I have heard that the Molonglo development has higher standards that guides home owners and builders to have a more energy efficient home through double glazing or using an insulated slab.
The incentives are
$5000 for landscaping the front from building line to boundary
$2500 for solar hot water
$1000 for efficient space heating
landscaping should come secondary to a fully insulated home and insulation should include the windows and doors. I thought there were requirements rather than incentives for double glazing OR waffle slab?
The incentives are
$5000 for landscaping the front from building line to boundary
$2500 for solar hot water
$1000 for efficient space heating
If this is true, its interesting that the ACT Government sought fit to subsidise the wealthy to make their homes cheaper to run in the long term….
The ACT Government has been subsidising the wealthy (existing homeowners) at the expense of the not wealthy (renters) for the past decade through the mechanism of exceedingly slow land releases.
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
Hmm, I’m not sure… but I’m pretty confident that if you contacted a supplier/installer, say somewhere in Phillip, they’d be able to give you the info.
If only I knew of one…
There is a quality supplier at 79 Dundas Court Phillip. Is the rumour right about double glazing at Wright? The only reason I ask is that I had a sniff that someone, somewhere was getting a little bit serious about insulation………
Hmm, I’m not sure… but I’m pretty confident that if you contacted a supplier/installer, say somewhere in Phillip, they’d be able to give you the info.
If only I knew of one…
There is a quality supplier at 79 Dundas Court Phillip. Is the rumour right about double glazing at Wright? The only reason I ask is that I had a sniff that someone, somewhere was getting a little bit serious about insulation………
Nah, that’s not the mob; seem a bit muppet-ish to me…
Thanks for the info! A client of mine told me that you either needed double glazing or a waffle pod. I have asked the right people and it is a confusing topic. Noone on this forum knew the answer either but were very quick to judge. Yes I run a double glazing business and have done for 7 years now. I have been waiting patiently for the Canberra community and Government to get serious about insulating their home. The pay back period is second to the amazing comfort you feel from a home that has correct insulation.
Deref said :
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
Totally agree with orientation and that is the first thing we look at when giving advice on a set of plans. This is the cheapest and most effective form of getting a comfortable home. Insulate it right and then decorate it nicely with what money is left and you will have a low cost and comfortable home.
Even though you all saw the cynical side of my comment, my heart is totally in the right place of helping Canberra with this ongoing issue. If I make some sales along the way then I probably deserve them!
Yeah sorry missed #7 when I posted. Your others came after.
As they say. “Nullus Anxietas”
Nullus Anxietas sounds like a good name for the bitter business rivals of Solacecreations.
Nah, some wizards might have a problem. Prior use and all that…
Solacecreations said :
Thanks for the info! A client of mine told me that you either needed double glazing or a waffle pod. I have asked the right people and it is a confusing topic. Noone on this forum knew the answer either but were very quick to judge. Yes I run a double glazing business and have done for 7 years now. I have been waiting patiently for the Canberra community and Government to get serious about insulating their home. The pay back period is second to the amazing comfort you feel from a home that has correct insulation.
Totally agree with orientation and that is the first thing we look at when giving advice on a set of plans. This is the cheapest and most effective form of getting a comfortable home. Insulate it right and then decorate it nicely with what money is left and you will have a low cost and comfortable home.
Even though you all saw the cynical side of my comment, my heart is totally in the right place of helping Canberra with this ongoing issue. If I make some sales along the way then I probably deserve them!
Solacecreations (does RiotAct get a small stipend everytime your business name is published?), thanks for your response. From it, and this is only my opinion, I can gather that:
- Despite 7 years in the industry, you don’t have the necessary contacts with ACTPLA, builders, or architects to get an understanding of the Molonglo development.
- You’re just as happy to judge as anyone else. I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get an answer on RiotAct, given the general readership, but don’t be surprised if the answer isn’t complete.
- Waiting patiently would probably tie in with your perceived (in my opinion) passive aggressive manner.
- I’m glad your heart is in the right place; it would be a bugger if it was located in your lower abdomen.
. . Despite 7 years in the industry, you don’t have the necessary contacts with ACTPLA, builders, or architects to get an understanding of the Molonglo development . .
That’s what I was wondering about too.
poetix said :
Ok, what is a waffle pod? Sounds like something for breakfast.
(And if anyone does let me google that for you, I’ll spank them.)
