‘It’s not easy being green’ may have been a hit song by a frog 30 years ago, but for most people renovating a home that original message still rings true.
Till now that is. The Green Building Council of Australia—GBCA—has just launched their sustainable guide to home renovations so builders, designers & homeowners can make houses—and apartments—more efficient, healthy & resilient. It’s long overdue.
And a huge market of course. Australians spent roughly $11B on home renovations in 2021 says the GBCA, but the average spend is a moving target of course, with estimates as low as $70K to something in the order of $350K according to the Housing Industry Association. And the prices keep rising.
As do building standards, with governments at all levels expecting home owners to build & renovate with their eye on the very best energy efficiency. But just understanding the growing number of obligations is daunting enough, let alone finding, buying and installing the best products.
Take re-wiring your home, a hot topic at the moment. Renovations can cost an average $7K while big additions or new builds can go upwards of $30K, especially if you’re thinking of adding solar panels, smart home automation and energy storage. Not to mention converting from gas to electricity which looks like being the latest renovation requirement.
The GBCA Guide takes you through the issues you’ll want to consider when it comes to wiring & cabling, including energy management, hot water, renewables, energy efficient appliances and, yes, transition to gas. Plus resources like codes and green home scorecards.
I gotta say its a great project & I hope you take a look. Of course to get down to the nitty gritty of planning the wiring & cabling of a renovation or new build, plus finding someone licensed & reliable to do it or give you advice, you can’t go past the Registered Cablers site.
Sustainable or greener homes are here to stay and we all need to be on board. Luckily we now have the support & backup to make it happen easily.
Cheers, John Fennell