Granny Flats Environmentally Friendly
Adding a granny flat to your property can help you increase the value of your home, as well as provide a place for guests, family members or even a rental investment. But are these backyard additions environmentally friendly? The answer is yes, if they’re designed with sustainability in mind.
Using a lot of energy to heat and cool your Granny Flats can significantly increase your power bills, and therefore your carbon footprint. However, the good news is that eco-friendly granny flats can be built to be more energy efficient than traditional structures. Whether it’s installing solar panels and the proper batteries to create a self-sufficient system, or using high-performance insulation and air sealing techniques to minimise energy loss, there are many ways that you can reduce your energy usage.
It’s also important to make sure that you’re using recycled materials, and that your construction methods are sustainable as well. A green granny flat will also include features such as a clothesline, which means that you won’t need to use a clothes dryer and waste valuable energy. And of course, a granny flat that uses rainwater for irrigating gardens can significantly reduce your water bill as well.
Are Granny Flats Environmentally Friendly?
Another way that you can improve the sustainability of your granny flat is to choose a builder who uses prefab construction methods. This means that 90% of the work is completed before the granny flat is shipped to your site. This not only reduces the time it takes to complete the project, but also minimises the amount of greenhouse gasses that are produced in transporting materials to the building site.
In addition, a prefab granny flat can be built to be energy efficient from the outset, meaning that it’s more likely to achieve a good BASIX rating and qualify for government rebates. The key to a good BASIX rating is to optimise the use of natural light, as well as using fans and vents to circulate air throughout the house, which reduces the need for heaters and air conditioners.
The most eco-friendly granny flats will also incorporate features such as cross ventilation and shaded windows to minimise energy loss. They may even have a roof garden to add additional insulation and reduce the need for heating and cooling.
And of course, they’ll be using green energy, with solar panels and the right batteries to ensure that you can be completely self-sufficient and avoid those pesky power outages. They’ll also be able to take advantage of rainwater, which can not only save you money on your water bill, but can be used as an alternative source of power during a power outage as well. With a little bit of careful design, you can have an environmentally friendly granny flat that’s also incredibly comfortable to live in. It can even save you a significant amount of money on your electricity bills, as well as make your home more attractive to prospective buyers in the future.