Choosing heating, cooling & PV
Heating and cooling
First follow the ideas in Working with your designer to make your home as comfortable as possible by working with the climate. This way you can minimise or avoid the need for artificial heating and cooling.
If you need heating and cooling it's best if you can close off different parts of the house.
If you need heating, avoid electric heaters such as bar, fan and oil-filled models if possible - they are expensive to run and result in a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. However, they can be useful for small well-insulated spaces if you only need occasional heating.
An efficient natural gas space heater is usually the best heating choice. If you don't have gas, an efficient reversecycle air conditioner is also a good option. Gas heaters and air conditioners and have energy star labels to help you choose the most efficient model.
Unflued gas heaters have a high star rating, but need quite a lot of ventilation to get rid of the combustion fumes. This reduces their overall efficiency. A high efficiency flued unit may be a better solution. Unflued heaters are not allowed in some parts of Australia.
If you need cooling, think about installing ceiling or wall fans. These can often provide a good level of comfort while using very little energy, especially in humid areas where air movement is more important.
'GreenPower lets us go 100% green for about the cost of a cup of coffee a week.'
Ceiling fans can also be used in winter, to push warm air trapped at the ceiling back to floor level. The operating speed must be low to avoid creating a draught.
If fans aren't enough, consider an evaporative cooling system. These work well in less humid areas and use about 75% less energy than a conventional air conditioner. Water use may be an issue in water-restricted areas.
If you need an air conditioner, buy one with a high star rating for cooling. Split systems and inverter models are generally more efficient and quieter. Ducted heating and cooling systems should allow you to heat or cool only the rooms you need.
Ensure the roof ductwork is wellinsulated,
to at least R1 for heaters and R1.5 for coolers.
[See Your Home: Heating and cooling.]
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics (PVs) or solar cells use the sun's energy to generate clean, green electricity. A PV system will reduce the amount of electricity you draw from the grid.
When it's producing more electricity than you need, the excess is fed back into the grid - and you are credited with providing that energy. Some states pay you more for the energy you supply than for the energy you use. The important thing is to reduce the amount you use in order to maximise the amount you can sell back.
To design and install your system you'll need expert advice.
Contact the Business Council for Sustainable Energy to
find an accredited designer/installer. PVs are expensive,
but large government rebates are available to offset the
cost. Only systems installed by accredited practitioners
are eligible for rebates.
[See Your Home: Renewable energy; Photovoltaic systems.]
