The Alternative Lifestyle Site

Transition Projects #3: The House (part 1)

We first saw our home about 5 months before we decided to buy it. We didn’t even bother to take a look inside.

Nope, it wasn’t for us – too small, wrong position and frankly it just didn’t look like something we would even consider. Not that it was awful, it was just that unless we could buy a house that would meet all our eco-friendly ideals OR get some vacant land so that we could build with those ideals in mind, we didn’t want to waste anyones time.

So what changed?

We took a look at it with new eyes.

We decided that the fact that it faced totally the wrong way (for energy efficiency) could actually be an advantage. We decided that the fact that it was a weather board home would make it easier to retrofit. We decided that since it was quite, quite small that it was a reasonable thing to expand and extend it. And so we purchased this little house, facing the wrong way but with so much potential. Buy it and make it a sustainable home that was the plan and slowly, we are taking our steps in that direction.

So, what did we buy?

It’s a little house, sitting on not quite two acres, with some nice native trees on the southern and western boundaries, with 100 or so productive Chestnut trees to the north, twenty neglected fruit trees and lots of long grass.

Really, we would have preferred a couple more acres but properties in our chosen areas cost quite a bit so this was our compromise. Despite all the things that were “wrong” with our chosen purchase, there was so much we could do to make it better and we really started right away.

We did a couple of things initially to mediate against the Sun in Summer – blinds were attached to all the outside verandahs to stop the sun actually shining on the glass of our windows.

If the Sun hits the glass it acts like a radiator inside the house. Not a good idea when the temperatures are heading towards the 35 degree Celcius mark on a Summer day! We roll up the blinds in the winter and they really do a good job of cutting the heat and the glare in the summer.

In the winter we have a wood burning combustion stove, carpets, lined blinds on the windows and so long as the heater is on we are toasty warm. However, we use a lot of wood.

The ceiling and the walls do have insulation in them, but it’s not very thick and we know that to increase the level of insulation will make a lot of difference both in Winter and in Summer. Still (we remind ourselves) this is why we purchased this particular house.

We just knew we could take something at was doing just about everything wrong and turn it into something that does just about everything right! With that in mind, the plans were hatched to build an extension.

An eco-extension, “out the back”, on the western side of the house. We already knew what materials we would use and for us the material that touched our hearts was straw. Now I don’t know if it’s because I grew up in the wheat belt of New South Wales and was surrounded by paddocks and fields of wheat but this product just sets my pulse racing!

So we did a Strawbale Owner Builders course, purchased a book on the subject and we set about designing the changes to our little house.

This series of “Transition” posts will outline our journey and I really hope you will enjoy them. As I sit writing this today, there is a man on the roof putting on the last few sheets of iron that will finally link the extension to the existing house! Time for a bit of a celebration I think as now we have one roof over our plans and dreams and although it’s still a long way from finished, it is at last – one house.

If you would like to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the following “Transition Projects” posts, if you would like to gain access to a whole range of tips and advice on how to save energy (and money in the process) just put your name and email address into the box at the top right of this page. I’ve had so much fun making the videos so I really hope you get some great ideas from them.

Energy Series 20: Reviews and Thank You

‘Tis the end of the series and what a ride it’s been.

If you have enjoyed the series and think that it provided you with information that was of any value please refer others to the blog and recommend the newsletter subscription. There are many things coming up, including a free report for subscribers, some excellent articles, product reviews, videos… hey just more of the same! Hope to see you in the comments section soon and once again Thanks for the company.

Energy Series 19: Taking It To The Street

This is just a quick video to encourage you to take your message to the streets.  Sort of.

Many people feel that the things they can do at home to save energy, lower their carbon emissions and take steps to halt global warming are just a small drop in a very big pond.  Of course, that is totally true but who ever said you had to keep all this information under lock and key?

The truth is that now you know what to do and have some great ideas on how to get started there is no stopping you.  Once you have been successful at home, tell people about it.  Go public.  Let it become quite obvious that YOU are different, informed, active and aware of your ability to make a difference.  Take this confidence to work, to school, to the supermarket or shopping centre.  Tell your neighbours, the people in your club, your Mother.  Here

Watch the video and become inspired.  It’s up to us to make this grow and I’m right there with you.

Energy Series 18: More Miles For Your Money

I Love My Car!

There I said it, it’s true and I know it’s the very worst thing I do where energy consumption and the environment is concerned.

I began to feel guilty about it a couple of years ago. I even considered not owning a car, however it just wasn’t possible. If it had been even remotely practical I would have done it but I live on a small farm 7km from town and there is a BIG hill between here and there, so nope, I had to keep the car.

