Planning for the future
As we continue to construct houses and buildings, it's important we set them up to use energy in an efficient manner that is sustainable in the long term. This means we must use resources in a sensible manner that ensures they meet our needs in the present but can also continue to meet the needs of future generations.
BASIX
The Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) is a government scheme to ensure homes are energy efficient. The BASIX website assesses whether the design of a house or apartment is in line with the government's energy and water sustainability targets. BASIX takes into account the size of a house, materials and location, amongst other factors, and can recommend sustainability features such as solar panels, water saving shower heads, and rainwater tanks.
An example of a BASIX compliant house (Source: www.basix.nsw.gov.au)
Activity 1
Local Councils often have their own requirements for energy efficient housing. Investigate what sustainability requirements your local council has for new houses and buildings and see whether your house fits those requirements. Look at ways homes can improve their energy efficiency and propose ideas on how people could be encouraged to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Activity 2
Propose some ways to improve energy efficiency across all Australian homes by completing the following:
- Using real world values and statistics, compare the difference in annual energy consumption between an energy efficient home and one that is not energy efficient.
- Where do you think easy improvements can be made with little or no expense to the home owner?
- What are some of the more difficult changes to make with regards to a home's energy use?
- What can the government or industry do to encourage people to be more energy efficient?