News and Media

Building a sustainable future

In a bid to provide highly sustainable housing, DHA in conjunction with Defence have implemented a minimum six star Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) across all new houses we build.

The EER is the evaluation tool that is used to tell how comfortable the house will be to live in throughout the year. To obtain this rating the location, orientation, passive solar design, construction, insulation, glazing, shading and ventilation of the house are taken into consideration.

By building highly sustainable houses, not only is the environment a winner but so are the Defence tenants living in them. The cost of living, and the greenhouse gas emissions, decrease as the house needs less energy to keep it comfortable through the use of artificial heating and cooling.

The amount residents save from a five star rated house to a six star rated house is quite significant. For example in Adelaide a six star house would use approximately 75% of the energy used by a five star house (Sustainability House).

As DHA currently has over 182 houses under construction that are six star rated, this is a huge saving for a lot of Defence members and their families.

However six star EER properties are the minimum rating we’re building to, DHA is aiming higher and are currently building our first seven star rated house. By building to these standards it is hoped that DHA will become a leader in producing sustainable housing in the community and give our hard working Defence members a comfortable place to call home.

Sustainability House, 2011 viewed 9 August 2011
http://www.sustainabilityhouse.com.au/6star