Given those circumstances I had to come up with some way to make using my car more efficient and more earth friendly. There is a bunch of stuff you can do and I’ve made a quick video to set your mind to work on how you can do similar things in your life. I hope something appeals and if it does, do tell me about it by leaving a comment.

If you have enjoyed this video and would like to take a look the rest of the Series  just subscribe the newsletter by putting your name and a good email address into the form top right and I’ll send them to you over the next few weeks.

If you know others who might benefit from this information please feel free to share the links with them.

It’s all FREE!

Energy Series 17: Uncovering Hidden Energy Consumption

Yes, it’s video 17 in our Energy Series and this one is on a topic that is not so obvious when we are looking for ways to save energy.

Having said that though, it’s this kind of energy saving that can have a really big impact. I’m talking about the energy embedded within a product or service. This can be called embedded energy or embodied energy. You might think about installing solar panels on your home, different panels require different amounts of energy to produce. So when making your choice you could take that into account.

Every single product or service you buy or access has some energy use hidden within it. You may not have personally used the energy but the minute you make your purchase you have participated in that energy use and by making wise or informed choices, you can further reduce your energy consumption. This is good news for you, good news for the manufacturers of goods and services with lower embodied energy and great news for the Earth.

Hope you enjoy the video.

Now IF you are interested in the whole concept of reducing energy consumption, especially in the hidden energy embodied in the things we buy there is a great book I can suggest to you. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things It’s a complex conversation but people like this show us all that’s it’s just a matter of thinking a little differently and then taking action on those thoughts. I enjoyed this book immensely and hope you do too.

If this is your first look at the Energy Series videos and you would like to see more just subscribe the newsletter by putting your name and a good email address into the form top right and I’ll send them to you over the next few weeks. If you know others who might benefit from this information please feel free to share the links with them. It’s all FREE!

Energy Series 16: Do It Yourself

Quite a long time ago I stopped waiting for someone else to ‘fix’ things for me and began to take a lot more responsibility for myself. That included my lifestyle choices and their impacts on my pay packet, my quality of life, the environment and my future.

During my years living in a big city, working full time, raising children as a single parent and living in rented accommodation the seeds of wanting something better were planted. Many, many years later a lot of those seeds have begun to sprout and a big part of the reason for that is because I began to do things for myself. Today, that includes building my own home, home educating my son, generating my own power. It’s not always easy… or simple but it’s always really worthwhile and incredibly empowering. Why not check out this idea for your life?

I hope you enjoy the video and don’t forget, if DIY appeals to you – check out the product reviews category to your right and see if anything appeals to you. In fact, use this as an opportunity to take your first action. Who knows where it might lead you?

Energy Series 15: But I’m Renting Is No Excuse

I can vividly recall living in Sydney in various flats, units and houses, working full time and raising my two sons as a single parent. I was luckier than most in that their Dad was (still is) a great person and took an active role in their upbringing. However, there was no way that I could afford to purchase my own home in Sydney – even all those years ago!

Living in rental accommodation does limit what a person is free to do regarding energy saving initiatives. For example one can’t just go out and put extra insulation in the roof or install double glazed windows for example. All of that is perfectly true but there are still many, many things an energy conscious or environmentally aware renter can do that will make a big difference to their consumption and to how much money they are paying for their utility bills.

My journey towards living a more sustainable lifestyle certainly began all those years ago as I discovered how awful it was to live in a home facing the western sun during an Australian summer. My need to save money through good energy management was certainly borne out of living in an expensive city and raising children. My lessons were deeply felt and now that I am in a position to share some of what I have discovered – I get to share them with you. I hope you are are enjoying them.

Energy Series 14: Standby…

You may have already heard me suggest that you turn off your appliances when you are not using them. Well, today I tell you why that is a good… no, why that is a great idea and I think your wallet and your bank account are going to agree!

Now, if you like this video and you think it added some value to your life and would like 19 MORE – subscribe in the box to the top right of this page and I’ll send you 20 video’s from the Energy Series that will start saving you money and energy right away.

The Energy Saver Challenge: How Much Is Enough?

We have had abundant sources of cheap energy at our disposal for many decades and as a result of this we have formed habits of use and mis-use of energy that we may not even be aware of. Because it is now easy to heat our homes – for most people it is just the flick of a switch or the push of a button – we over heat and over cool our homes. This has become the norm but the questionsshould always remain. How Much Is Enough? How Much Is Reasonable? How Much Is Sustainable?

Here are a few things to consider:

Do you have to heat or cool your entire home, all the time?

