Designing and building a new home

When designing your home there are a range of relatively low cost options available that will make your home more comfortable and efficient for years to come. Generally they extend the mandatory commitments you will need to make under the NSW BASIX scheme. The New Rouse Hill has worked with energy efficiency consultants to identify the most simple and cost efficient methods to make your home more comfortable, more energy efficient and lower cost to run. We like to call them the 'Keep it simple' options. The simple inclusions we recommend every time are:
	Fans work! Install ceiling fans to bedrooms and the main living area to keep you cool on hot days – ceiling fans are credited with providing around 4 degrees of cooling value on hot days and reduce the need fo air conditioning
	Insulation upgrades Increase your ceiling insulation to R4.0 from R2.5/3.5, increase wall insulation to R2.0 from R1.5 and install insulation (R2.0) to internal facing garage walls and second storey sub floors that sit over the garage or external space - make your house much more comfortable in hot and cold weather
	Low energy lights Specify compact fluorescent or LED lighting and down lighting rather than halogen down lighting - halogen down lights are big energy consumers! Click here to get more information on choosing lighting for your home.
	Energy monitors Install a relatively low cost household energy monitor and shower timer in your house to give you an understanding of how and when you are using energy. Click here to get more information on using energy monitors and timers to measure your consumption. The 'Keep it simple' practical measures can help you save 30% of heating and cooling costs and greatly contribute to lower energy bills overall. We estimate for a total cost of less than $2,800, and some attention to living ‘energy and water smart’, you can contribute greatly to reducing your energy bills by $400 - $700 per annum*. We also strongly recommend that you consider:
	Zoning To save on heating and cooling costs discuss with your builder simple options to ‘zone off’ your main living/family area from internal circulation spaces and stairwells - quite often all this will mean is putting in a sliding door. In many house designs this will mean substantially reduced heating and cooling requirements for the part of your home where you spend most of your active time.
	Shade those windows! At The New Rouse Hill eaves to provide shade are mandatory but summer sun can still hit windows particularly from the east and west. Consider installation of retractable shade devices over large windows that are exposed directly to summer sun. In summer unshaded windows can act like turning an electric radiator on in the house. Further measures to improve energy efficiency are also available (such as windows with improved thermal efficiency – such as double glazing) but you need to be prepared to pay a greater cost for these upgrades. Please speak to your builder about these simple measures. We are progressively working with builders to ensure they can provide these inclusions at the lowest possible cost. We also encourage you to discuss these options with your sales person who can offer further support through the building design coordinator and/or the sustainability manager. * Includes reduced heating and cooling costs, reduced lighting costs and reduced total energy demand due to efficiences that have been observed to occur through use of energy monitors - based on available information and not guaranteed