Energy monitoring and metering: what the owner gets at handover
A monitor or meter the owner cannot read is a handover that has not finished. This guide sets out what to commission, record and explain before the keys change hands.
11 min read
Blog
Sustainability and Energy
Energy-efficient, all-electric and resilient homes are becoming the default. This is the practical side: what the rules ask for, what the products do, and how to build it well.
Energy monitoring and metering: what the owner gets at handover
A monitor or meter the owner cannot read is a handover that has not finished. This guide sets out what to commission, record and explain before the keys change hands.
11 min read
LED lighting and controls for energy-efficient homes
A fitting is only as efficient as the driver, dimmer and ceiling it sits in. This guide sets out how those parts fit together and which control belongs in which room.
11 min read
Hydronic underfloor heating: planning it into the slab before the pour
Hydronic floor heating is cheap to plan and expensive to fix. Once the concrete is down, every decision about pipe layout, manifold position and trade sequence is locked in.
12 min read
Heat pump outdoor unit placement: noise, airflow and clearances
The outdoor unit is the loudest and most visible part of a heat pump installation. Where it goes decides how well the system works and whether the neighbours complain.
12 min read
Choosing a location for the solar inverter and its cable runs
The inverter has to live on the building for many years, and where it goes decides how it runs, how it gets serviced and how the cables reach it.
12 min read
Structural checks before fixing rooftop solar frames
A solar array adds weight and lifts with the wind, and every load is carried through a few fixings into a frame that may have been built for neither. Here is how to check an existing roof before fixing rails, what to ask for and where the structural risk sits.
11 min read
Decommissioning gas services in renovations and rebuilds
Gas is often left half-removed in renovations, with pipes in walls and no one sure whether they are safe. This article sets out who does what, how the gas is made safe and what to record before the electric replacement goes in.
11 min read
Hot water pipe insulation and recirculation loops
Hot water that has sat in a long pipe run is cold by the time it reaches the tap, and the energy that heated it has gone. Here is where that loss happens and how to limit it.
12 min read
Preventing bedroom overheating in new and renovated homes
Bedrooms are often the hardest room in the house to cool at night, and the risk is largely set at design stage. This guide covers the roof, ceiling, layout and ventilation decisions that keep sleeping spaces workable.
11 min read
Evaporative cooling: where it suits NSW homes and where it does not
Evaporative cooling works well in dry inland air and poorly in humid weather, and the house has to be planned around the airflow it needs. Here is how to decide where it fits.
12 min read
Designing cross-ventilation through window placement
A house can have plenty of windows and still trap warm air. This article covers the layout-level airflow paths that cross-ventilation depends on, kept separate from fans, evaporative cooling and heat recovery systems.
12 min read
Ceiling fans and passive cooling: where a fan earns its place
A ceiling fan cools people, not rooms. This guide sets out where it belongs in a passive cooling strategy, after shading, insulation and night ventilation have done their work.
12 min read