Building a house using the 5 Star standard.

Better use of the sun.

One of the keys to having an energy efficient house is sufficient access to sunlight.
The sun's position in the sky changes during the year, and a 5 Star house takes advantage of those changes. It will capture the winter sun for warmth and shield you from its heat in summer.

It's worth knowing that:
  • North windows receive the most warmth from the sun in winter and are easy to shade from the summer sun.
  • In summer, shade north facing windows using eaves, verandahs or other shading devices to help keep the house cool.

Click here for more information on windows.

Choosing a better building site.

Building a 5 Star house is made easier by choosing the right block of land, particularly if it has sufficient access to sunlight. What you need to look for is:

  • Blocks that allow you to design a house with the main living areas facing north, to take advantage of the sunlight.
  • Blocks that allow you to build 5.5 metres from a single storey building to the north or 10 metres from a double storey building to the north.
  • Blocks that slope down to the north.
  • Blocks that run north-south or east-west which face onto open space to the north, such as a street, backyard or park land.

Building sites that might provide a few more challenges for building an energy-efficient house are:

  • Small, irregular blocks.
  • Narrow blocks that slope steeply to the south.
  • Blocks with tall buildings located on the north side of your house. These may stop sunlight entering the house in winter.
  • Long, narrow blocks with a long boundary, that don't face north.
  • Blocks located at right angles to north.

For sites that are overshadowed by an existing building, there are design considerations which will improve the energy efficiency of a house. These include:

  • Positioning overshadowed windows above the floor level to eliminate the most shaded lower portion of the glass.
  • For two-storey houses, locating some north windows on the upper floors where overshadowing is less.

Better building materials.

Design your house to suit its construction. Houses with concrete slab floors and houses with timber floors each perform differently in summer and winter. As a result, different methods may be needed to meet the 5 Star standard, such as:

  • By storing heat in winter, a concrete slab floor will help capture the heat from the sun in winter through windows, which means more glass can be used.
  • Tiles or other hard floor coverings on a concrete slab floor will generally make it easier for the floor to store heat from windows.
  • Less glass is needed in a timber floored house to heat the home in winter, compared to a house with a concrete slab floor.
  • Carpet will provide timber floored houses with extra floor insulation and help keep the house warm in winter.

Apartments and terrace houses have a natural advantage in energy efficiency.

Walls, floors and ceilings, which are shared in between two homes, transfer less heat compared to homes which are detached. This generally means that medium density developments and apartments will be able to more easily achieve 5 Stars.

Better design.

The internal design layout of your home can impact on its energy effi ciency. Room layout and window location can influence how much energy the house will use in summer.

Free summer cooling

Locate windows opposite one another so that there is a clear pathway for cool breezes to pass through the house and flush out hot air in summer.

Northerly aspect for daytime areas

Because north facing rooms get more sun in winter and can be easily protected in summer, try to ensure your main daytime living areas are on the north side of the house.

Minimise stairwells and high ceilings.

Hot air rises, which means high ceilings and large stairwells can increase your heating requirements by more than 40%.