The benefits of 6 star all add up
If you are thinking of building a new home, make sure to ask your builder the following:
- Is your builder endorsing the BCA 6 star requirements?
- Does you builder have a range of 6 star home designs to offer?
- What experience does your builder have energy efficiency?
- If your builder suggesting energy efficient features?
- If your builder demonstrating to you the benefits of 6 star?
Can you afford not to build a star home?
When building your new home with Impressions, you can take comfort in the fact that we tick all the above boxes. Impressions are proud to support the implementation of 6 star and committed to making your home a comfortable place for your whole family to live.
What is 6 star?
The introduction of the new mandatory 6 star housing building standards came into effect from 1 May 2011. The star rating for new homes is much like how household appliances have star rating systems. The more stars on a scale of one to ten, the more the natural comfort level of a home and the less energy (and money) it will waste.
What are the benefits of 6 star?
The main benefits of adopting 6 star living are:
- Comfort – the ability to live more comfortably, naturally
- Energy savings – the more efficient the home is to heat and cool
- Household savings – less reliant on mechanical heating and cooling
- An improved indoor air quality and a reduction in temperature fluctuations
- Improvements to your education – discover how simple it is to be more energy efficient around the hom
- Reduction in your carbon footprint
How do you achieve 6 star?
Achieving a 6 star rating is the culmination of numerous design elements working together for the right climate zone. Some suggestions are:
- The orientation of the home on the block
- Placing non-habitable rooms (laundry, garage, bathrooms etc) to the west and main living rooms to the north
- Consider the size of the home – the larger the home, the harder it is to get star ratings
- Do not include gas points
- Increase ceiling insulation to R4
- Install wall cavity insulation
- Carefully choose your floor treatments
- Utilise ceiling fans
- Choose energy efficient lighting
- Identify areas that can be zoned or closed off
- Seal doors, windows, vents and exhaust fans
How much will it cost to comply?
With a wealth of knowledge and a thorough understanding of 6 star principles, Impressions can offer affordable solutions to clients to achieve a 6 star rating. The cost incurred is dependent on many factors which can make it difficult to predict a cost to comply. According to the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, the average added cost of building a 6 star in WA will add 0.01% to the cost of a new house and land package.