I thought an insulated slab as mentioned in the original post has a polystyrene insulated edge, and a waffle pod has some of the inner part of the slab replacing the concrete with a polystyrene structure. The first is designed to reduce heat transfer between the slab and the outside air (something I wish they’d known to do when our house was built because you can really feel the cold in one corner) and the second is primarily to reduce the amount of concrete needed (I suppose it insulates too but from personal experience I’d be more concerned about the edges). I’m no expert so if anyone has better info I’m happy to be corrected.
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
In that case how was the design of Wright approved? I thought there were requirements these days not just for houses but for land.
I don’t know if it’s genuine ignorance or convenient ignorance but I’ve seen both land and houses advertised as having ideal north orientation when north is the street and all that faces north is the garage and one window. Also I’ve seen ads for houses with north to the backyard but a large pergola blocks any hope of sun. Do real estate agents have any clue what the significance of north is?
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
Or, they could just start building more rotating houses that allow the occupant to select the orientation to suit the temperature.
Bit hard to be fussy about orientation when the house barely fits on the block of land and most of your windows are facing a fence or blocked by the neighbours eaves.
Its strange that much of the community bases energy efficiency on what products can be used. Yes waffle pod slabs perform better than conventional slabs (although they were designed to use less concrete and save $) and double glazing is far superior to the old float glass of the past….
BUT we seem to have forgotten 2 key ideas which are far more important.
1. Good, site specific design, allows a maximisation of solar access and passive energy efficiency.
2. A home twice the size uses twice the energy to heat and cool.
We live in city in which we collectively invest very little time in designing our homes. Generally we buy one ‘off the plan’ or a ‘speculative build’ which is not at all site specific as it is designed to be repeated on various blocks.
We have also seemed to enter an era where the ‘market wants’ a formal dining room, a media room, a lounge and a rumpas. We have moved away from more multi-use open plan living and the result we are building extremely large homes which are often twice the size of those we used to live in (on blocks half the size). In order to break even they would need to be twice as efficient – a pretty big ask.
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
In that case how was the design of Wright approved? I thought there were requirements these days not just for houses but for land.
Who was the land planner?
From the public info session/display for Coombs + Wright (in 2008??), someone claimed the required volume of earthworks (for more northerly oriented blocks) wasn’t feasible because of the slope & aspect of the area. There was some claim that a lot of earth would need to be excavated & transported somewhere. Sounds rational for the hillier spots, but maybe not for the lower/flatter areas. As with comment #26, closely packed houses muck up solar access too…
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
In that case how was the design of Wright approved? I thought there were requirements these days not just for houses but for land.
Who was the land planner?
From the public info session/display for Coombs + Wright (in 2008??), someone claimed the required volume of earthworks (for more northerly oriented blocks) wasn’t feasible because of the slope & aspect of the area. There was some claim that a lot of earth would need to be excavated & transported somewhere. Sounds rational for the hillier spots, but maybe not for the lower/flatter areas. As with comment #26, closely packed houses muck up solar access too…
The long side facing north and sufficient distance between the house and the next house along should work. The more slope the harder it gets to achieve, but I honestly think neither the government nor the developers are really that interested in the relatively simplest cheapest solution. I mean once the effort has been put in to figure out the best layout and build the roads that way then it’s done, it works.
But I agree with this.
King_of_the_Muppets said :
Its strange that much of the community bases energy efficiency on what products can be used. Yes waffle pod slabs perform better than conventional slabs (although they were designed to use less concrete and save $) and double glazing is far superior to the old float glass of the past….
BUT we seem to have forgotten 2 key ideas which are far more important.
1. Good, site specific design, allows a maximisation of solar access and passive energy efficiency.
2. A home twice the size uses twice the energy to heat and cool.
We live in city in which we collectively invest very little time in designing our homes. Generally we buy one ‘off the plan’ or a ‘speculative build’ which is not at all site specific as it is designed to be repeated on various blocks.
We have also seemed to enter an era where the ‘market wants’ a formal dining room, a media room, a lounge and a rumpas. We have moved away from more multi-use open plan living and the result we are building extremely large homes which are often twice the size of those we used to live in (on blocks half the size). In order to break even they would need to be twice as efficient – a pretty big ask.
Ever bigger inefficient houses, and ‘products’ added to make them ‘eco’. The way some homebuyers speak it’s obvious they believe that a house’s eco-friendliness is completely down to how much extra money is spent on extra products.
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
In that case how was the design of Wright approved? I thought there were requirements these days not just for houses but for land.
Who was the land planner?
