Passive solar design

Dining room and roof windows

North facing roof windows direct sunlight onto suspended slab in the Surrey Hills house. Passive solar design uses a combination of windows, shading and thermal mass to regulate temperature inside a building. Passive solar design features include: In the northern hemisphere, south-facing windows get the sunlight. External links

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Green roof

Green roofs in Bour, Faroe Islands

A green roof is a roof that is designed to be surfaced with plants. A green roof, usually the roof of a building, is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. This does not refer to roofs which are merely coloured green, as with green corrugated iron… Continue reading Green roof

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Green roof 131 Queen Street

131 Queens Street green roof

The Green roof at 131 Queen Street (Melbourne, Australia), the first roof garden retrofitted to an existing commercial building in Melbourne, was unveiled on 15 July 2010. The new green roof has been fitted on to a 10-storey office block at 131 Queen Street. The roof was previously a blank expanse of concrete, it is now an… Continue reading Green roof 131 Queen Street

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Water wise garden

Sanci permaculture garden

A water wise garden can save a lot of water. Tips for creating a water wise garden: External links

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Give our streets the green light

Give our streets the green light is a campaign to encourage the Victorian and Federal Government to help local councils with the high upfront cost of switching to more energy-efficient street lights. Many people have made the switch to energy-efficient lights at home, now help make the switch in your street by signing an online petition. Replacing old… Continue reading Give our streets the green light

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LED low energy lighting

LED street lighting

Low energy light emitting diodes (LED) can greatly reduce energy consumption associated with both domestic and commercial lighting. They can be be used for: Light Emitting Diodes are among the most energy-efficient light sources available on the market. LED lamps are already today more than five times more efficient than incandescent lamps and future technical achievements offer… Continue reading LED low energy lighting

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Building energy efficiency standards

Building energy efficiency standards are regarded as an effective means of reducing or eliminating the greenhouse gas emissions of residential and commercial buildings. Australia National standards for building energy efficiency The Australian Government has conducted studies into the greenhouse gas emissions of residential and commercial buildings. These studies show that the building industry must face the… Continue reading Building energy efficiency standards

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Thermal mass

Thermal mass refers to the mass of a structure that can act to retain and release heat. This is an important component of passive solar designs. Dense materials such as concrete, rammed earth, and bricks all have good thermal mass properties. Thermal mass works to regulate and dampen down temperature fluctuations in buildings. In summer, the… Continue reading Thermal mass

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Green gardens

Sanci permaculture garden

What is a green garden? Is it one that offers habitat and food to native animals? Is it one that produces food for people? Is it one that uses a minimum of water and other resources – or one that creates a shade to cool the house, and is kept damp to help cool the immediate… Continue reading Green gardens

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Millerton round house

Millerton round house in winter

Owners Yosh and Nili Schulman Location Millerton, New York State Country United States Type New construction House size Medium Summary of house features Energy efficiency The house is 60% more energy efficient than comparable homes Green building materials External links

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