Passive Design Principles Your Dwelling Should Possess According to BASIX

November 22, 2022

Most owners of residential buildings only focus on the overall looks, functionality, and longevity of their properties during the early stages of construction. They often forget the importance of energy efficiency in designing and planning their respective dwellings.

Allowing energy efficiency to be one of the primary points in planning and designing residential buildings and dwellings can provide property owners with many benefits. For one, energy-efficient houses can give them significant savings in utility bills. Their homes can likewise become comfortable since their internal temperatures are regulated optimally. Energy-efficient dwellings and residential properties are also expected to be eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Most of these benefits are currently enjoyed by many property owners in New South Wales as their dwellings follow BASIX’s passive design principles. BASIX, or Building Sustainability Index, is a scheme that regulates the energy use of dwellings. To make your dwelling energy-efficient, here are BASIX’s passive design principles that you should follow.

Orientation

Orientation is necessary for your dwelling to balance the amount of sunlight and heat you receive during various seasons in a year. To reduce the heating load of your dwelling, your private open space and living areas must be positioned to the north to gain ample winter solar access. Your windows must then be situated in the north, northeast, and northwest orientations. As for reducing the cooling load, your bathrooms, garages, sheds, and laundries should be located in the south, east, and west. 

Ventilation

Another passive design principle that you must follow has to deal with your dwelling’s ventilation. It regulates cooling breezes and minimises uncontrolled air leakage. To effectively regulate cooling breezes, your dwelling should be equipped with operable and high-level windows. Additionally, your landscaping and windows should be in areas where they can capture cooling breezes in summer and vice versa. Cross-ventilation should likewise be enabled by installing windows on both sides of your dwelling.

As for ventilation control, your dwelling should be equipped with weatherstripping and draught-sealing doors and operable windows.

Insulation

BASIX also has design principles set for dwelling insulation. By maximising proper insulation through building fabric, your property can easily minimise uncontrolled heat gain and loss. Two types of insulation can be maximised to make your dwelling energy efficient.

One of these types is bulk insulation. Bulk insulation can reduce heat transfer through convection and conduction. This type of insulation must be used on walls, floors, and ceilings. Another type is reflective insulation, which can minimise heat transfer through radiation. Products intended for reflective insulation can be used at the roof level and on walls.

Shading

Shading is applied to dwellings to balance heat, glare, and light. It can be carried out by regulating the sunlight being received by the windows. Thermal mass also plays a huge role in controlling these elements on residential properties.

To reduce the heating load on your property, you must utilise shading with clear windows. An adjustable shading can also be used to reduce heating load. As for cooling load reduction, your dwelling should increase the extent of the shading utilised.

Once these design principles have been incorporated into your property, you may want to contact us at Empire Thermal Group so we can provide you with an accurate BASIX report.

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