From the public info session/display for Coombs + Wright (in 2008??), someone claimed the required volume of earthworks (for more northerly oriented blocks) wasn’t feasible because of the slope & aspect of the area. There was some claim that a lot of earth would need to be excavated & transported somewhere. Sounds rational for the hillier spots, but maybe not for the lower/flatter areas. As with comment #26, closely packed houses muck up solar access too…
The long side facing north and sufficient distance between the house and the next house along should work. The more slope the harder it gets to achieve, but I honestly think neither the government nor the developers are really that interested in the relatively simplest cheapest solution. I mean once the effort has been put in to figure out the best layout and build the roads that way then it’s done, it works.
But I agree with this.
King_of_the_Muppets said :
Its strange that much of the community bases energy efficiency on what products can be used. Yes waffle pod slabs perform better than conventional slabs (although they were designed to use less concrete and save $) and double glazing is far superior to the old float glass of the past….
BUT we seem to have forgotten 2 key ideas which are far more important.
1. Good, site specific design, allows a maximisation of solar access and passive energy efficiency.
2. A home twice the size uses twice the energy to heat and cool.
We live in city in which we collectively invest very little time in designing our homes. Generally we buy one ‘off the plan’ or a ‘speculative build’ which is not at all site specific as it is designed to be repeated on various blocks.
We have also seemed to enter an era where the ‘market wants’ a formal dining room, a media room, a lounge and a rumpas. We have moved away from more multi-use open plan living and the result we are building extremely large homes which are often twice the size of those we used to live in (on blocks half the size). In order to break even they would need to be twice as efficient – a pretty big ask.
Ever bigger inefficient houses, and ‘products’ added to make them ‘eco’. The way some homebuyers speak it’s obvious they believe that a house’s eco-friendliness is completely down to how much extra money is spent on extra products.
I totally agree and would like to see the Government and Architects get more serious about what is deemed a “six” star home. Design is the first and most important part of a comfortable low cost home.
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The incentives are
$5000 for landscaping the front from building line to boundary
$2500 for solar hot water
$1000 for efficient space heating
Righto said :
landscaping should come secondary to a fully insulated home and insulation should include the windows and doors. I thought there were requirements rather than incentives for double glazing OR waffle slab?
I hear there’s a $1000 incentive towards the installation of astroturf, which seems to be paying dividends already.
poetix said :
lol
poetix said :
But wait there’s more……..the first 300 people to call 1800 REAL ESTATE will win a free weekend in Gunghalin with Katy Gallagher and Andrew Barr.
poetix said :
Yuck!! You said astroturf.
Hmm, I’m not sure… but I’m pretty confident that if you contacted a supplier/installer, say somewhere in Phillip, they’d be able to give you the info.
If only I knew of one…
Righto said :
If this is true, its interesting that the ACT Government sought fit to subsidise the wealthy to make their homes cheaper to run in the long term….
Listers_Cat said :
The ACT Government has been subsidising the wealthy (existing homeowners) at the expense of the not wealthy (renters) for the past decade through the mechanism of exceedingly slow land releases.
Surely the single most important and most efficient element in energy efficiency is orientation. It would be simple and cost nothing to mandate northerly orientation for all buildings, but you never hear it discussed. I shudder to think what it must be like living in one of those many west-facing flats. Who in their right mind would buy one of those?
Given Solace Creations is a business that installs double glazing etc I would think the OP already knows the answer or else should know who to ask.
Duffbowl said :
There is a quality supplier at 79 Dundas Court Phillip. Is the rumour right about double glazing at Wright? The only reason I ask is that I had a sniff that someone, somewhere was getting a little bit serious about insulation………
Solacecreations said :
Nah, that’s not the mob; seem a bit muppet-ish to me…
NoImRight said :
I believe this to be the case, hence my responses.
Duffbowl said :
Yeah sorry missed #7 when I posted. Your others came after.
NoImRight said :
As they say. “Nullus Anxietas”
Duffbowl said :
Nullus Anxietas sounds like a good name for the bitter business rivals of Solacecreations.
poetix said :
I dont know, with their canny viral marketing campaigns SC are set to becoem a real force.
Thanks for the info! A client of mine told me that you either needed double glazing or a waffle pod. I have asked the right people and it is a confusing topic. Noone on this forum knew the answer either but were very quick to judge. Yes I run a double glazing business and have done for 7 years now. I have been waiting patiently for the Canberra community and Government to get serious about insulating their home. The pay back period is second to the amazing comfort you feel from a home that has correct insulation.
Deref said :
Totally agree with orientation and that is the first thing we look at when giving advice on a set of plans. This is the cheapest and most effective form of getting a comfortable home. Insulate it right and then decorate it nicely with what money is left and you will have a low cost and comfortable home.
