Lime Ratings - Owner Testimonials

Owner Testimonal 1 - Hugo

Owner Testimonial 2 - Amy & Mitch

Hugo recently purchased a battle-axe block in Doubleview, and has had a small house designed and documented by a local project builder.

Hugo approached me to provide advice regarding windows, insulation and finishes. The design has been decided, so no design advice was provided.

The house had been assessed against the deemed-to-satisfy provisions of BCA 2009, so this assessment was for optimisation rather than compliance.

A two storey home to the north of Hugo's block is restricting winter solar access. As a result of this, Hugo's house performs well in summer, but requires a lot of heating in winter.

Findings:
Hugo can add 0.2 stars by increasing the insulation in the ceiling from R3.0 to R4.0.
The roof colour will also affect how his house preforms, because of the northern neighbour's large dwelling. Interestingly, making the roof a darker colour will boost Hugo's rating by a further 0.2 stars (typically light colour rooves would perform better in the local climate).
The last suggestion was to change the proposed floor finish from timber to tiles to the main living areas. Tiles have better thermal properties when paired with the concrete slab. This change will give Hugo an additional 0.2 stars.

Results:
Hugo will follow this advice and make the above changes for an estimated cost increase of $8,320. Based on the ABS Report into house prices in the ACT, Hugo calculates that this additional 0.6 of a star could add in the area of $13,700 to the value of his property when he comes to sell. That is not to mention the lower operating costs or keeping his home comfortable throughout the year.

Testimonial:
I was very impressed with the turnaround time of my home evaluation. Lime Ratings showed me simple changes that I can incorporate in my home design to improve the star rating and efficiency. Very happy with the feedback, and thanks!

Amy and Mitch purchased an existing 4x2 brick and colorbond residence in Ballajura. Following the purchase, the couple planned some minor interior alterations, including a new kitchen, replacing the vinyl flooring, and replacing two large openings.

The house rated fairly well at 5.3 stars in its existing condition.

Findings:
Replacing the vinyl flooring with tiles improves the thermal performance of the slab, increasing the star rating by 0.3 stars. Using carpet would further insulate the slab, reducing the effects of this thermal mass, reducing the rating by 0.6 stars.
Increasing the ventilation by changing window styles to the replaced openings would increase the rating by only 0.1 star.
Use of high performance glazing to the replaced openings would increase the rating by 0.3 of a star.
Finally, increasing the roof insulation to R4.0 would increase the rating by 6.1 stars.

Amy and Mitch have taken this advice on board, and now know that tiles will provide them with better thermal comfort than carpet or vinyl when they come to replace the flooring. As there is little benefit to be obtained from using high performance glazing or increasing ventilation to the two openings, they will probably not go down this path. They also know that the most cost-effective way to increase their rating will be to increase the roof insulation.

Testimonial:
Thanks Tristan for a quick and professional evaluation.
We now have an idea on a way forward for any future home renovations and an idea on what we can do to improve our energy usage and house performance.