Household Sustainability and Greenhouse Emissions

The assignment analyzes the greenhouse gas emissions of both existing and improved households, emphasizing the significance of small lifestyle changes in reducing environmental impact. It highlights the link between individual actions and broader sustainability goals, promoting eco-friendly practices within homes for a more sustainable future. The document provides visualizations (Figs. 31 & 32) comparing emissions levels and concludes by stressing the importance of household contributions to combating climate change.

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PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY; GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION
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Introduction
Australian households contribute at least a fifth of the national greenhouse emissions.
These emissions are mainly generated from transport, appliances, heating and cooling and waste.
The greenhouse gases are produced from burning oil, gases, consuming electricity produced
from natural gas, oil or coal, burning gasoline while driving and the lifestyle choices made by the
individuals in the household. By employing appropriate strategies on these stated needs, a
household can significantly reduce the emissions, becoming more environmentally friendly and
cutting costs incurred due to these expenses (Akter & Bennett, 2011).

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Transport
The existing household has small 4 cars that travels an annual mileage of 15000km to
access their workplaces in Melbourne CBD although they can easily be accessed by public
transport.
Fig. 1. Transport GHG emissions of existing house
These results to 15.100 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) as shown in the above
photo. For a more sustainable living for the existing household, the following recommendations
should be implemented
Recommendations
 The household should adopt the use of public transport to commute to work at Melbourne
CBD. It is an eco-friendly alternative to all the four occupants of the house each using
their own vehicle to go to work.

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 The household can have one low-emission vehicle for purposes of travelling long
distances and commuting to work. The car should be running efficiently e.g., maintaining
the tyres at their proper inflation which improves the gas mileage by up to three percent
(Akter & Bennett, 2011).
 The car model should be a newer model (2014- to date) equipped with sustainable
technology.
 Alternative means of transport such as bicycles should be used for short distances.
 The annual distance covered by the vehicles should be reduced from 15000km to
10000km since it will be used as a complimentary system to public transport.
The following are the total GHG emissions from the household once the recommendations are
implemented:
Fig. 2. Transport GHG emissions of improved house

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Air travel
The household travels once a year and the GHG emissions are only 0.106:
Fig. 3. Air Travel GHG emissions of existing house
Recommendations
No major changes should be made since there are low emissions from the flights taken; thus the
household members maintain a sustainable air travel culture.

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Heating and cooling
The floor and roof
The following are the GHG emissions produced by the floor and roof:
Fig. 4. Floor and roof specifications of existing house
Since the building has been constructed, very minimal can be done to reduce the GHG
emissions.
Heating system

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The heating system of the existing household is natural gas fuelled, ducted with poor
condition and low maintenance. The system runs daily from 6pm to 12am during the winter in
the bedrooms and the lounge even though everyone stays in the Living room from 6 pm to 10 pm
before going to sleeping chambers. The thermostat is set at 20_C. This has resulted in very high
greenhouse gas emissions.
Fig. 5. Heating requirements of existing house
Recommendations
 The mechanical heating system should be replaced with highly rated heat shifters and
solar air heaters which can be boosted by highly rated gas heating (Norman & Kennedy,
2006). A high green energy rating should be used for the newer and more updated heating
system, preferably a 5 or 6 star rating.
 The heating systems should be turned off in the lounge area once everyone goes to their
bedrooms at 10pm whereas in the bedrooms, they should be preheated preferably from

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9pm before the occupants use them. In addition, the recommended set temperature of
15°C should be adhered to by the occupants after 10pm.
 The duct system should be revamped and undergo regular tests and inspections to ensure
it is in good condition at all times.
The following are the results once the recommendations are implemented:
Fig. 6. Heating requirements of improved house
Cooling system

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The cooling system of the exiting household is non-ducted air conditioning, which is very
old, works for two hours during the day and two hours at night and is used in the bedrooms and
the lounge during the summer.
Fig. 7. Cooling system specifications of existing house
Recommendations
 The cooling system of the building should be replaced with a highly rated and efficient
fan which can be boosted by highly rated air conditioning systems that are only switched
on only when deemed necessary such as during the summer.

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 The cooling system of the building should be replaced with a highly rated and efficient
fan which can be boosted by highly rated air conditioning systems that are only switched
on only when deemed necessary such as during the summer.
Fig. 8. Cooling system specifications of improved house
Openings: Windows and door design

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The windows are aluminium framed, with single clear glazing and have Holland blinds
and no external shading. There are large gaps between the window frames and the walls. The
building also has two exhaust fans in the kitchen and the bedroom which are not sealed.
Fig. 9. Window specifications of existing house
Recommendations
 All the gaps between the frames and the walls should be properly sealed by use of
window and door seals or draught excluders including; strips of self-adhesive foam or
metal or plastic strip with attached wipers or brushes (Norman & Kennedy, 2006). The
large gaps allow draught to enter the room which brings in cold air and results in wastage
of heat.

