When it comes to renovating your home, you might be aiming to make it greener and more sustainable, but wondering which options may have the best outcomes for both you and the environment. Let’s take a look at six different possibilities that may help make your home green and reap the benefits sooner rather than later.
1. Install a heat pump for your hot water system
Essentially, a heat pump relies on extracting heat from the air to help it heat up the water in a hot water system2. It doesn’t rely on an electric or gas boosting system but does require electricity to run the evaporator fan and compressor to heat up the water2.
Benefits:
- A heat pump uses approximately 400 watts of electricity to run, compared to 3.6 kilowatts to power an electric hot water system1.
- An element is not required to heat the water, meaning it will use less electricity and cut down costs on your power bill2.
- As heat pumps do not use as much electricity, they are more sustainable and better for the environment.
Disadvantages:
- Heat pumps can be slightly more expensive to install initially2.
- It can take longer to warm up the water system in cool climates, so you should consider how often you use hot water before investing in one2.
2. Change your insulation
Most people know that insulation is designed to stop your home from becoming too hot or cold. However, if you’re looking for a greener solution, stick to types that are derived from natural substances. For example, animal-based (such as wool), plant-based (such as cotton) or mineral-based (such as clay) insulations are all good options3.
Benefits:
- Naturally based insulations are more cost-effective to install and better for the environment1.
- Most natural insulations are also hypoallergenic, (great for those with allergies), lightweight and often have rot-resistant or waterproof properties3.
- Having a more efficiently insulated home can also mean you use your air conditioner or heater less, minimising the costs of your electricity bill.
Disadvantages:
- A sufficient amount of work would be involved to reinsulate your whole home, which would cause disruptions to your daily life.
- Changing all of the insulation in your house could prove to be quite expensive with upfront costs.
3. Try out a roof ventilator
As the age old saying goes, hot air rises, so clearly your roof cavity is going to be one of the hottest places in your house. By installing a roof ventilator, hot air will be pulled out of the roof while cool, fresh air will be pulled in4. There are different types, so some require a connection to electricity, while others are powered by the wind.
Benefits:
- You could reduce the costs of your electricity bill as a roof ventilator would help to cool down your house, lessening the need for air conditioning or fans1.
- Using a roof ventilator is a greener way of cooling your house down, decreasing your carbon footprint.
- It can help keep moist humid air from building up, reducing the chances of mould growth and rot4.
Disadvantages:
- Depending on the size of your house, you may need to install multiple roof ventilators in order to reap the most benefits, which would cost more money4.
- If you were looking to install a wind-powered roof ventilator, you would need to consider where to put it to ensure enough wind circulates through the ventilator4.
4. Consider installing skylights
Bring more natural light into your home with skylights. They are simpler to implement into your existing home than other green renovation ideas and don’t rely on any electricity to run. In particular, bathroom and kitchen renovations see the most common use of skylights, given that these rooms require lots of light1.
Benefits:
- Skylights are said to produce up to three times more light than artificial lights5.
- They’re incredibly sustainable.
- You could see a decrease on your next power bill as you wouldn’t need to use ceiling lights as frequently.
- Skylights can also reduce mould growth in rooms where no windows are present (given that mould tends to grow in damp, dark places)5.
Disadvantages:
- You may need to invest in a number of skylights to provide enough natural lighting, which could be a bit expensive to install.
- Outside factors, such as trees, could prohibit the use of skylights in certain areas.
5. Install a whole house fan
Another new initiative that you may not have heard about, a whole house fan sits in the roof cavity and works by pushing hot air out and pulling cool air in – much like a roof ventilator, just on a larger scale6.
Benefits:
- A whole house fan has the ability to cool down every room in the house all at once, decreasing the need to run multiple air conditioners or ceiling fans6.
- It doesn’t cost much to operate this fan – it is said to cost less overall than the average air conditioner6.
- Some fans can be connected to smart home systems, such as Google Home and Alexa, meaning you can switch on the fan to cool down your house when you’re on your way home from somewhere1.
- It’s better for the environment than running an air conditioner as it doesn’t require as much electricity to power and it relies on circulating natural air throughout the house6.
Disadvantages:
- It can be difficult, costly and timely to install as it needs to go in the roof cavity of your house.
- You may need to investigate whether your house allows for a fan of this size to be installed, especially if you’re living in an older home.
6. Generate power from the sun with solar
Everyone knows someone who has solar in this day and age, but it’s popular for a reason. Solar is a great way to turn your home into a green machine and it’s easy for you to cater to your home and what you can afford – it’s up to you how many panels you install and which inverter system you choose.
Benefits:
- You’ll see a reduction to your power bill, especially if you choose to also purchase a battery to store excess energy you don’t use (which can come in handy if you ever lose power)1.
- If you’re looking to install solar before 2031, there are government incentives that can help you cover the upfront cost of solar7.
- The quality of solar systems is much better today and they are said to last for longer periods of time (usually up to 25 years)7.
- Solar adds value to your home, as it is a popular interest of many looking to buy in today’s market7.
- You’re powering your house off the sun, which reduces your carbon footprint.
Disadvantages:
- It can be quite costly to pay the upfront costs of installing a solar system.
- In order to get the most benefit out of your system, you generally need to install a significant number of panels1.
These aren’t the only ways you can renovate your home to make it greener – there are plenty of other options out there. Whatever you choose, Queensland Country Bank has a Green Reno Loan that can help you make your home more sustainable.
Terms and conditions of Queensland Country Bank’s Green Reno Loan apply. Review the relevant TMD’s available at queenslandcountry.bank. Normal lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply and are available on request.
General Advice Warning: This information is intended to be general in nature and is not personal financial advice. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information in this article, you should consider the appropriateness of the information provided. In particular, you should seek independent financial advice.
Sources
1Sean Cochrane, Super Green Energy Solutions.
2Sustainability Victoria, 2022, Heat pump hot water systems,
3Eco Home Insulation, 2020, What is the most eco-friendly insulation material?,
https://ecohomeinsulation.com.au/what-is-the-most-eco-friendly-insulation-material/
4Bradford Ventilation, 2022, The ultimate guide to roof ventilation, https://www.bradfordventilation.com.au/information-centre/home-comfort-and-health/the-ultimate-guide-to-roof-ventilation
5Eco Sustainable House, 2019, The sustainable benefits of skylights,
https://ecosustainablehouse.com.au/blogs/diy-how-to/the-sustainable-benefits-of-skylights
6Ruth Buckley, 2022, How EPA whole house fans can help protect you from airborne transmission of COVID-19, Solatube, https://solatube.com.au/blog/how-epa-whole-house-fans-can-help-protect-you-from-airborne-transmission-of-covid-19/
7Michael Kamay, 2020, 10 reasons to go solar now, National Grid Support Service,
https://nationalgridsupport.com.au/why-go-solar-our-top-10-reasons/