Waterworks Valley » insulation

Home sustainability retrofits

chris-195 — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:54:20 +0000

A number of people have asked about service people who can do basic home upgrades (to reduce energy losses) at reasonable rates.

We are compiling a list of such resources. Meanwhile try the following (South Hobart area):

Andrew Doube
Home assessment, retrofit planning and installations.
Ph 0429 015 371

Myles Griffiths
Smithy’s Handyman Service
Ph: 6224 3357
Mob: 0439 882 357

Patric Collin
Mob: 0408 236 935

Daniel Tardy & Cathryn Wynn-Edwards
Small weatherproofing / landscaping jobs etc
Mob: 0415 696 323

How much heat are you losing?

chris-195 — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:41:33 +0000

The outstanding energy saving opportunity that came out of our Climate Connect Project was hot water cylinders.

Little do most people know how much energy is lost from them and how easy it is to cut back on those totally unnecessary losses.

So…. how much heat is being lost? Download our information summary HERE.

How to insulate the walls of your home

chris-195 — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:27:05 +0000

All around our nation, home owners have been gradually insulating ceilings, windows and floors – because these are relatively easy to do.

And that leaves just the walls. And we don’t know what to do!

That’s because walls are hard to get at.

Now Waterworks Community has produced a ‘How to insulate the walls of your home’ guide for those who are keen to have a go. You can download it HERE.

Home insulation demos

chris-195 — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:32:39 +0000

This Sunday, June 27, there will be two in-house demonstrations on home insulation.

Come and see how Clear Comfort window insulation can be cheaply installed on your windows – at 1pm, 136 Waterworks Rd.

Come and see how to retrofit insulation into a weatherboard wall cavity – at 3pm, 195 Waterworks Rd.

Saving energy as a sound investment

chris-195 — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:42:57 +0000

Plugging energy waste in your home can be one of those rare investments that provide a guaranteed financial return.

By way of comparison, this graph (click on it to enlarge) compares your dividend on $10,000 invested in Microsoft shares versus investment in home energy saving retrofit (for a 5 year period.)

What the chart doesn’t show is 1) many energy saving measures cost almost nothing and 2) expenditures in energy saving keep paying back, year after year, for the life of the home. Once they have paid themselves back they effectively become a continuing source of household income. Full story HERE.

Home Energy workshops

chris-195 — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 04:12:28 +0000

Dates for these are as follows: All start at 7.30pm.

102 Waterworks Rd Mon May 3
414a Strickland Ave, Wed May 5
152 Waterworks Wed May 12
14b Livingston Wed May 19
50 Bramble St Thurs May 20
195 Waterworks Rd May 24

Click on image to see details.

Please email us for queries.

Welcome

chris-195 — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:00:34 +0000

Hello, if you are new to this site and are a householder wishing to contact us about the Climate Connect Project please email us at wwvalley@dodo.com.au.

A dedicated website link (Powerdown Tasmania) has now been set up so that project participants can find out the latest and contribute to the program.

Meanwhile, please feel free to peruse this community site. Feedback always welcome.

Open Home Day (our own)

carol-195 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:38:15 +0000

Here’s a chance to meet neighbours and discuss how we make our homes more comfortable and sustainable.

Join us on Sunday October 18 for a house-to-house visit and a sociable Sunday chat. (Please visit between 10 am and 2 pm.)

Six families are opening their home to see what they’ve already done (and are intending to do) to reduce their home’s footprint. This is not a showing off event it is an authentic sharing of ideas.

You can download a summary of each home below:
Ridgeway home: 23 Bramble St
Waterworks Rd homes: 101, 134, 144, 187, 195

At 2 pm there will be a mini Home Energy Workshop at 195 Waterworks.

For more information please ring Carol Ph 6223 4653.

Launch of our climate project

chris-195 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:30:11 +0000

Many thanks to Claudia and Jason and family for use of their home for the belated formal launch of our climate project on Sunday (August 30).

We were blessed with a brief break in the continuous wet weather (as NSW sizzles in mid-Summer temperatures, breaking all records for August).

Here is a replica of the little garden signs that participating households will be displaying in their front yards.

This comes with a commitment: to reduce the household’s carbon footprint by 5% minimum per year. We aim to do everything we can to ensure that this commitment can be easily met, and that task will keep us very busy for the coming year!

And thanks too to Nel Smit, a community representative on Tasmania’s Climate Action Council, who launched the project for us on Sunday.

These, slightly larger Climate Friendly – Street signs will be placed in strategic locations.

As the media release below suggest – we would love to see this signage take off and become replicated throughout the state as communities become empowered to turn their lives around for the sake of their children’s future.

MEDIA RELEASE

“Yes we can!” – Tasmanian Climate Challenge

A southern Tasmania community is challenging all Tasmanian householders to beat soaring energy costs by slashing their energy consumption.

Launching its state government funded ‘climate connect’ project, the Waterworks Valley Community says all householders can rise to the challenge and they can do it with a sense of fun.

Project coordinator Mr Chris Harries said rather than view the climate change crisis with despondency, Tasmanians should see the creation of a low-energy future as a living adventure and a personal challenge.

“Street-by-street, community-by-community, suburb-by-suburb members of the public can challenge each other to outperform everyone else. We have already seen some outstanding examples in every corner of our state.”

“Tasmanians can defy rising energy costs whilst helping the state reduce its carbon footprint”, Mr Harries said

The Waterworks community, working alongside business group EcoTasmania Inc, is conducting the pilot project in the South Hobart / Dynnyrne area to find out how households can overcome the barriers that prevent them from reducing their carbon footprints.

“We know that over 90 percent of the population is very concerned about climate change, but householders find themselves confronted by a range of psychological, practical and other barriers.”

Mr Harries said the Australian public is being inundated with well-intentioned advice on how to save energy but much of this effort is of little value because it has not taken into account the ‘drivers’ that motivate people to act on their concerns.

The project aims to use the information to assist communities throughout Tasmania overcome barriers to shrinking their collective carbon footprint.

Sustainable House Day

chris-195 — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:03:55 +0000

Sustainable houses throughout Australia will be opening their doors for you to look inside on Sunday 13th September.

See the real benefits of sustainable housing up close. Learn what you can do with your own home. Meet the professionals and find out about useful products.

Check out the sustainable house day website for house locations in Hobart area. Admission to all houses is free.