Archive for the ‘Eco-renovation’ category

A Greener Solution to Moving House

March 16th, 2012

EcoMove media releaseGEcoMove, an innovate removals company has come up with a simple eco-friendly solution to help you move house. The company started in 2010 in Melbourne and it is the owner Stefan’s aim to roll out nationally as soon as possible. EcoMove take out the stress of having to hunt down cardboard boxes. They deliver sturdy plastic boxes to your door, fully assembled and pick them up when you have finished.

Sustainable Wood and Forest Protection

January 6th, 2011

fsc-logoWood can be considered a fairly green construction material. However, there can also be significant environmental and social impacts associated with logging. With the help of Greenpeace’s ‘Good Wood’ guide it is easier to see the wood for the trees so to speak. Whilst it advocates using wood sourced from certified schemes such as the Forestry Stewardship Council, there is a load more advice in relation to which wood is good, the five best and worst imported timbers in Australia and questions to ask before buying timber products. An essential read for any eco-conscious renovator.

Update on Solar Rebates

November 19th, 2010

Eco Renovation Green HomeIf, like us, you are in NSW and were thinking of installing photovoltaic panels on your roof to generate your own solar electricity, there have been a few changes. The NSW Solar Bonus Scheme, introduced in 2009, provides gross feed-in-tariffs of 60 cents a kilowatt/hour for the solar electricity generated. This feed-in-tariff helps pay off the cost of installation. This scheme has been reviewed and from the end of October 2010 you will receive 20 cents a kilowatt/hour for electricity sold back to the grid.

Ecorenovations Living Green Kitchens

August 19th, 2010

green kitchenWith renovations at the forefront of my mind, one idea that has caught my eye is the concept of a green kitchen. We are not just talking eco-friendly materials here, we are talking a living breathing space. Immediately it is clear that there are some logistics that need to be thought through to grow plants inside.There are also different levels you can take this theme to, from a pot on the windowsill to a kitchen jungle. So how can we integrate a living green kitchen into our plans?

Wind Turbines For The Home

July 30th, 2010

TURBINEpicWind turbines have historically been limited to rural areas. However, this is about to change as vertical axis wind turbines are being introduced for residential areas. Vertical axis wind turbines look more like an egg whisk than a windmill, the main benefit being that they are unaffected by wind direction so are better suited for urban areas. Residential turbines can be installed on the roof or tower and feed energy into the building through an inverter. Urban Green Energy is about to introduce the vertical axis wind turbines into Australia to provide another renewable energy option for the home.

Eco Renovation – Tentative First Steps

May 21st, 2010

Eco Renovation Green HomeIts long been a dream to get stuck into an eco-renovation. In reality it is a bit mind boggling especially when you have no experience of design, building or architecture.

A key concern is the cost of going green. Everyone knows that creating a sustainable home will lead to long term cost savings (we are talking pocket here as well as environment). But this has to be weighed up against how long you will live in the house and how much the bank manager will lend you. I’ve been doodling some ideas for weeks now, and its time to get serious. So I took myself off to the Sydney Home Show for some eco-renovation inspiration.

Eco Friendly Heating

May 1st, 2010

hot dogAs winter sets in, the topic of eco-friendly heating comes up again. Gas is the most efficient of the conventional heating methods, but there are new heaters and new fuels to choose from. We’ve summarised the different ways to warm up your house this winter without warming up the globe.

Using Waste to Heat Your Home

April 1st, 2010

pellet heaterAs Summer ends it is time to think about what you are going to do to keep warm this Winter. Our neighbour who is renovating, gave us a pile of waste hardwood, to burn in our slow combustion wood fire. This would otherwise have been destined for landfill. Fuel pellets take this concept a step further. Fuel pellets created from waste sawdust and other organic materials, burn with greater efficiency and lower emissions than wood, so we were keen to find out more.

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