|
Education to help you reduce energy and water use – and your bills!
We want to provide you with practical and tailored tips and information to help achieve lower energy and water consumption while still maintaining great living standards. To help deliver this outcome we consult existing residents to understand 'real life’ consumption patterns. From these consumption patterns we work out the key areas to target and approximate the cost and environmental benefits that result.
So what does a typical moderate sized household consume at The New Rouse hill?
Our early evidence indicates that most households are consuming less energy and water than the local average (estimate of The Hills Shire area) - but most households still have considerable room to reduce consumption through simple measures.
Our current estimate of average energy consumption for a 3-4 person family is 20 kWh of electricity per day and 35-40Mj of gas per day (reported on your quarterly bills) – approximately 8.5-9 tonnes of carbon emissions and $1,800 - $2,000 in bills at current rates. Due largely to BASIX requirements for your homes, and the mandatory energy efficiency measures encouraged at The New Rouse Hill, this level of consumption is about 25-30% less than the Sydney metropolitan average for a 4 person household using electricity and gas (including air conditioning).
We will look to provide estimates on 3 bedroom detached and attached homes as more data becomes available from residents.
A break down of energy consumption for what we estimate is the typical 3-4 person household at The New Rouse Hill is provided below. ‘kWh per day’ (electricity) and ‘Mj per day’ (gas) in the third column are the units typically used to measure your consumption – these are the units you will see in the graph on your bill each quarter.
Energy use item |
Key appliance and usage patterns |
Estimated kWh per day averaged over year |
Estimated % of total energy use |
Heating / cooling |
Moderate efficiency A/C run to 4 star thermal comfort levels for a medium sized 2 storey home.
Poor zoning, no ceiling fans, generous heating and cooling temperature settings programmed |
6-7 |
21-25% |
Refrigerator / freezer |
1 large refrigerator/freezer (500-550l mid energy rating) and 1 smaller refrigerator/freezer (325-375l low energy rating) always running |
3 |
10% |
TV’s |
50 inch plasma (6 hours per day moderate energy rating) and 32 inch LCD (4 hours per day moderate energy rating) |
3 |
10% |
Lights |
50% halogen and 50% compact fluoro (12 of each) - 4 hours per day for main living area and some outdoor (12 lights) and 2 hours per day for other (12 lights) |
2.4 |
8% |
Clothes dryer |
Moderate to large size dryer run for 120min once per week |
0.5-1 |
2% |
Dishwasher |
Moderate to large size dishwasher run 7 times per week at moderate water temperature setting |
0.5-1 |
3% |
Other appliances |
Normal use of appliances such as washing machine (cold water), microwave, oven, kettle, iron, clock radios etc |
2 |
7% |
Standby |
Assumed >10 appliances for 24 hours per day total 60 watts |
1.4 |
5% |
Total electricity |
|
20 |
|
Gas cooking and solar hot water boost |
Early estimates from resident data for cooking and solar hot water boost |
35-40 Mj per day |
33% |
Total gas |
|
35-40 Mj (9.5-11 kWh per day) |
|
Total energy |
|
30 |
100% |
A plan to save 50% on energy - aspirational but achievable with a little attention!
We believe that there are simple steps to take to save – particularly heating and cooling, refrigeration, television and lighting choices and hot water consumption patterns – allowing about 50% savings to be made with some effort but not really changing living standards.
The following table sets out how a typical 3-4 person household may be able to save 50% - most of them aren't that hard!
End use |
Key appliance and usage patterns |
Estimated kWh per day averaged over year |
Estimated potential % saving of existing |
Heating / cooling |
Installation of fans in bedrooms and key living areas – attention to shade on windows that receive summer sun
Installation of A/C with energy rating greater than 2.5 stars (new scheme) for heating and cooling
Attention to zoning the house into smaller conditioned areas – circulation space, stairways zoned out
Attention to heat in winter to 18-20 degrees and cool in summer to 25-26 degrees
Attention to using automatic timers to turn A/C off rather than on |
4 |
41%
|
Refrigerator/ freezer |
1 large energy efficient refrigerator/freezer (500-550l) |
1.1
|
64% |
TV’s |
40 inch LED LCD (6 hours per day) and 26 inch LED LCD (4 hours per day) |
0.75-1.0
|
73% |
Lights |
Lights are compact fluorescent and LED only |
0.5-0.75
|
74% |
Clothes dryer |
Moderate to large size dryer run for 120min once per week |
0.5-1 |
0% |
Dishwasher |
Moderate to large size dishwasher run 7 times per week at moderate water temperature setting |
0.5-1 |
0% |
Other appliances |
Increased awareness to use appliances efficiently and select high energy efficiency appliances |
1.5 |
25% |
Standby |
Assumed 3-4 efficient standby appliances for 24 hours per day total 25 watts – standby energy powerboard used for entertainment systems |
0.6
|
58% |
Total electricity |
|
10 |
Approx 50% |
Gas cooking and solar hot water boost |
Shorter showers! - kept to 4 minutes on average with the aid of a shower timer
Continuous flow instantaneous gas boost only to solar hot water systems
Consideration given to tuning off gas boost in summer months |
15-25 Mj per day average over year |
Approx 50%
|
Total gas |
|
15-25 Mj/5.5 kWh per day |
Approx 50%
|
Total energy |
|
15.6 |
Approx 50%
|
Guess what? There are already households at The New Rouse Hill that are achieving this aspirational target - it is possible!
We will continue to provide tailored local tips and practical experiences from residents to help achieve the 50% saving outcome.
But what about saving water?
The average Hills Shire person uses approximately 220 litres of drinking water per day for all internal and external uses around the home.
The New Rouse Hill is connected to the Sydney Water Rouse Hill Recycled Water Scheme for external uses and toilet flushing. Typically this should save 30-40% of household potable water use.
Early information from residents indicates that total water use (potable water plus recycled water) is 20% to 40% lower than the Baulkham Hills average – on top of which the additional potable saving from alternative use of recycled water should be being achieved. For most households this means that drinking water savings will be greater than 45-50%.
Even with these savings there are some indications that shower times (that show up in readings of gas consumption for water heating) and outdoor water use can be further reduced.
Please see our initiatives on smart monitors and timers to support residents in an effort to take shorter showers (hopefully to average of 4 minutes as compared to average 7.5 minutes across Sydney) and only water the lawn and garden when and where required.
These efforts could easily take potable water savings to greater than 60%.
Please also refer to the great information provided by Sydney Water to help you save water.
Recycled water use for clothes washing
We have been advised informally that the recycled water from the Rouse Hill Recycled Water Scheme has been deemed acceptable for use in washing machines for clothes washing. In the typical household this outcome would lead to further potable water savings of approximately 15%.
When formal confirmation on this possibility is received from Sydney Water we will advise residents.
|