If you’ve spent any time in Melbourne, you know the weather can get pretty extreme. From scorching summer heat-waves to freezing winter storms, it’s important to take the climate into account when designing or renovating your home.
You don’t have to fill your home with expensive central heating and cooling and run them all year round. Incorporating energy efficient design into your home will significantly cut down on energy bills – and as a nice bonus, it increases resale value down the road.
You’re Hot and You’re Cold…
Windows are a significant source of heat loss in any home. Energy-efficient windows use double-glazing and thermal tinting to dramatically reduce how much heat gets into your home in summer and how much gets out in winter.
The cheapest and easiest way to heat and cool your home is by using elements ofpassive solar design This means working with the sun and your natural environment to keep your home comfortable year-round.
Double-glazed windows reduce how much heat and sound can get into or out of your home. Running a heating system in a house with single-glazed windows means a large percentage of the heat generated is lost through the windows. On the other hand, summer air-conditioning is made less effective if hot summer sun is filling your home through thin windows.
Keep Your Cool
The main effect of double glazing is to reduce the U-factor, which measures of how much heat a window lets through. Using glass that has been treated will further reduce the amount of heat passing through your windows. Low-e, or low emission glass, is coated to reflect ultraviolet and infra-red light without compromising visibility.
Choosing high quality and energy efficient windows means your home will stay at comfortable temperature while saving your electricity bills. There are other simple ways to cut energy costs, but if you’re renovating or starting a new build, looking at your windows is a great place to start.
The Sound of Silence
Another benefit of double-glazing is the reduction of noise pollution that enters your home. Double-glazed glass has a layer of air, or an inert gas like argon, between the panes of glass. This layer absorbs and reflects sound.
Double-glazing in bedrooms is a particularly effective way to guarantee a good night’s sleep, by keeping the temperature comfortable and cutting down on noise. (By the way, if you’re desperate for a quiet bedroom, we rounded up our favourite ways to cut down on night-time noise.)
You can check how efficient your windows and doors are by looking up the product on the Windows Efficiency Rating System website, an independent industry body.
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