy following disadvantages

There are three major schools of • Occupants of these types of

thought regarding housing design for residences will experience ongoing
tropical living: problems in becoming acclimatised to
our weather conditions.
1. light construction, for both elevated
and ground level with maximum • The cost of power will increase
cross flow ventilation and minimal air considerably as energy sources
conditioning, and become more expensive and
measures are put into place to
2. heavier type well insulated reduce greenhouse emissions
construction designed for high
efficiency air conditioning use, and,
3. those in the middle, adopting the
more air conditioned environment for
bedrooms and open, well ventilated
family and entertainment areas.

17
The Roof good levels of reflectivity particularly
whilst the roof is relatively new.
A roof pitch of around 12˚ will allow
for maximum efficiency of your PV Avoid a dark roof. They may look good,
panels and SHW unit for the Darwin and stylish, or “modern” but extra insulation
Palmerston areas. and/or ventilation will be required just to
get rid of the extra heat being absorbed
With or without appropriate shading into the structure. Better reflectivity is
of walls and correct orientation of your now achievable even with dark colours
house the roof is one of the major but they are not as good as the light
sources of heat gain. A number of options colours and therefore require other
can be adopted to reduce the effect of additional work to overcome the extra
this major heat load. heat load.

Colour of roof Ventilation of roof space

The colour of your roof is very important. Ventilation of your roof space will ensure
Generally, the darker the roof the more your home remains cooler. This can be in
heat is absorbed or conversely, the lighter the form of roof vents, vents in the eaves
the roof the more heat is reflected. The and gables or some form of ridge venting.
deterioration of the reflective properties
of standard corrugated roof sheeting over The most common forms of roof vents
a few years can have a noticeable effect are “whirlybirds” with up to three being
on the heat absorption of this material. required for an average household.
One solar powered roof vent will
Some roof paints that can be applied provide considerably more ventilation
to the roof, claim very high levels of (manufacturers claim twenty times one
reflectivity but generally the adoption of whirly) for a similar overall cost and only
a very light coloured or even unpainted requires one roof penetration.
natural “galvanised” finish will provide

Using ventilation to cool the roof space

18
Using ventilation to cool the roof space
If the room is not to be air conditioned may be necessary to have the insulation
then the installation of insulation is not installed in plastic sheaths to act as
considered necessary and additional a vapour barrier or have an effective
ventilation to the ceiling space can be full vapour barrier installed above the
provided in non-air conditioned spaces insulation to prevent the contact of
by inserting ceiling vents which will allow warm moist air from outside directly
the air trapped beneath the ceiling to be with the insulation.
drawn into the ceiling space and then out
Cathedral type ceilings should be
through a roof vent or whirly. This air,
avoided unless specially treated. They
although warmer than the lower air in the
appear to be very tropical and cool
room is generally cooler than outside and
however this is only the case when
certainly cooler than the air it displaces in
properly ventilated at a high level or
the ceiling space.
air conditioned. Effective insulation of
It is important when considering cathedral ceilings is difficult and the lack
ventilation of the ceiling space that of air gap in the ceiling means that it is
you are aware of the problems that harder to successfully ventilate that space
can occur as a result of condensation if and remove the hot air. In addition, the
the air conditioning is set at too low a larger volume of air, if the area is to be
temperature. This is particularly important air conditioned, will result in significantly
during times of high humidity and it increased cooling costs.

Airflow available to keep

areas with “cathedral” type
ceilings cool
Care needs to be taken to
ensure that any ceiling fans
are not just circulating the
warm air trapped against the
ceiling. They become more
effective in providing cooling
if installed on “droppers”,
lowering them so that their
resulting airflow can be felt.

19
Colour of walls/cladding
Any walls exposed to sunlight need at a remote location in the Top End of
to be a light colour to reduce the heat the NT clearly showed that the darker
absorption. Insulating paints can also coloured units on average (green versus
reduce heat absorption. beige) consumed more energy for
air conditioning (on average 60% more
A preliminary investigation carried out
even when excluding Unit 1 from the
on eight similar, identically orientated
calculation) than the lighter coloured units.
transportable accommodation units

Comparative Energy Use in Light and Dark Clad Transportable Dwellings

12000
Green

10000

8000
kWhh (9months)

6000
Green
Green
Green
Beige

4000
Beige Beige

Beige
2000

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Unit Number

20
False Walls
The painting of a wall in a light colour, 40-50mm thick, need to be installed
a reflective insulating paint or the vertically to aid ventilation of the space
provision of a “false wall” will provide a behind the false wall. The use of wooden
significant reduction in the amount of battens (non-heat conducting material)
heat transmitted through the wall into ensures a “heat bridge” is not formed
your home. between the sheeting and the wall.
The “false wall” is a simple way to provide Installing the sheeting with the
shading to even an existing wall. It can corrugations vertically reduces the
be made of “corrugated iron” with an likelihood of dust and dirt collecting
air gap to effectively provide a degree on the surface and aids the air
of insulation to the walls as well as circulation process.
reflecting a lot of heat. Timber battens,

