Here’s a great new tool from Port Philipp in Melbourne…
“Ever wondered how hot your home gets in summer or how cold it is in winter? Think solar is a good idea but not quite sure if it would work on your roof? Wondering if it’s worth investing in a rainwater tank?
Now with a new interactive tool we helped develop called My Climate, residents of Melbourne’s City of Port Phillip can do their own internet-sleuthing to answer these questions.”
This article discusses how, after perfecting the energy zero house, which consumes minimal energy, engineers and architects have developed the energy positive house with examples from Melbourne, the US and Norway.
With cars and homes accounting for 44% of greenhouse gasses in United States (and similar percentages in Europe), it’s no surprise that researchers and architects are trying to find ways of making homes more energy-efficient.
“The development of smart technologies, like the Google Nest, is making energy savings more convenient for users by allowing for control over temperatures in the house while you are away from the house, and allowing temperatures to follow your daily routines”,
Here’s an expert taking a simple approach to keeping homes cool at the intriguingly named Speed Date A Sustainability Expert
Architect Steffen Welsch says “There are three simple principles for keeping a home cool in summer without inflating your carbon footprint.
First, prevent hot air from entering; second, soak up any heat that does enter within the interior; and third, move air around inside to increase comfort. And most are achievable in an existing detached home o…r apartment, even if it’s a rental.”
The Sustainable Lifestyles Frontier Group (which includes big companies like Walmart, Waste Management and McDonalds) has been looking at why there is a “value-action” gap between what consumers say in surveys and then actually do.
They found “the problem isn’t with values, but with value. The consumer values are just fine, it’s the value offered by brands that needs attention. For most sustainable products and behaviours the hard question of “what’s in it for me?” is still largely unanswered. Sustainable products and behaviours are better for the planet, but are they better for the person buying and practicing them?”
This fits with Beacon consumer surveys which show motivation for improving home performance is all about warmth and comfort, and saving money, ahead of saving the planet.