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 The windows should be given additional glazing (double glazing) to reduce heat loss
during the winter thus reducing heating costs. It is recommended to add another layer of
glazing with an air space in between to act as the insulation layer.
 The Holland blinds should have external shading to reduce heat gains and preferably
have an extra layer of insulation which is useful during the winter.
 The large west window should have solar shading since it is located along the direct sun
path to minimise solar heat gains. Solar shading devices are instrumental in minimising
the direct solar heat gains especially for the existing house since it has very large
windows. Large unshaded openings result to high direct solar heat gains which results to
more air conditioning and cooling systems thus high energy bills (Stanley, et al., 2011).
The following are the results once the recommendations are implemented:
Fig. 10. Window specifications of improved house

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Ceilings and walls
The external walls of the existing household are made of timber and weatherboard with no
insulation.
Fig. 11. External walls specifications of existing house
Fig. 12. Air Leakage specifications of existing house

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Recommendations
 The walls and ceiling should be insulated to maintain satisfying and comfortable interior
temperatures during the winter and the summer. This saves money that would otherwise
be spent on energy bills and over time minimum mechanical heating and cooling systems
will be required (Peters, 2010).
Fig. 13. Air Leakage specifications of improved house

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Hot water
Hot water service
The hot water system of the house is electric medium and has no solar boost.
Fig. 14. Hot water service specifications of existing house
Recommendations
 The solar hot water systems (HWS) should account for 90 percent of the hot water
service. It should have a 5 or 6 green energy rating with a boosting option of using gas or
electricity for the winter season.

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The following are the results once the recommendations are implemented:
Fig. 15. Hot water service specifications of improved house
Washing machine:
The current washing machine is a top loader, 7kg capacity with a cold and hot tap, has 1-star
rating.

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Fig. 16. Washing machine specifications of existing house
Recommendations:
 The current machine should be replaced with a newer, more efficient model with a high
energy rating, 5 or 6 stars. The model should meet the Minimum Energy Performance
Standards (MEPS) which take account of; use of a hydrocarbon as a refrigerant and a
blowing agent as the insulation form (Lenzen & Murray, 2001).
 Use of a front loader washing machine instead of top loader. Front loaders consume more
energy when washing in hot to warm water, use more detergent, use more water and
therefore is more costly to run and not environmentally friendly.
 A lower maximum temperature should be set especially if the machine has a dual
connection for hot and cold water supplies.
The following are the results of the improved house with the suggested recommendations:
Fig. 17. Washing machine specifications of improved house

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Dishwasher
The current dish washer is a standard one, 3-star energy rating, 2-star water rating and
was manufactured in 2003.
Fig. 18. Dish washer specifications of existing house
Recommendations:
 Use a dishwasher with a high rating

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Fig. 19. Dish washer specifications of improved house
Bathing
The household members take about 15 to 25 showers weekly, with an average time of 10
minutes in the shower. The shower heads are unrated.
Fig. 20. Bathing requirements of existing house
Recommendations
 Efficient water heads with a high energy rating appropriate for the household should be
installed (Haines, et al., 2009).
The results of implementing the recommendations:

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Fig. 21. Bathing requirements of improved house
Lighting
The building uses low voltage halogen lights which are on during the day from 3 hours
during the summer and 6 hours in the winter. The lighting requirements of the house are 150
lumens per square metre.
Fig. 22. Lighting requirements of existing house
Recommendations
 Light emitting diodes (LEDs) light bulbs should replace the low halogen lights. LEDs
have a low heat build-up thus does not heat up the room and it only consumes 2-17 watts

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(Weber & Matthews, 2008). The recommended wattage for the LED lights to be used in
the existing building is 8 or 12 watts.
 The lights should be switched off during the day in summer since the existing windows
allow sufficient light into the building.
The following are the results:
Fig. 23. Lighting requirements of improved house
Appliances
The household has a 1992 model refrigerator, uses gas burners for cooking, a microwave,
4 small laptops and a 50 inch LCD screen in the lounge.

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Fig. 24. Refrigeration specifications of existing house
Fig. 25. Gas burner specifications of existing house
Fig. 26. Microwave specifications of existing house

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Fig. 27. Laptop use of existing house
Fig. 28. Television use of existing house
Recommendations:
 All appliances should have a high energy rating, 5 or 6 stars.
 All appliances should be unplugged when not in use instead of being kept on standby.
The following are the results:

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Fig. 29. Refrigeration use of improved house
Fig. 30. Microwave use of improved house
Final report on the total greenhouse emissions
The following is the final report showing a comparison between the emissions from the
existing household and a greenhouse. The graph clearly illustrates the need for changes in the
areas of heating and cooling, transport, lighting, refrigeration so as to achieve fewer emissions
from the household.

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GHG emissions of existing
household
GHG emissions after the
recommendations
Transport 15.100 3.830
Air travel 0.106 0.106
Heating and cooling 4.094 0.483
Hot water 7.408 0.962
Lighting 1.497 0.370
Refrigeration 1.829 0.142
Cooking 1.082 0.570
Other Appliances 0.787 0.698

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Fig. 31. The greenhouse emissions of the existing household
Fig. 32. The greenhouse emissions of the improved household
Conclusion

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Sustainability has been a major area of focus especially with the rapid climate change.
Lifestyle changes in the household, however small they may seem, are instrumental in reducing
the greenhouse emissions. These small changes amount to better living, an eco-friendly built
environment and a promise of a sustainable future.

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