Diagrammatic representation
of a “false wall” showing the
effect of the induced airflow

21
Windows
Non–shaded, untreated glass windows the venting of hot air which may collect
are a high heat source for your home. against the ceiling.
The heat load through windows can be Reflective backed curtains reduce some
reduced by of the heat entering a room. However,
once the heat is through the glass and
• shading the glass
into the room behind the drapes then
• selection of glass with special some or all of this heat will circulate into
properties, the room. The drapes also block out any
breeze that can provide cooling.
• the installation of heavy drapes/
curtains or Considerable heat can be transmitted
into the room if the windows have
• a combination of these.
metal frames. They conduct heat very
Extend your window openings as close as well and will radiate heat into the room
possible to the ceiling level to encourage even after sunset.

The simple solution is to shade

all windows in the first place

Glass Types
The type of glass selected considerably Recommendations for glazing based on
changes the amount of heat that enters the study are:
a room.
• For existing homes use a reflective film
A report6 comparing the performance with a low-E coating applied to the
of various glass types reached the inside surface of the existing glazing
conclusion that “… it could be concluded
• For new homes use a laminated solar
that in sub tropical and tropical climates
control glass with a low-E coating
single glazing incorporating a tinted or
applied to the inside surface of the
reflective glass with a low-E coating to
laminated composition.
the inside surface of the glass would be a
suitable method of improving the energy This ought to optimise the overall cost of
performance and comfort within homes. the glazing system.”
See Appendix 1.3 for comparative graphs

6
Jacob, Dr Leon “The performance of various glass types – Rockhampton Research House for
Department of Public Works March 2008

22
The “Low E “glass (ie low emissivity) is Types of Windows
a type of insulated glass that increases
the energy efficiency of windows by There are five main types of “windows”.
reducing the transfer of heat. The unique 1. Sliding
properties of Low E coatings allow
the glass to retain very high daylight 2. Hopper
transmission and act as a barrier to the 3. Casement
absorbed heat in the glass, reflecting it
outside for better solar control. 4. French and folding doors and
5. Louvres
Using glass which is only tinted will not
achieve the same level of benefit. The Careful thought should go into choosing
graphs show there was little difference your window type as their effect on your
in the results achieved between using internal environment is important and the
the clear glass and tinted glass. No cost of changing style at a later date is
appreciable temperature difference expensive.
occurred between outside air temperature
and the room temperature when the
window was fitted with tinted glass.
TIP
Avoid sliding and
hopper type windows
Sliding style windows and sliding doors
restrict approximately 50% of the airflow
compared to a full opening
Hopper style windows also impose
significant restrictions to airflow for a
given sized opening

Sliding window

Sliding door Hopper Window

23
French doors, folding doors, casement windows, and louvres on the other hand have
much larger equivalent openable areas.

Casement Windows
Side hung casement windows opened
towards the direction of the cooling breeze
help direct the airflow into the house that
might otherwise go past the opening.
Casement windows are the best for
“catching” breezes, but like the folding
doors they suffer from “security” Louvre Windows
problems when in the opened position.
Unlike other windows, louvres can be
opened on an angle when it is raining and
allow breezes to enter whilst restricting
the rain.
Louvres can be fitted with relatively
unobtrusive bars that provide security for
open louvres but do not restrict airflow.
Louvres can achieve the levels of sealing
for air-conditioned areas as required by
the Building Code of Australia (BCA) for
residential windows.

Bi-fold Door
Bi-fold doors can be installed to
maximise ventilation and access to
entertainment areas.

24
Flyscreens Window Frames
Flyscreens help control insects but do The type of materials used in frame
restrict the airflow. They need to be construction can seriously change the
kept clean as dirty flyscreens can amount of heat transmitted through the
significantly restrict airflow regardless frame into the room, particularly if the
of the window type. frame is exposed to external heat, either
directly from the sun or radiated from
Research7 revealed that the drop in
unlined eaves and verandahs or concrete
wind speed because of flyscreens can
areas. Ensure that if using metal window
be significant, in the order of 30+%,
frames they do not have a “thermal
depending on flywire type and thread
bridge” effect. This will prevent external
density. Dirty wire can also cause drops in
heat being transmitted into the room
wind speed through the flyscreen in the
through the frame.
order of a further 10%. The retractable
flyscreen allows for maximum ventilation
when insects etc are not present.

The simple solution is to shade

all windows in the first place

This thermal image clearly shows the heat being

transmitted through the metal frame and glass.8

Whilst the temperature of the wall (in this case a concrete block wall) is 28-30˚C, the
temperature of the glass and window frame is in excess of 40˚C. The upper section of
the window may be shaded by the eaves.

