When you’re designing your own home, you have the opportunity to make practical choices that give you great long-term benefits. One great way to do this is with energy-efficient home design. By making an active effort to incorporate energy-efficient principles into your layout and features, you can reap the rewards later on. Read on and learn about some of the ways you can make your home energy-efficient.
What are the benefits of an energy-efficient home?
An energy-efficient home offers you many benefits, both financial and for future-proofing. On one hand, efficiency will mean using less power. Naturally, this will mean paying less to power companies and having more money left over. In addition to saving in the short-term, you set yourself up for the future. If electricity prices see a steep rise over the years, you’ll still be minimising your costs. This is also advantageous if you even want to sell your home down the line. Energy efficiency is one of the most appealing features to prospective home buyers due to the aforementioned savings on power bills.
Energy efficiency requirements
Another important reason to build an energy-efficient home is because of the mandatory 7-star energy efficiency rating for new homes introduced in May 2025. This requires every new house built in Western Australia to achieve a minimum 7-star energy efficiency rating under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).. The assessor will look at factors such as the design and layout as well as the construction and the materials used. We will make sure to guide you throughout the design process so that you can confidently meet these requirements for your new home.
Selecting the right building materials
The materials you use for your home have a big impact on your energy efficiency. This is because different materials have their own ways of interacting with heat and light. For example, if your house is built with materials that don’t insulate well, you’re at the mercy of the surrounding weather and temperature. You’ll end up spending more on heating and cooling, causing your power bills to go up too. This is why you want to be careful when choosing materials for different parts of your home build.
Roof
Your roof takes up a lot of the surface area of your house, so picking the right materials can have a big impact on your energy use. If you live somewhere hot, then it’s worth getting a roof with reflective materials. This will prevent them from absorbing too much sunlight and heating up the home. Meanwhile, if you’re somewhere that tends to be cooler, you might opt for a roof with darker materials to conserve more heat.
Windows
Your home’s windows also play a significant role in managing the heat and light that makes its way into your home. One way to manage this is through the use of double-glazed windows. They limit the amount of heat and keep the home from getting too hot.
Solar power
One of the best ways to boost your home’s energy efficiency is by incorporating solar power. By installing solar panels, you’re able to absorb sunlight and convert it into power for home use. This allows you to be more self-sufficient and gives you the option to generate and store your own power. Solar power is a popular option, especially here in Western Australia where sunlight is so plentiful.
Solar electricity
Solar power is able to provide you with electricity, so that you are less reliant on the power grid. While solar systems require an upfront investment, this will generally be made up for over time with the savings. This includes the orientation of the panels as well as the cabling used. It’s also worth getting a solar battery to store excess energy for use during night time.
One potential drawback of solar electricity is the reliance on the sun. However, this is rarely an issue somewhere like Perth. Even in Winter, solar panels receive a lot of sunlight and still manage to store a good amount of power for households.
Solar heating
In addition to being used to generate electricity for your home, solar can be used for home heating. It has different applications, such as heating your home’s water supply, warming up your pool, or even heating the home itself.
As with solar electricity, the main potential downside to solar heating is that you’re limited by the available sunlight. But again, you don’t need too much for this method to be effective.
Energy-efficient lighting
We use a lot of lights in our homes and they can quickly add up on your energy bills. You have the ability to create significant energy savings based on a few key design choices in your home build. You’re able to optimise the layout of your home so that it receives a good amount of natural light, minimising the need to rely on indoor lights. This is especially effective when you create a home with an open-plan layout.
Another important aspect of energy-efficient lighting is the lighting system itself. This includes the type of lightbulbs being used, how long they last, and the switches and control of the system. Among the different options, LEDs tend to use the least energy and last around twice as long as halogens or incandescent lights. This will add up to a lot more money saved over time.
Managing heating and cooling
Heating and cooling tend to eat up a lot of your power usage throughout the year. By making some smart design choices, you can minimise your reliance on climate control. Firstly, the direction that your house is facing has a big impact on how much sunlight it takes in, which is able to provide a natural heat source. The direction of your windows has a similar effect, as they let light sunlight into your home. Window placement is also important because you can open them to let some air in and cool you off when it’s getting too hot.
Make an energy-efficient home with Redink
Energy-efficiency is an underrated aspect of home design, helping out with your long-term savings as well as your comfort. If you’re looking to prioritise energy-efficiency for your new home, Redink is the one to call. Contact us today and let’s design a home that’s efficient as well as aesthetic.
