Wondering where your home’s energy is actually being used, and where the biggest savings can be made?

Discover how to approach appliance and system selection so your home uses far less energy from the start.

Learn the order of sustainability choices that delivers the best result: design well, reduce demand through efficient selections, then supply the reduced demand with renewables.

Listen to the episode now.

Hello! This is Episode 410, and Way #10 of the 44 Ways to Create Your Sustainable Home series here on the podcast. With this episode, we also begin Section Three: Sustainable Services and Infrastructure.

Section One was about designing for climate and site. Section Two was about sustainable design strategies. Section Three is where we look at the services and infrastructure inside your home: energy, water, hot water, and renewable supply.

These areas are often where people start their sustainability conversations, because they can feel much more tangible than the project initiation and design decisions we’ve been discussing up to this point. They’re the actual systems that determine how your home runs day to day, how much it uses in resources, and what it costs to run.

We’re beginning Section Three with Way #10: Reduce Your Energy Use Through Your Selections.

Heating and cooling typically accounts for around 40% of your home’s total energy use. Hot water is approximately 23%. Appliances such as televisions, dishwashers and washing machines account for around 14%, with your fridge and freezer at another 8%. Lighting sits around 7%, cooking around 5%, and standby power around 3%.

Add the top three categories together, heating and cooling, hot water, and appliances (excluding the fridge), and you’re looking at about 77% of your home’s total energy consumption. 

Add fridge and cooking back in and you’re at roughly 90%. 

These are where you can really make a difference.

We’ve already covered how to minimise your artificial heating and cooling demand through design (orientation, breezes, passive heating and cooling, and climate zone). I’ll talk more about hot water in Way #13. 

This episode is about everything else: how to approach appliance and system selection so the home you’re building or renovating uses far less than the standard build would.

Use the energy rating systems that exist to help you assess appliances. In Australia, you’ll find an energy star rating label on most appliances. Other countries have equivalent systems: Energy Star in the United States, the EU energy efficiency rating in Europe. There are also online registers and product finders in most locations, and consumer comparison websites worth checking.

The most impactful process when considering your sustainable energy selections is to fully electrify your home, then reduce that energy demand by choosing energy efficient appliances, and then supply that reduced demand from renewable sources. 

Reduce first. Then supply the reduced demand with renewables.

In this Episode, I cover:

• Where your home’s energy actually goes, with the typical percentage breakdown across heating and cooling, hot water, appliances, fridge, lighting, cooking and standby power
• How to approach appliance and system selection using energy rating systems, online registers and consumer comparison websites
• What to consider in your kitchen, including induction versus gas and how to plan for a future fridge upgrade
• What to look for in your laundry appliance selections across both energy and water efficiency
• How to correctly size your heating and cooling system, especially in a home designed for passive comfort, and how energy modelling data can help
• Why split system air conditioners may be the best choice given how efficient and flexible the current technology has become
• The sustainability hierarchy I recommend every homeowner have in mind: design well, reduce energy demand through efficient selections, then supply that reduced demand with renewables

Plus a whole lot more.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW.

RESOURCES

Energy Rating (Australian Government appliance ratings) >>> https://www.energyrating.gov.au/

Energy Star (US appliance ratings) >>> https://www.energystar.gov/ 

Season 2 Episode 7 ‘Wardrobes, linens, laundries and mudrooms’ >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/wardrobe-linen-laundry-mudroom/

Season 2 Episode 4 ‘All things kitchens (including butlers, walk-in pantries and appliance cupboards)’ >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/kitchen-design-that-works-for-families/ 

’44 Ways to Create a Sustainable Home’ e-guide >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/ways 

Access the support and guidance you need to be confident and empowered when renovating and building your family home inside my signature online program, HOME METHOD >>> https://undercoverarchitect.com/courses/the-home-method/