7
BEDP Environment Design Guide Tec 2, May 2007 page 9 - “Natural ventilation in passive design”
by Richard Aynsley
8
Mabel Measurement of Darwin Houses – Sept 2006 - Dr M Luther, Mobile Architecture and Built
Environment Laboratory (MABEL) School of Architecture and Building, Deakin University, Victoria

25
Design of eaves The “cool pool” is a method adopted
in many houses in the Middle East to
and verandahs provide cooling by passing the in-coming
Having a verandah particularly on air over the water. Some modern units
the northern side provides a method in the suburb of Parap in Darwin have
of shading any exposed walls. Large adopted this ancient but simple method
openings and/or banks of louvres allow to aid cooling.
the cooler air from under the verandah to
be utilised in keeping your home cool. It Floors
is however important to ensure the eaves The effect of the floor on your home
or soffits (sheeted area under the rafters and therefore its treatment is completely
or bottom section of trusses) are lined dependant on whether you have an
preferably with a reflective material fitted elevated or ground level house.
to reduce the possibility of radiated heat
reaching the walls or windows. Elevated houses
The positioning of pot plants/herb and In the case of an elevated house the
spice gardens/small vegetable gardens floor can be a source of heat during
or ponds along the verandah provides the day, particularly if heat is reflected
additional cooling as the plants and from concrete under the house on to
water act similarly to the “cool pool”. The the underside of the floor. Planting
verandah has the additional advantage vegetation or hanging awnings can keep
of allowing the windows to be left fully the sun off concrete or paved areas.
open in all conditions apart from the At night the floor will generally follow
strongest driving rain. the ambient temperature and therefore
provide some cooling.

This wide verandah provides

shading to the walls, allows
doors/windows to be left open
even in driving rain and the lined
soffit protects the walls from
radiant heat as well as providing
a pleasant outdoor dining and
entertaining area

26
A significant issue to consider is Ground level houses
whether the area above the floor is to
be air-conditioned. If so, then the floor In the case of a ground level house the
can allow unwanted heat into the area in floor is certainly the coolest element
an elevated home, if precautions are not in the house during the day and even
taken. Carpet will provide some form of the night with the temperature rarely
insulation and sound proofing however exceeding 30˚C. The temperature
care needs to be taken to ensure that will remain equivalent to the ground
condensation does not occur as this temperature and will change only very
can cause premature deterioration slowly. Although the floor may be cooler
of the carpet. than the ambient temperature during
the day it will certainly not cool down
The installation of compressed fibre overnight and may be hotter than ambient
cement (CFC) sheeting or equivalent or temperature during this time. When
even a polystyrene insulation, will reduce carpeted, the floor acts similarly to
the transfer of heat and sound through an elevated house by following the
the floor. ambient temperature.

27
Outside
This section deals with outdoor its efficiency and its life because of the
living areas such as the garden, need for it to work longer cycles trying to
the swimming pool and hard surfaces remove the same amounts of heat.
and how they affect your ongoing The unit is required to get rid of the heat
costs and the environment. Careful taken from inside the house; if it is in a
thought and simple planning can make hot position then it makes it harder for
the outside of your house so much this to occur. A cooler well ventilated
more efficient! position helps it do its job. Sadly, the air
conditioning industry has not listed this
Location of requirement in its recommended practises
and the numbers of units exposed to
air conditioning units direct sunlight for large portions of
Ensure the external components of your the day are testament to this lack of
air conditioning units are not installed forethought and training.
on the northern or western sides of your If you are considering using a multi-head
home. If they must be installed in this type split air conditioner then ensure that
location (for example to reduce the length the bedrooms and living areas are not
of refrigerant piping) then ensure they combined as their operating requirements
are in well ventilated and shaded areas (time of use) generally do not coincide.
- such as high up in the protection of The result of the compressor unit having
the eaves. Some structures are designed to operate for much longer periods than
and installed to hide the units from view would be the case in a better “balanced”
but care must be taken to ensure that system is increased electricity costs and
they do not actually reduce the rate of the unit wearing out more quickly.
air flow around the unit thereby reducing

Note where the air

conditioner compressor
is planned to be installed.
This position is exposed
to the afternoon sun and
will result in the unit
performing less efficiently.

28
Water
“We build huge dams, pipe the water costs us over $2 million per year to
enormous distances, purify it all to a collect, pump and treat and this money
potable standard, use it once, put it could be better used elsewhere instead
into another enormous reticulation of providing water to over-water our
system, spend huge sums on cleaning it gardens and wash down our driveways.
again, then throw it into a river so that
The following recommendations can be
somebody else can drink it downstream -
more easily and cheaply incorporated into
then we wonder why we are short
a new house design than trying to install
of water.
them in an existing property at a later
We put all our black and grey waste water date. Some simple forward planning can
into the sewer - then import loads of make the task so much easier.
fertilisers to improve the fertility of
our gardens.
We build another reticulated system to
carry away the free rain that falls on our Garden

roofs - without even using it.” Showers

The above quote is from Derek F Toilets

Wrigley.9 Although referring to the
situation “down south” his comments Washing Ma

also apply to Darwin (with the exception Garden Indoor othe

that our waste is only partially treated
Pools
before being dumped into our harbour). Showers

