Sustainable Living in Apartments

Forum 1: Green Makeover

Two Forums

1 – Green MakeoverSimple actions

For both renters and owners

2 – Sustainable Apartment blocksBigger steps:

• Energy & water efficiency

• Understanding strata law & working with your body corporate

• Success stories

27 Oct

24 Nov

1. Giving your apartment an energy detox2. Using the best lighting3. Dressing your apartment for the weather4. Switching to clean energy 5. Using less water6. Being a foodie with a green thumb7. Getting help8. Working with your landlord

Q&A with our Sustainability Panel:• Energy efficiency, water saving, GreenPower and

working with your landlord or tenant

Giving our Apartments a “Green Makeover”

1.Giving your apartment an Energy Detox

Where do we use energy?

Saving energy

Hot water• Set washing machine to cold wash

• Keep showers under 4 minutes

• Don’t leave your hot taps running

• Giving away showertimers tonight!

1 minute less in the shower saves enough electricity to run a standard TV for 4 hours

Saving energy…

Heating & Cooling• Put on a jumper before the heater

• Only heat or cool the room you need, keeping doors & curtains closed

• Don’t over-heat or over-cool:– Cool to 25C in summer,

– Heat to 18-19C in winter

• Giving away thermometers tonight!

Each degree of extra heating or cooling increases energy consumption by 5-10%

Saving energy…Lighting• Use natural light – open the blinds/curtains

• Switch off when you leave the room

• Clean light fittings to allow more light to pass

Appliances

• Turn off at the power point – avoid standby power

• Run a full washing/dishwashing machine

• Hang it out rather than use the dryer

• Buy appliances with a high energy rating

Saving energy

Standby Power can use up to 11% of power in your home.

Saving energyKitchen• Don’t open the fridge door too often

• Let things cool before putting them in the fridge

• Set fridge to 3-5C and check the seals

• Kettle: only boil the water you need

• Toast in the toaster rather than under the grill

2. Using the best lighting

Energy guzzlers

Incandescent lights:• Waste 90% of energy, mainly as heat

• Phased out by Nov 2009.

Halogen downlights:• Waste energy in heat

• Also need a transformer that uses more energy

• Narrow beam angle – need more to light an area

Green Alternatives

CFL bulbs• Replace incandescent

• Now in warm white, cool white etc

• More energy efficient & longer lasting

CFLs downlights• Good halogen replacement

• Same warm white light as halogens

• Wider beam angle than halogens

• Will need to replace your fittings

Green Alternatives

“Energy efficient” halogens• Easy to install – fit into existing fittings

• Two forms:

– Bulb - mains voltage (replace incandescents)

– Downlight – IRC (replace old halogens)

Efficient transformers• Look for ones that use less watts• Eg. 4 watts rather than 10-15 watts

Green Alternatives

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)• Potential for 80% energy saving

• Very long life

• Dimmable

• May be more expensive

• May need to replace fitting

3. Dressing your apartment for the weather

Minimise heat loss or gain

Windows:• Use curtains with closed pelmets

• Tinting or double glazing

Seal the gaps around doors & windows:• Use a simple ‘snake’ under the door

• Window and door foam/rubber seals

Paint on your insulation:• Eg, Thermilate paint

Choose the right heating/coolingHeating:• Electric heaters like bar radiators

• Fan & oil column heaters are cheaper to buy, but expensive to run. Better in small spaces.

• Gas delivers more heat at lower cost and lower greenhouse emissions

Cooling:• Use a fan instead of aircon – uses 5% of the power

• Reverse cycle air conditioning is an efficient heating or cooling option for larger spaces

4. Choose renewable energy - switch to GreenPower

Switching to GreenPowerWhat is GreenPower?

• A percentage of your electricity comes from renewable energy, such as wind and solar, rather than coal

• Choose as little as 10% up to 100% GreenPower

• Bought by your energy provider on your behalf

Over 90% of electricity in NSW currently comes from burning coal, making it one of the main contributors of greenhouse gas emissions

Switching to GreenPowerWhich product?

• Look for Government Accredited tick, eg.

• Accredited GreenPower products are assessed to verify the comply with government standards

• Do some research:

– www.greenpower.gov.au

– www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au

– www.climateclevershop.com.au

www.greenelectricitywatch.org.au

www.climateclevershop.com.au

5. Using less water

Save water…

• Keep showers under 4 minutes

• Don’t leave your taps running

• Reduce water in the toilet cistern – as easy as putting in a brick or bottle of water

• Run washing machine or dishwasher when full

• Put a bucket under shower as it warms up & save your rinsing water to use on your plants

Simple steps

Save water…

• AAA Showerheads

• Tap aerators

• Dual flush toilets

• Make your next washing machine one with high water rating

A standard showerhead wastes up to 25 litres of water per minute!