• It may be incredibly convenient or it may be necessary for your particular home or circumstances to be heated or cooled in its entirety all the time but this would be unusual.
• Is it possible to only heat living rooms during the day or reduce/remove heating from some zones at night?
• Do you have the ability to use a thermostat timer to automate the zones or the times the cooling or heating is being used?

These kinds of activities will save you a considerable amount of energy and money over the course of a year.

Another thing to consider is what temperature you have your home.

• Is it so warm that you peel off layers of clothing as you enter the house?
• Are you down to shirtsleeves?
• This is costing you a lot of money and if you reduce your thermostat by even one degree you will make a big difference to the next energy bill. For example, each time you turn up your heater by one degree (over 21 degrees C), you are increasing your energy bill by up to 10%
• Consider an extra layer of clothing rather than turning your heater up or cooler down.

I know I must be sounding like a broken record by now but this stuff is so important. Not just to save you money – in truth that is just a side bonus to me.

We have become accustomed to programmed and programable comfort levels in our homes and the cost of that has been increasing over the last few years and shows no signs of slowing.

Becoming more aware of our reasonable and real needs in terms of heating and cooling and making conscious decisions around when, how and why we heat or cool our homes will go a long way to reducing our rampant energy consumption and put some more money in our pockets.

I’m in the process of creating a series of 20 Videos … would you like them?  I’ll send them to you if you do something for me… Put your name and email address in the subscription for to the top right of this page so I know where to send them

Save Energy: Making the right choices

The accent in this video? Kiwi! (New Zealand), our wonderful neighbours down under.

Every home is different, every family is unique and the comfort level for one may be the discomfort level for another. When you are choosing cooling systems or heating systems for your home there are many things to consider and which one to buy is probably quite a way down the list.

There are things you can do inside and outside your home that will reduce your need for heating and cooling, reduce the amount of energy you need to use once you turn those systems on and that save a lot of carbon (CO2) emissions and a lot of money. Let’s look a some simple and really effective things for you to consider.

Shade in summer can make an enormous difference to the comfort, or otherwise of your home.

• If you have space, consider a tree that will shade the sunny side of your home. North here in Australia and South if you live on the other side of the equator. A tree that is leafy in summer and bare in winter will help with both your heating and your cooling efforts.

• If space does not allow, then placing awnings or blinds over your windows will do a good job of keeping out the sun and they can be removed or rolled up in the winter when you want that light and sun entering your home.

Let me share my story of how I discovered just how much difference some shade (or sun) can make.

• We had a west facing window and each afternoon in the summer when the sun hit the glass it just got scorching hot inside my home. So I purchased a very inexpensive bamboo slat blind from the hardware story (in absolute desperation) and hung it inside the window. It made quite a difference right away. Then I read somewhere that if I hung that bamboo blind outside the window it would be even more efficient, so I gave it a try.

• The result was instant relief and I remember it making a 10 degree difference to that end of the house over that summer. You see, the sun shining directly onto a pane of glass makes that glass act like a heater, for every one square metre of glass it can generate the same amount of heat as if you were running an electric heater around 1200watts I believe. You just don’t want that happening in summer.

• So, whilst blinds and curtains can make a big difference to the heat entering your home, you can gain a much bigger benefit if you stop the sun shining directly onto the glass in the first place.

• Of course, in winter, that same room was the best place to sit to catch the afternoon sun. Nice and cosy because I’d taken down the blind and had it stored safely away in the shed until next summer.

• I now live in a house that has a lovely verandah all the way around and on the western wall during summer, I hang my trusty bamboo blinds to stop the sun coming into the bedroom windows. All my potted plants love their new ‘shadehouse’ too and the view from the inside it practically tropical. In the winter, this same space is bathed in sunlight and the late afternoon sun reaches into the bedrooms bringing welcome warmth towards the end of the day.

There will come a time though when you will want or need additional heating and cooling and once again, it comes down to choosing the right appliance for your needs. There are many factors to consider including:

• cost – of course. Your ecomonic circumstances will impact on what you can afford to buy but you must also take into account the extra running costs if you choose a heater or cooler that is not appropriate to the space you in which your are going to use it.

• Ensure you know the size of the space you are wanting to heat or cool and buy a unit suited to that size

• Really have a good hard look at exactly how much of your home needs to be heated or cooled at any given time, some types of heating can be “zoned” to maximise efficiency (like underfloor electric heating)

• If you are building, just facing your home North (or South in the Northern Hemisphere) and placing windows with a view to summer shade and winter solar access can make an astounding difference to your energy requirements for climate control within the home.

• And it goes without saying, but I’ll say it again… ensure that you purchase the most energy efficient model no matter what you are buying.

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Thanks for visiting and reading all the way to the end!