The average person in Darwin/Palmerston Toilets

uses almost twice as much water as their
counterparts in southern cities. A lot of Garden Washing Machines

this water (65%) is used unnecessarily in

Showers Indoor other
our gardens (2). We use approximately
470 litres per person per day. This water Toilets Pools

Washing Machines

Indoor other

Pools
9
Derek F Wrigley “Climate change needs housing change” published by the Nature and Society forum

29
Future use of rain does however have the disadvantage that
it can retain heat in sunny areas, is costly
and grey water and does not support any living things.
Make sure that if gutters are installed the Plant water efficient plants (not
future installation of a tank is simplified necessarily but preferably “native”)
by ensuring gutters are correctly sloped to ensure your water use is minimised.
and the number of downpipes is limited. Some plants only require water until
Have the necessary planning done and they are established and can then stay
fittings installed during the construction green and shady all year round without
phase to allow you to re-use your any watering.
grey water either now or in the future. Information about water-wise plants
Fittings can be installed that will allow is available in the PowerWater booklet10
you to connect to them at a later date. from the Top End Native Plant Society,
Remember that you will most probably www.topendnativeplants.org.au
have concrete adjacent to your house or Greening Australia NT,
so the pipes need to be installed before www.greeningaustralia.org.au
the concrete is laid. This could save
considerable cost and effort if you decide Selection of the right plants and careful
to or are required to make use of your planning of your garden can result in
grey water in the future. significant energy savings for your home.
Plant lower clumping type trees and
Your garden shrubs nearer your home, as they
Limit the amount of your garden devoted provide a “cool” environment and can
to lawn. Lawns are notorious water users develop their own micro climate systems
and unless mown with a hand mower use generating their own breezes. Leaves and
energy in the continual ongoing mowing palm fronds can be seen moving even
requirements. The careful selection of the when there is no noticeable breeze in such
right lawn for your conditions can also environments. Do not plant immediately
result in the need to water less. in front of windows and openings as you
may restrict prevailing breezes.
Consider low growing ground cover as
an alternative to lawn. Synthetic turf can Use taller/larger trees to shade your east
also provide a year round maintenance and west walls from direct sun, be careful
free area for high use areas whilst still when planting tall trees on your northern
being permeable to rain. Synthetic turf side as they may eventually shade solar
panels installed on the roof.

This shady nature strip was only

watered for its first 2 years whilst
it was being established

10
PowerWater Corporation and Nursery and Garden
Industry NT “How to create a Water Wise Garden in
the Top End”

30
Garden reticulation What size?

systems The more water you need to fill your pool

the more money you will be spending
Plan your garden reticulation system with on power and chemicals, not to mention
a number of zones and place plants of cleaning! Think about the size and depth
similar watering regimes together. This of your spa, plunge pool or larger pool.
will enable you to provide the amount The larger the surface area the more
of water necessary for those plants and water evaporation you will experience
thereby limit any wastage through and the more top up water you will
over-watering. need. Sun and wind can lead to very high
evaporation levels in the Top End. Deeper
Concreted areas water will stay colder than shallow pools.
Limit the areas to be concreted or paved. To help plan the size of the spa or pool
Concrete causes three main problems, think about how many people will be in
1. It can reflect heat onto the walls and the water at once and what activities
windows of your home. they will be doing. Remember, it’s like a
house, the bigger it is the more work it is
2. It acts as a heat sink releasing heat to keep clean!
into the surrounds long after the sun
has gone down. Breezes that pass over Where to place my spa or pool?
heat sinks can be very hot compared to Pools require safety fences so plan the
breezes that come from shaded areas. access points and fences to fit in with
3. It reduces the amount of rain that the house and garden features. If your
soaks into the soil and tends to direct water is in shade it will remain colder
the water to waste very quickly and evaporate less than if in a sunny and
thereby overloading the stormwater windy position.
systems. Surrounds
Light coloured concrete can reflect a When designing the area around the pool,
lot of heat onto your house whilst dark avoid dark coloured surfaces that become
coloured paving or asphalt can act as a too hot to walk on if they are in the sun.
heat sink, radiating heat into adjacent Think about flowers, buds, seeds, leaves
materials and zones long after dark. and palm fronds dropping into the pool
Consider the use of ground cover such as when selecting vegetation. Avoid fine leaf
wood chips, permeable paving and light plants as these leaves tend to drop to
coloured pebbles or crushed rock. the bottom rather than floating into your
skimmer box.
Swimming pools and spas
If you choose a salt water pool, avoid
Plan for the future installation of a pool sensitive plants that cannot tolerate
or spa when designing your house. splashes of salt water.
Important considerations are size and
quantity of water, location, fencing and
surrounding surfaces and vegetation.
TIP
Install a Viron pump and a pool cover
and you are well on your way to cheaper
swimming
31
Once you have considered the above 2. Limit the width of your pool to 5 metres
and have decided to proceed, then the and have a fairly regular shape which
following suggestions are recommended will make the selection of a pool cover
to minimise both your ongoing costs and easier and most probably cheaper.
your further impact on the environment.
Pool covers are recommended to
1. Ensure the pump motor is a high reduce the amount of top up water
efficiency one to enable you to achieve needed, and time operating the filter
power savings from the outset. Often and the chlorinator. In turn, this will
pools are provided with inefficient save energy costs and pollution, and/
motors and although cheaper initially, or reduce the amount of chemicals
over a five year period will cost you needed to maintain water quality.
approximately $2,000 more to run
The pool cover for an average size
(Appendix 4.1). A pump can generate
pool will pay for itself in approximately
more than 7 tonnes of greenhouse
three years (Appendix 4.3) as well
emissions based on 5 hours per day
as significantly reducing the carbon
operation during that period. Have
footprint of your swimming pool (more
your pool provider do an economic
than 1 tonne of greenhouse emissions
comparison over a five year period
over that period) and saving you a lot
(including initial costs) of the motor
of work in keeping the pool clean.
they propose compared to installing a
more efficient unit. 3. Do not install an automatic top
up system as if they malfunction
The Viron pump, which makes use of
considerable water can go to waste
technology developed in the NT, can
without you being aware. It is better
save approximately 70% in energy
if you do your own topping-up as
consumption and is significantly quieter
required and measure the amounts
than other pumps. This enables you
of water used by reading your meters
to install the unit closer to the house
before and after refilling. This helps
and possibly reduce pumping distances
to clearly show the benefit of having a
thereby providing further savings.
pool cover.
Based on the 5 hours operation
suggested above, the Viron pump will 4. Use at least 50mm piping between
save you approximately $290 per year your pool and pump and keep it simple.
(Appendix 4.2) and the environment The inlet and outlet pipe diameters,
1 tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. the length of piping, the use of elbows
That equates to more than $1,000 and and complications in the run, type
nearly 6 tonnes of emissions over the and quantity of jets all affect the back
5 year comparison period! pressure and therefore operating costs
of the system.
For more information on the Viron
pump visit www.coolmob.org.

