| Prioritising Your ChoicesThe "Your Home"
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| | temperate areas. Examine these
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| project should be about improving the
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| | suggestions and decide what may be able
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| quality of life of the residents and
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| | to improve your quality of life and
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| reducing the overall environmental
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| | reduce your impact the on the
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| impact. Cost is usually the main
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| | environment. Install AAA rated shower
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| consideration when selecting what to
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| | heads and dual flush toilet cisterns that
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| include and what to leave out. Creating
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| | save water; Reduce water demand;
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| the perfect sustainable home will be out
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| | Rainwater harvesting; On-site wastewater
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| of the range of most budgets - but what
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| | reuse; Waterless toilets; Stormwater
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| does that mean anyway. This sums it up:
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| | management; Outdoor water use; Fix
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| "Sustainable development is development
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| | leaking taps.Passive CoolingAir movement
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| that meets the needs of the future
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| | is the most important element of passive
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| without compromising the ability of
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| | cooling, and this is produced by fans.
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| future generations to meet their own
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| | They increase cooling by increasing
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| needs" (WCED, 1987 Brundtland
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| | evaporation rates. Hot humid (tropical)
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| Report).Planning a reno includes
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| | climates limit the body's ability to lose
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| prioritising the things you want to
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| | heat by evaporation of perspiration.
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| achieve such as more space, a better
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| | Sleeping comfort is a significant issue.
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| kitchen or bathroom, more sunlight,
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| | Design eaves and shading to permanently
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| reduced energy and water consumption etc.
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| | exclude solar access to rooms; Maximise
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| Search the internet for facts on
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| | shaded external areas with trees and
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| suitable materials, types of glass, well
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| | plants - this will also lower the ground
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| designed lighting, and energy saving
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| | temperature.Use low energy ceiling fans
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| appliances.The following important
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| | and natural cooling whole house fans to
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| considerations are helpful when decisions
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| | draw the cooler air in from outside and
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| have to be made on designing, buying,
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| | when there is no breeze. Note that
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| building or renovating a home.Energy
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| | natural cooling whole house fans also
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| Efficient, Sustainable HomesThese are
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| | remove the odors and toxins from your
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| rapidly increasing in value owing to
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| | home and lower the need for refrigerated
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| their greater comfort levels and lower
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| | air conditioning. Choose windows with
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| running costs. Your home will be around
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| | maximum opening areas e.g. louvres or
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| for at least 50 years and its resale
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| | shutters - avoid fixed glass areas.Hot
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| value will be increasingly linked to
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| | dry areas require the introduction of
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| these features. Sustainable housing
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| | water into the atmosphere. Evaporative
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| include technologies that cover a wide
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| | cooling is an effective passive cooling
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| range of topics including rainwater
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| | method and works best when relative
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| storage, solar energy, composting,
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| | humidity if lower (70 percent or less
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| renewable building materials, efficient
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| | during hottest periods) and the air has a
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| appliances. In Australia there are now
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| | greater capacity to take up water vapour.
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| whole housing developments being built as
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| | Design solutions include the use of
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| sustainable homes.Reducing Energy
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| | pools, ponds and water features
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| ConsumptionThis is an urgent priority.
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| | immediately outside windows or in
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| Global warming and its effects on climate
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| | courtyards to precool air entering the
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| change are already becoming
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| | house. Carefully located water features
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| apparent.These will invariably lead to
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| | can create convective breezes. Other
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| higher prices for energy from
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| | cooling tips in tropical areas can also
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| non-renewable sources. Look for
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| | be applied to hot dry areas.Passive
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| appliances with high star ratings that
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| | (Solar) HeatingIn cold climates establish
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| will not only save on your pocket
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| | where your sun moves during summer and
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| expenses but will help save our planet.
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| | winter and design your windows to let the
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| Little things like monitoring your gas
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| | suns heat in while insulating against the
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| and electricity bills for unexpected
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| | cold. In hot and moderate climates admit
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| increases then working out how you can
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| | light but reject the heat. Open floor
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| further decrease your usage; Insulate hot
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| | plans allow more sun inside. The sun's
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| water pipes; Set the thermostat at 60-65
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| | heat is stored in the thermal mass of
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| Deg C on storage hot water systems and 50
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| | your building - concrete, masonry, stone
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| deg C on instantaneous systems; Turn off
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| | slabs - and is slowly released. Proper
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| hot water systems when on vacation; Put a
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| | building orientation will allow solar
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| timer on the electric booster of solar
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| | heat to enter the home in winter, while
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| hot water heaters and on peak electric
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| | allowing in as little sun as possible
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| storage systems to avoid heating water
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| | during summer. Shading and overhangs also
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| when not needed; turn appliances off at
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| | reduce excessive summer heat, while still
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| the wall (you'll be amazed how much
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| | permitting winter sun. In passive solar
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| energy you can save - not to mention
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| | designs, the optimal window-to-wall area
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| reduce the risk of fire).Water UsageWater
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| | ratio is 25-35 percent.I hope that this
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| is in short supply the world over.
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| | information has helped you make important
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| Rising demand for houshold water is
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| | decisions on your most important
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| competing with needs of agriculture and
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| | projects.Author: Brendan Hogg. Brendan
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| both are reducing the environmental flow
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| | is Manager of Cardiffair natural cooling
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| needed to keep our rivers and waterways
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| | fans. He is Housing Industry Association
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| healthy. The application of these ways
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| | Green Smart Qualified and experienced in
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| to use water in a sustainable way will
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| | air movement for comfort and a healthier
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| depend on whether you live in the country
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| | indoor environment.
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| or the cities, in the tropics or the
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