Even though you all saw the cynical side of my comment, my heart is totally in the right place of helping Canberra with this ongoing issue. If I make some sales along the way then I probably deserve them!
poetix said :
Nah, some wizards might have a problem. Prior use and all that…
Solacecreations said :
Solacecreations (does RiotAct get a small stipend everytime your business name is published?), thanks for your response. From it, and this is only my opinion, I can gather that:
- Despite 7 years in the industry, you don’t have the necessary contacts with ACTPLA, builders, or architects to get an understanding of the Molonglo development.
- You’re just as happy to judge as anyone else. I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get an answer on RiotAct, given the general readership, but don’t be surprised if the answer isn’t complete.
- Waiting patiently would probably tie in with your perceived (in my opinion) passive aggressive manner.
- I’m glad your heart is in the right place; it would be a bugger if it was located in your lower abdomen.
Ok, what is a waffle pod? Sounds like something for breakfast.
(And if anyone does let me google that for you, I’ll spank them.)
Duffbowl said :
That’s what I was wondering about too.
poetix said :
I thought an insulated slab as mentioned in the original post has a polystyrene insulated edge, and a waffle pod has some of the inner part of the slab replacing the concrete with a polystyrene structure. The first is designed to reduce heat transfer between the slab and the outside air (something I wish they’d known to do when our house was built because you can really feel the cold in one corner) and the second is primarily to reduce the amount of concrete needed (I suppose it insulates too but from personal experience I’d be more concerned about the edges). I’m no expert so if anyone has better info I’m happy to be corrected.
Deref said :
I believe that Wright has mostly west facing blocks and when the land planner was questioned, he had no reply! You are right, design is absolutely everything and costs the same as bad planning. I am glad someone noticed this little observation!
Solacecreations said :
In that case how was the design of Wright approved? I thought there were requirements these days not just for houses but for land.
I don’t know if it’s genuine ignorance or convenient ignorance but I’ve seen both land and houses advertised as having ideal north orientation when north is the street and all that faces north is the garage and one window. Also I’ve seen ads for houses with north to the backyard but a large pergola blocks any hope of sun. Do real estate agents have any clue what the significance of north is?
Solacecreations said :
Or, they could just start building more rotating houses that allow the occupant to select the orientation to suit the temperature.
Bit hard to be fussy about orientation when the house barely fits on the block of land and most of your windows are facing a fence or blocked by the neighbours eaves.
Its strange that much of the community bases energy efficiency on what products can be used. Yes waffle pod slabs perform better than conventional slabs (although they were designed to use less concrete and save $) and double glazing is far superior to the old float glass of the past….
BUT we seem to have forgotten 2 key ideas which are far more important.
1. Good, site specific design, allows a maximisation of solar access and passive energy efficiency.
2. A home twice the size uses twice the energy to heat and cool.
We live in city in which we collectively invest very little time in designing our homes. Generally we buy one ‘off the plan’ or a ‘speculative build’ which is not at all site specific as it is designed to be repeated on various blocks.
We have also seemed to enter an era where the ‘market wants’ a formal dining room, a media room, a lounge and a rumpas. We have moved away from more multi-use open plan living and the result we are building extremely large homes which are often twice the size of those we used to live in (on blocks half the size). In order to break even they would need to be twice as efficient – a pretty big ask.
GardeningGirl said :
Who was the land planner?
From the public info session/display for Coombs + Wright (in 2008??), someone claimed the required volume of earthworks (for more northerly oriented blocks) wasn’t feasible because of the slope & aspect of the area. There was some claim that a lot of earth would need to be excavated & transported somewhere. Sounds rational for the hillier spots, but maybe not for the lower/flatter areas. As with comment #26, closely packed houses muck up solar access too…
imagesplat said :
The long side facing north and sufficient distance between the house and the next house along should work. The more slope the harder it gets to achieve, but I honestly think neither the government nor the developers are really that interested in the relatively simplest cheapest solution. I mean once the effort has been put in to figure out the best layout and build the roads that way then it’s done, it works.
But I agree with this.
King_of_the_Muppets said :
Ever bigger inefficient houses, and ‘products’ added to make them ‘eco’. The way some homebuyers speak it’s obvious they believe that a house’s eco-friendliness is completely down to how much extra money is spent on extra products.
GardeningGirl said :
I totally agree and would like to see the Government and Architects get more serious about what is deemed a “six” star home. Design is the first and most important part of a comfortable low cost home.