Thousands of litres of water per year

are saved by using a pool cover and they
also reduce the amount of dirt/leaves etc
getting into your pool

32
Inside
In this section, information is given on better option than using an electric or
the importance of the type of paints gas heater. The amount of power used
and materials which will provide a by a recirculating type pump is minimal
healthy environment for your family and would have negligible effect on the
above calculation.
as well as the importance of selecting
the right appliances. Appliances, once When installing the unit on your roof
installed will have a long-term effect have it located it in a good position for
on your ongoing running costs and solar collection but avoid the middle
consequently influence the effect of the area as this will inhibit the
your life style has on the environment. installation of PV panels at a later date.
So often, the SHW unit, supplied with
Ensure the builder provides the right
a new house during construction is the
appliances and fittings for you to give first panel on the roof and generally takes
you a good start. a central position thereby restricting
future options.
Hot water
Consideration should also be given when
The selection of the hot water system for locating your SHW unit that it is near
your home is a decision that will have a the area which uses small quantities of
significant impact on your ongoing costs. hot water more frequently - for example
A higher up front cost will provide savings the kitchen. By doing this you reduce the
in the long run if you choose a solar amount of water wasted whilst waiting
hot water system instead of the initially for the water to come through the tap.
cheaper electric or gas unit.
The actual annual cost to operate an
electric storage heater is difficult to
ascertain because the cost depends
so much on the usage habits of the
individuals involved. Power suppliers
estimate that for an average family of
4 it is in the range of $500 to $600 per
year. This will equate to more the $7,500
over 10 years and more than 19 tonnes
of greenhouse gases. (Appendix 5.1).
If you are restricted from putting a solar
hot water unit (SHW) tank on the roof
of your home then do not allow it to
deter you from proceeding with the solar TIP
option. Installing the tank at ground
level with a recirculating pump moving Position your SHW unit to allow
the water from the tank up to the solar installation of PV panels at a later date.
panels installed on the roof is a much

33
Plumbing of operating the unit is considered. In
some cases some units can cost as much
Ensure all plumbing fittings are 4 star to run over a 5 year period as they do to
(minimum) WELS (Water Efficiency purchase, so it is important to do your
Labelling) and all taps are fitted with homework.
aerators. A 4 star toilet cistern will use
approximately 50% less water than an To make a quick comparison of
unrated unit. Your plumbing fixtures will appliances, the number of kilowatt hours
last a long time so ensure you have the (kWh) shown on the star rating label can
best standard of water efficiency. simply be called dollars based on 20cents
per kWh over a 5 year period.
You can save money on plumbing by
choosing a plan that groups wet areas Ceiling fans
like kitchens, laundry and bathroom close
together. The modern trend towards Ceiling fans are an essential part of living
multiple bathrooms makes this difficult to in the tropics and are necessary whether
achieve. The wastage and increased costs the home is air conditioned or not. If
caused by the spreading services over your home has air conditioning, operating
a greater area, plus the extra ongoing your fans (ceiling or free standing) will
costs and cleaning are good reasons to enable you to operate your airconditioner
give serious consideration to how many at a higher temperature setting and still
bathrooms are necessary for your home achieve comfortable conditions. This will
also save you power.
Appliances It is important that ceiling fans are not set
When negotiating fixtures and fittings too high in areas with high ceilings as this
for your home, ensure you are going severely reduces the effectiveness of the
to be provided with appliances that fans. Fans set too high will distribute the
have high energy star ratings. Buying hot air trapped against the ceiling around
energy efficient appliances can save you the room.
money on your bills and reduce your Keeping fans clean is important; a dirty
environmental impact without making a fan uses more power because of the
difference to your lifestyle. extra drag on the blades. For this reason,
The actual appliance model and its star the stainless steel blade units are
rating should be specified by the builder/ preferable as they tend not to deteriorate
developer and it’s important when as quickly as painted blades. Painted
selecting the units that the cost blades tend to collect dust when the paint
starts deteriorating, especially on the
leading edges.

