Finish floor slabs with tiles rather than carpet or timber to help capture and store the sun's energy in winter. WERS rates the energy impact of residential windows. It helps consumers choose the most suitable windows for their particular climate and the location of their home. Renovating a house When renovating, apply as many of the principles of passive solar building as you can. It is also an opportunity to attach a pergola, add insulation and install energy-saving heating and appliances.
Home renovation can produce a lot of waste and greenhouse gas.
One large builder's skip holds as much as 60 full 120-litre wheelie bins. Make sure your builder minimises waste and recycles materials. When building or renovating, ask your architect or draftsperson to use house energy rating software to help design an energy saving solution. These computer programs rate the energy efficiency of proposed or existing houses and show how they can be made more efficient.