The Snowy Mountains in NSW often sees the mercury dipping well below zero while Marble Bar in WA regularly experiences temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius. When you are living in a country exposed to climatic extremes, you need a home that can be comfortable throughout the year, regardless of the season or location.
These two examples are representative of Australia’s harsh environment. While most of us may be far away from these extremes, we are not too removed from extreme weather events. According to the Climate Council of Australia, the summer of 2016/17 saw an unprecedented 205 heat records being broken, giving an indication of climate change.
When you are planning your forever home, you need a building that can withstand harsh conditions, now and well into the future. To create your home for all seasons, it’s important to select the right building materials.
One of the primary considerations when choosing building materials is energy efficiency, which coupled with the popular sustainability drive, has made people more conscious about their choices. This change in thinking has increased the popularity of smart building products such as Hebel, which combines design flexibility and ease of construction with strong energy efficiency qualities.
Across Australia, especially in regions exposed to temperature extremes, homeowners are facing a huge increase in energy bills from rising usage of heating and cooling systems. Along with site positioning, orientation and passive design elements, using Hebel can help reduce your energy usage well into the future.
External wall materials play a huge role in regulating the internal temperature of a home. Tests have shown that a house built with Hebel PowerPanelXL performs better than brick veneer in terms of both heating and cooling (based on Comfort Tune Assessment conducted in January 2016 on a 346m² house in metro NSW).
Hebel's insulation qualities will keep your home comfortable in the scorching summer or the biting winter, helping reduce your dependence on cooling and heating systems, and consequently, lowering your energy bill.