TIP
Having windows that open to ventilate bathrooms
and laundries is cheaper and quieter than relying
on an exhaust fan. Your rooms will have a light airy feel
and you’ll save on electricity.

34
Fans fitted with a variable speed control
and off switch are more convenient
than those with a 3 speed controller.
The variable speed control allows much TIP
better control and the simpler turning off If you plan on installing and using air
action may encourage the turning off of conditioning make sure the areas are well
fans when leaving a room. Remember to insulated and sealed to ensure efficient use
always switch fans off when a room is of the air conditioning.
not in use, as this will save energy use
and costs.

Air conditioning
Air conditioning is often used to achieve your completed house. However, it may
comfortable sleeping conditions by be more of an issue when renovating an
lowering temperatures and humidity. occupied home.
The number of operating hours required
“Green paints” are defined by their lack
for air conditioning to achieve thermal
or low level of VOCs. “Green paints”
comfort can be substantially reduced
can be either environmentally friendly
(or eliminated) by careful design of new
natural paints or environmentally friendly
homes, alterations and additions.
synthetic paints. On the whole natural
Paints paints are a little more environmentally
friendly in their manufacture and disposal
Regular paints give off low level than synthetic paints. However synthetic
toxic fumes that can cause breathing paints are generally a little less expensive,
irritations and headaches. a little more durable, and come in a wider
range of colours. Both are non-toxic and
Most paints contain some toxic chemicals
have zero or very low VOC level.
which can be harmful, most commonly
volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It is therefore important when planning
These are the toxic fumes emitted from a new home or renovations that
most synthetic-based paints and make consideration be given to the type of
up the new paint smell that many people paint used particularly if members of
find unpleasant. VOCs can be harmful your family have respiratory symptoms,
to people and the environment in the allergies, chemical sensitivities and
manufacturing process and during and particularly for pregnant women and
after application. young children.
VOCs can continue to seep out in small These paints generally cost more,
amounts for years after painting and can however the environmental gains should
lead to many health problems. It takes be taken into account when doing the
years for them to completely disappear evaluation. Consider the application rates,
and often, by then its time to repaint. number of coats required, durability etc
The smell is not a major problem in new as well as the base cost of the material
house construction as most of the smell when comparing costs.
has dissipated by the time you move into

35
Kitchens Multi-bin sorters under/near kitchen
sinks are a great idea to sort your rubbish
A well designed, efficiently equipped, for recycling straight away.
functional kitchen can add real value
to your home. Remember, a lot of heat is generated in
the kitchen and a lot of time is spent in
Layout of kitchens this room so it is important to ensure it is
A good kitchen gives you room to move well ventilated and has as much natural
but is compact enough to allow easy light as possible.
reach between different activities, like Kitchen equipment
preparing food, cooking and rinsing. It is a
good idea to leave generous bench space The selection of the equipment that
between the sink and the hotplates as is most efficient, cheapest to run and
this tends to be the most useful space for best for the environment at the time of
food preparation. equipping your home may result in an
increase in the overall cost of your kitchen
Locate dishwashers close to sinks to but you will certainly reap the benefits
allow easy loading: this also concentrates over the life of the appliance. To change
your plumbing requirements in one place a less efficient appliance later could
Position refrigerators and freezers mean a significant cost. Carefully select
away from stoves/ovens and external what is best suited for you, not what is
walls exposed to direct sunlight. just generally supplied by the builder. To
Ensure refrigerators and freezers are change a less efficient appliance later
well ventilated. The efficiency of these could cost you dearly.
appliances depends on their ability Choosing the right size for your needs
to remove heat and if ventilation is is also very important. A big 4 star
restricted then their efficiency decreases. refrigerator uses more energy than a
If the unit is enclosed then provide smaller 4 star refrigerator.
additional ventilation into the ceiling
space. Ensure sufficient space is allowed You can choose either a single unit
around the unit in accordance with the such as a gas or electric stove, or a
manufacturer’s recommendation. combination of gas and electric separate
hot plates and oven.

TIP
If for example, an appliance uses 400kWh per year to run, this equates to $400 to run
for 5 years. The price of power is already above the 20 cent mark per unit and will
certainly increase over the nominal 5 years period of the calculation but this does work
as a quick way of comparing appliances.
Any savings in operating costs is also a saving for the environment.

