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Atmos1

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24.01.2022 Passive Cooling #3 - Temperate Zones. Sydney (climate Zone 5 is warm temperate) - good design in this climate zone should result in minimal heating and cooling energy needs

24.01.2022 Great article summarising the history of sustainable housing in the late 20th century - interesting to note the conclusions on what works best at different scales

23.01.2022 Passive Cooling #3 cont'd - Temperate zones 4. An extended east/west axis with a moderate building depth (2 rooms) is ideal 5.Choose window opening styles and position windows to create cross ventilation (remember to have varied heights to allow hot air to escape)

22.01.2022 Great article - highlights a number of design pointers that i have previously discussed (ranted??) about, such as good orientation, shading, thermal mass and correct glazing. The article also reflected a number of points raised by Dr Joseph Byrne at a recent talk I attended. He built a 10 star NatHERS rated house for the cost of a standard project home - not only that but managed to incorporate a large number of ESD (environmentally sustainable design) features as well - the house produces most of the electricity used, 60% of the water and a significant amount of the fruit & vegetables that he and his family consume - very inspiring

19.01.2022 fantastic achievement - the article shows that you can build a high performing house for the same price as a standard home (and yes I know its in NZ dollars) however you do have to compromise on size - this house is only 100 square metres and there is no garage/carport included in the cost. Just working on a square metre rate the house is about double the cost per square metre when compared to a regular volume builder. As I have said before it is possible to create an energy efficient home for similar costs to a regular project home

18.01.2022 A very exciting project - although you don't have to go through all this pain to have a high performance house

16.01.2022 Passive Cooling #2 cont'd - a couple more strategies for cool and cold climate design, 7. Where possible set up heating and cooling to interact with thermal mass - reverse cycle heat pumps work well in these situations, particularly if coupled with solar PV panels, 8. high insulation levels and reflective/vapour permeable foil are necessary for optimum performance, 8. minimise building articulations which present a greater surface area for a given volume

15.01.2022 A great example of simple design working well - similar plans are available as open source from a great website https://www.yourhome.gov.au/ a pity that the article doesn't mention how well the house performs or it's NatHERS rating

14.01.2022 Interesting article, air conditioning only works up to a point. Good design provides comfort all year round.

12.01.2022 Another thermal inspection - when draft proofing your home don’t forget to seal the wall vents - check out the cold air flowing in and down around the furniture

11.01.2022 Some interesting results from last weeks home inspection - not only was the lack of insulation evident - so was the thermal bridging of the frame. Big gaps around the windows show up as cold spots in the wall around the windows as well. The last photo is the access to the roof void - not only un-insulated, but the draft was enough to blow out a match!

11.01.2022 Passive Cooling #3 cont'd Temperate zones 6. Use reflective foil insulation as well as bulk (eg batts) 7. A combination of thermal mass and efficient heat pump systems can be used to mitigate extreme weather

09.01.2022 Here’s a good reason to have a quality inspection after building - the render is enveloping the timber, allowing water to wick behind the render. This leads to cracking and the eventual failure of the render to adhere to the substrate. Water has also entered the wall, affecting internal trims. A time consuming and expensive rectification needed.

09.01.2022 Passive Cooling #3 Temperate zones cont'd - 1.use minimal west facing glazing (unless well shaded) 2. moderate levels of east and south facing glazing, except where cross-ventilation is improved by larger openings 3. choose windows with low to medium U and SHGC values and double glazing where ambient temperatures are higher (remember to ensure that these windows are shaded in late spring/summer/early autumn.

08.01.2022 The design issues in this London apartment are not restricted to the UK - I have seen a lot of similar basic mistakes with house plans here in Australia. Too many people are sold on lovely upgrades like higher ceilings and 40mm granite edge benchtops but do not spend enough time on useable layout and basic solar passive principles.

08.01.2022 Great - the government is finally recognising that it's not just new homes that require energy efficiency targets On 22 November 2019 Energy Ministers agreed to the Addendum to the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings Existing Buildings. The Trajectory Addendum is the second stage of the national plan for a trajectory towards zero energy (and carbon) ready buildings for Australia. It provides a suite of initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings in Au...stralia, and in summary proposes: Developing information, training and energy rating tools for households and businesses to enable greater understanding of energy efficiency options and applications. Developing and expanding targeted building policies, including disclosure of energy performance, minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties, renovations and refurbishments, improving heating, ventilation and cooling, and energy productivity in government operations. Identifying and developing supporting measures, including specific measures for strata titled buildings, financial initiatives, appliance standards and labelling, specific measures for vulnerable households, a national dataset and collection process for existing homes, and other targeted initiatives. The Trajectory and the Trajectory Addendum were developed closely with stakeholders to outline policies that deliver cost effective energy efficiency improvements to homes and businesses that lower energy bills, improve comfort and reduce pressure on the electricity grid.

05.01.2022 A thoughtful piece on Passive Resilience. Alex Wilson discusses intentional home design as well as household and community resilience

04.01.2022 Another home thermal performance inspection tomorrow, finding heat and improving peoples lives one home at a time

03.01.2022 similarly phased energy upgrades can also be effective for existing houses - and the benefits are just as good

01.01.2022 We are extremely proud of the many students who joined people in their neighbourhoods today to honour our armed forces for ANZAC Day. In the dark of dawn they c...ommemorated #anzacathome with a #drivewaytribute on their own instruments. The event was a beautiful and moving experience for the students and their families an ANZAC Day most will never forget. Lest We Forget. #kinrosswolaroischool #orangensw #orange360 #visitorange #musicformateship #drivewaytribute #anzacday #anzacday2020