An Elwood home has been able to achieve an excellent energy rating by incorporating several sustainable features in the construction.
Designed by the award-winning architects at Sunpower Design, this unique home achieves an outstanding 7.6-Star energy rating.
Sunpower Director, Mr Andreas Sederof explains that the AIR-CELL Insulbreak 65 from Kingspan Insulation was installed to help boost the energy efficiency of the home. Since the architects sought a really high thermal rating for the roof, they specified two layers of Kingspan AIR-CELL Insulbreak 65 insulation system with one layer installed between the rafters and battens, and another between the battens and the roofing to significantly reduce the cooling loads. The roof space was then supplemented at the ceiling level with R6.0 polyester batts.
According to Mr Sederof, the Kingspan AIR-CELL Insulbreak is the perfect material to use under the copper cladding as it provides a thermal break. In addition to thermal performance, non-allergenic characteristics are also very important in insulation materials. He explains that the use of non-irritant insulation materials is important in all their designs, which is why they prefer to use Kingspan AIR-CELL for reflective insulation and polyester for bulk insulation. The fibre-free nature of Kingspan AIR-CELL enables easy handling and installation by the roofers.
Sustainability features in the home also include AAC (autoclaved, aerated concrete) blocks, double-glazed windows and doors, a 2 kW solar PV system, FSC-certified jarrah boards, and a 23,000 L underground water tank.