36
Hotplates Ovens
Gas hotplates are generally cheaper For your new oven, look for energy
to use, respond rapidly, are easy to efficient fan-forced models with triple
adjust, provide good temperature glazing and a high standard of insulation.
control and importantly produce less Fan-forced ovens heat more quickly than
greenhouse emissions. conventional ovens, can cook food at
lower temperatures, and use up to 35%
Of the electric options the following
less energy than conventional ovens.
chart11 compares the various types
Gas ovens, although they will heat
Type of electric Efficiency (%) to a given temperature much faster
hotplates than an electric oven require ventilation
Coil 55 - 65 and lose considerably more heat than
electric units, thus heating up your
Solid 50 - 55
kitchen and home.
Ceramic - Standard 55 - 60
Microwave ovens
Ceramic - Halogen 45 - 50
Microwave ovens can be extremely
Ceramic - Induction 80 - 85
energy efficient as a result of the short
cooking times involved. The energy used
Ceramic cooktops have the elements is generally used to heat the food only,
concealed under a flat glass surface with little wasted in heating cooking
providing a stylish appearance, are easier utensils or the oven itself. The resultant
to clean than coil and solid hotplates shorter cooking times means less energy
however they are less efficient, have a consumption than conventional ovens.
slower response time and are generally
B-B-Q
more expensive.
The final option to consider is the
B-B-Q. Incorporate an external space
for one in the design of your home
and if installing gas then have the
reticulation extended to allow the unit
to be connected. This avoids the need to
refill smaller gas bottles. A B-B-Que has
the obvious advantage of ensuring that
11
Office of Energy – Government of Western Australia – cooking does not heat up the kitchen.
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs61.html

37
Lighting Power Points
There are a number of basic rules to Avoid the tendency to install power
consider when choosing lighting. points where they won’t be seen behind
appliances, as you want to be able to
• Don’t over-light your home. Avoid
reach them easily to turn the units off to
the tendency to provide unnecessarily
reduce stand-by power. This particularly
high levels of lighting, especially when
applies to home entertainment equipment
using downlights
and, in the kitchen, the microwave.
• Use only fluorescent, compact
fluorescent or LED lamps
• Make sure the number of fittings
turned on by one switch is limited
so that you have much better control
over how many lights you are turning
on at any one time. More lights than
you need on the one switch can be
very wasteful
• Home designers/decorators often
install more fittings than necessary
and could achieve adequate lighting
levels and gain the same effect by
using other types of fittings and lamps.
Remember that low voltage does not
mean low energy so when comparing
different types of lamps compare
“wattages”. A 12 volt 50 watt lamp
(excluding transformer) uses the same
power as a 240 volt 50 watt lamp.
Incandescent and halogen lamps only
convert a small amount of their energy
into light; the majority is converted into
heat, just what we don’t want in the
tropics. These lamps can become hot
and uncomfortable to sit under.

38
Why This Book Was Written
In his paper “Climate change needs
housing change” Derek F Wrigley
highlights the need to be critical
about contemporary housing
design practices.
“…there is insufficient constructive
criticism about architecture these days
and consequently we never seem to
learn from our mistakes. The effective
use of natural resources is a critical Dark coloured roof and walls
environmental science and should be open
for healthy, informative public debate, so  ack of shading on northern
L
hopefully these comments can be useful. elevation

Otherwise, how will we ever learn and  igh heat load transfer through
H
improve? The results of ‘no criticism’ walls due to lack of shading
can be seen anywhere around the Limited window size
suburbs of Australia and regrettably the
housing industry has shown itself to be  ack of garden depth to provide
L
a slow learner. shading

There is an urgent need for rational voices 

Complex roof structure for future
to be raised in this debate. When are solar and water collection
the opinions of concerned house buyers
ever heard - where is their forum? It has
been too one-sided for too long, as this
booklet reveals. If you have something
to say about housing standards, let your
voice be heard, otherwise the status quo
will only continue.”
This booklet includes drawings and
composite pictures of residences (some
new houses, just completed or not fully
completed) that will have problems and  omplex roof structure with
C
high associated energy use for many years. negligible space for solar collection
Some of the houses depicted would  arge numbers of downpipes
L
be extremely expensive and while drastically limiting your ability to
the owners may be in a position to collect rain water
comfortably pay for the additional energy
they use, it should be acknowledged that  ir conditioner compressors
A
the wasteful use of energy contributes to exposed to direct sunlight
the current detrimental impact of humans  eavy construction (blockwork)
H
on our environment. exposed to sun

39
 Dark coloured heat absorbing walls  arge expanse of unshaded “heavy
L
construction” exposed to direct
 ir conditioner compressors exposed
A
afternoon sun
to direct sun
 ir conditioner compressors exposed
A
Small and limited number of windows
to direct sun
Complex roof design
Very limited cross-flow ventilation
Complex
 roof structure with a
 o attempt or space to use
N
number of downpipes limiting
vegetation to provide shading
water collection

The COOLmob
problem and
solution
The photograph above
illustrates a house which
is supposedly designed for
a Mediterranean climate.
For all the reasons listed in
the previous examples it is
unsuitable for the tropical
conditions in Darwin.
Housing being constructed today will be with us for around 30 years. The damage to
the environment caused as a result of poor design and construction (such as higher
consumption of energy and the associated demand on natural resources) keeps
increasing with time, with every unsuitable new house built. Moreover it does nothing
to make home ownership more affordable for ordinary people.
We already have the knowledge and the tools to build housing which is suited to
Darwin’s climate. We can make easy changes at a personal and community level now
to have a positive environmental impact in the future. These changes will also save us
money without having to compromise living standards.