Install water efficient devices:

6. Be a foodie, with a green thumb

Love your foodWaste less• Buy what you need and plan your grocery shop

• Take your own green bags

• Choose products with less or recyclable packaging

• Recycle food scraps in a worm farm or bokashi bucket

– Attend our Sustainable Living Workshops

Sydney households throw away $1billion of food each year – 1 in every 7 shopping bags per household

Love your foodSourcing local• Buy locally grown & produced food where you can

– Visit the Northside Produce Markets

– Kirribilli Organic Buyers Group

– Local greengrocers, butchers, delicatessens, fish shops

– Read the labels

• Eat what’s in season – Avocado, lemons, mandarins, navel oranges,

strawberries, asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, carrot, lettuce, peas, spinach, etc

Food grown in the Sydney Basin provides 90% of Sydney’s perishable vegetables and almost 100% of the state’s Asian vegetables

Love your food

Growing your own foodOn your balcony or sunny window:

• Choose a sunny spot– North and East facing are best

– South facing might not have enough light for veggies

• Companion plant– Eg. Tomatoes, zucchini,

lettuce, basil and marigold

– Sustainable Living Workshops

Love your food

Tiina and Stefan’s balcony in McMahon’s Point

Growing your own foodOutside your apartment

• Join a community garden:

– Coal Loader Community Garden, Balls Head Rd, Waverton

Meet every Wednesday, 10am – 12noon

– Milson Park Community Garden, Bradley Ave, Kirribilli

• Create a community garden in your apartment block

Love your food

Coal Loader Community Garden, Waverton

Love your food

Garden established in the common area of an apartment block in Neutral Bay

Go bush

• Streets Alive: street verges, unused public space.

• Create a Native Haven in your garden - free local native plants & advice

• Adopt a Plot to help regenerate the bush over your back fence

• Join a Bushcare Group –over 11 across North Sydney

7. Getting help

Sustainable Living Workshops

Free workshops, for example:• Composting, worm farming, bokashi

• Bike smart in North Sydney

• Permaculture gardening in small spaces

• Solar hot water systems

• Natural cleaning

• Rainwater tanks

• Solar photovoltaic systems

www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/greenevents

Sydney Water

Waterfix: Free, $22 or $66Phone 1800 995 886 OR register online at:www.sydneywater.com.au

• Qualified plumber

• Water audit

• Installs water efficient products in your kitchen and/or bathroom

– AAA showerhead, tap aerators

• Adjust any single flush toilets

• Repair of minor leak

WaterFix

• Qualified plumber

• Removes old single flush toilet

• Installs new 4 star water efficient dual flush toilet

• Choice of three different toilets

• Saving of up to $200 on the cost of the toilet and installation!

Sydney WaterToilet Replacement Service

Dual flush toilets can save at least 9 litres of water every flush - around 25,000 litres of water a year and up to $40 on water bill

Sydney Water

• New 4½ star water efficiency rated machine

• $150 rebate

• Only one rebate per property and machines have to be paid for in full and installed before the rebate is issued

A water efficient washing machine can save around 24,000 litres of water a year

Water efficient washing machine rebate

Home Assessment & Green Loan

• Identify ways to reduce your energy and water bills, increase the comfort of your home and help reduce carbon pollution

• Qualified expert assessor

• Tailored report listing the most effective changes for your home

• Available to renters and owners

• Loans of up to $10,000 to install solar, water saving, and energy efficient products

www.environment.gov.au/greenloans

Free assessment

Interest free loan

7. Working with your landlord

Do I need my landlord’s approval?• Some changes will require you to check with your landlord, real estate agent or property manager

• Eg. Need the owner’s written permission to:– Install pelmets (covers on top of curtains)

– Install permanent draught stoppers or seals

– Install tap aerators

– Getting your toilet serviced

– Installing modifying devices that alter your toilet’s flush

– Fixing leaking taps or toilets

Check your lease or clarify with your landlord if you have to restore the changes when your lease expires

Pitching to your landlord• Pitch it as a win-win

• The ATO offers tax deductions for energy efficiency improvements to rental properties, eg. maintenance, repairs.

• Outline what you would like to do and how much it would cost

• See sample letter in brochure

Call the Northern Area Tenants Service for advice: 9884 9605

Or ATA’s Renters Guide: www.ata.org.au/sustainability/renters-guide-to-sustainability

Sustainability PanelPaul Myors

EnergyAustralia

Andre BoeremaSydney Water

Jane CastleTotal Environment Centre

Leo Patterson RossNorthern Area Tenants Service

• Learn from each other

• Talk to your friends and neighbours

• Come along to one of Council’s Sustainable Living Workshops

• Get active – join your local environment group or climate action group, volunteer, write petitions…

Forum 2:Sustainable Apartment blocks6:30pm, Tuesday 24 November

What’s next?Spread the word:

Attend the next forum:

www.yourclimateaction.wordpress.comwww.yourclimateaction.wordpress.com

Join the Total Environment Centre’s campaign on voluntary action under the CPRS

• Have your say on energy, waste, transport and water

• Council's Draft Greenhouse Action Plan 2010 and Draft Water Management Plan 2010 are currently on public exhibition until 7 Nov 2009.

• You are invited to submit written comments by 7 Nov 2009...

Visit: www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au

Have your sayGreenhouse Action Plan &Water Management Plan:

Thank you!Feel free to contact me:

Anne Miller

Sustainability Education Officer

02 9936 8396

anne.miller@northsydney.nsw.gov.au