The Impact of Climate Change on the Australian Building Industry.

Climate change. Whether you are pro or con, we have all heard about climate change and the effects that it is having on our planet.

Climate change has had an effect on Australia and our building industry too. Due to rising temperatures and severe weather events, we have had to innovate to try to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature in the way we build and design.

One of the biggest challenges we have had to deal with, is the increasing temperatures and heatwaves being felt right across Australia. Higher temperatures means we have a higher energy consumption to keep our homes and businesses nice and cool.

So how can we combat this higher energy use?

We can start designing and building with energy efficient building materials. The Australian building industry is investing in creating energy efficient building materials that can help to keep our homes and businesses cool, without reaching for the aircon. This includes things like insulation, shading and even energy efficient appliances. Every little bit helps, so the more of these innovative products we can add to our build, the less energy our homes will use.

The addition of solar power to our homes and businesses is also a great way to reduce our energy use. Australia is very lucky to have some of the sunniest days in the world. So why not make the most of this and add solar power to your home or business? Not only can we reduce our energy consumption, but we can also reduce our power bills – and who doesn’t love to save some money?!

Passive design is another way we are able to create a comfortable home that is able to maintain a comfortable temperature without the need for excessive heating and cooling. Passive design looks at ways we can heat and cool a home using natural sources of heat, such as the sun, and natural sources of cooling, such as breezes.

Passive design uses many different design elements to create a home that makes the most of the surrounding climate, orientation, shading by way of deciduous trees, ventilation and the materials used in construction to ensure the design will use the most amount of natural heating and cooling which of course, reduces our energy footprint.

Climate change is transforming the way we are building in Australia and right across the world. From businesses investing in innovating new and exciting products, to each of us doing our part and investing time to think about the design from a passive standpoint, means we can all move in the right direction and work together to lessen our impact on the environment.