40
 Appendix
1.1 Household comparison system
Coolmob Energy rating system
90.00

80.00

70.00

Extreme results not included in rating

60.00
kg CO2 per person per day

50.00
0 stars = 32
40.00

30.00
5 stars = 19.1

20.00

10 Stars = 6.1
10.00

0.00
1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 73 77 81 85 89 93 97 101 105 109
Number of residences

The chart was based on the audits completed by COOLmob in Darwin 2002-04

1.2 Estimated expenditure on power over next 10 years

Per 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Quarter
$300 $1,200 $1,284 $1,374 $1,470 $1,573 $1,683
$1,100 $4,000 $4,280 $4,580 $4,900 $5,243 $5,610
$1,600 $6,400 $6,848 $7,327 $7,840 $8,389 $8,976
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Total
$300 $1,801 $1,927 $2,062 $2,206 $2,361 $17,740
$1,100 $6,003 $6,423 $6,873 $7,354 $7,869 $59,134
$1,600 $9,605 $10,277 $10,996 $11,766 $12,590 $94,615
The base cost used in this calculation is assessed from households achieving 10, 5 and
2 stars respectively on the COOLmob Energy rating system12.
12
The cost of energy has been increased at an annual rate of 7% to allow some inclusion for the expected
increase in energy costs. This calculation however does not include any allowance for a “carbon” or
equivalent tax being imposed which would significantly increase the costs calculated.

41
 1.3 Performances of different glass types
Clear Glass Differential Temperature
35

30

25
TemperatureoC

20

15
Room Temperature

Outside Air Temperature

10

0
0

0
00

00

00

00

00

:0

:0

:0

:0
5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

10

11

12

13
Time of Day

Only very minor benefit is gained by using tinted glass

Tinted Glass Differential Temperature

35

30

25
TemperatureoC

20

15
Room Temperature

Outside Air Temperature

10

0
0

0
00

00

00

00

00

:0

:0

:0

:0
5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

10

11

12

13

Time of Day

42
 Clear Glass with refective Low E Film Differential Temperature
35

30

25
TemperatureoC

20

15
Room Temperature

Outside Air Temperature

10

0
0

0
00

00

00

00

00

:0

:0

:0

:0
5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

10

11

12

13
Time of Day

The benefit of the clear glass with Low E film is clearly shown

Laminate Glass With Low E Differential Temperature

35

30

25
Temperature ˚C

20

15
Room Temperature

Outside Air Temperature

10

0
0

0
00

00

00

00

00

:0

:0

:0

:0
5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

10

11

12

13

Time of Day

However the laminate glass with Low E differential achieved the best results

43
4 Swimming Pools
4.1 Standard Pump
Power used and greenhouse gases produced by a 1kW pool pump over a 5 year period

Pump Run kWh kWh $ per kg CO2 kg CO2

rating hours per week per year year per year over 5
kW per day years
1 5 35 1820 400.4 1437.8 7,189
(7 tonnes)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total
$400 $428 $458 $490 $524 $2,300

4.2 Viron Pump

Power and greenhouse gases saved by using a Viron pool pump over a 5 year period13

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total $ kg CO2

over 5 over 5
years years
$290 $310 $332 $355 $380 $1,668 5,989
(6 tonnes)

13
The cost of energy has been increased at an annual rate of 7% to allow some inclusion for the expected
increase in energy costs. This calculation however does not include any allowance for a “carbon” or
equivalent tax being imposed which would significantly increase the costs calculated.

44
4.3 Pool Covers
Based on using the pool cover for 3 months each year. Increase use of the cover
increases the savings.

Operating costs over 3 years Savings

Power See 4.1 above – 2011to 2013 $1,286 kg CO2
Not filtering for 3 months per year $321 1,154
Chemicals $30 per month $1080 (1 tonne)
Reduced chemical requirements $270
Water 1.5kL per fortnight to top-up $42
No water loss for 3 months per year $11
Total $602

5 Solar Hot Water Units

Power used and greenhouse gases produced by an electric hot water service over
a 10 year period13

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 kg CO2

$550 $589 $630 $674 $721 1,975
per year
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
$771 $825 $883 $945 $1,011
Total $7,599 19,750
(19 tonnes)

45
 The content of this publication does not necessarily represent the position of our sponsors.

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