Home owners will soon have access to a low interest or interest free ‘Green Loan’ to improve energy and water efficiency of their homes. 200,000 families will be eligible for up to $10,000 for installation of solar, water and energy efficient products.

The Minister for the environment, the Hon. Peter Garrett, last year announced that home owners will soon have access to a low interest or interest free ‘Green Loan’ to assist with improving the energy and water efficiency of their homes. “Green loans will provide people with easy access to practical household improvements that combined could reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent every year,” Mr Garrett said.

Under the new scheme, up to 200,000 working families will be eligible for loans of up to $10,000 specifically for the installation of solar, water and energy efficient products in their homes, such as solar power or solar hot water, updating your old fridge to a new energy efficient one, even window tinting or natural lighting (skylights) just to name a few.

The loans are expected to be available from July 2009 and will run over 5 years. It is anticipated that upon a homeowner applying for a ‘Green Loan’, a sustainability assessment will be performed to determine the most effective approach to improving the energy efficiency of the home with recommendations provided by an accredited Thermal Performance Assessor.

Products and accessories included in the green loan

Products that will qualify for the green loans will be products such as Solar Power P.V. Units, Solar Hot water units, Window Tinting and Sky lighting. Skylights system, in particular, has been very underused in the energy saving sector as it provides much needed day lighting without heat load. Personally I have used sky light system to brighten my home’s interior spaces bringing in natural light. And with its unique features it is doing things a plain old skylight never could.

The system utilizes breakthrough technology, design and materials to provide exceptional natural lighting from a compact fixture, without the negatives many people have come to associate with traditional skylights, such as heat loss or heat gain in the home. The new products can illuminate up to 300 square feet. The difference is truly night and day.

The latest products are exceptionally efficient because they incorporate ray bender technology which extends the hours of daylight brought into the living space by collecting and directing low-angle sunlight into the tube to increase early-morning and late-afternoon performance, while screening out harmful UV rays. The new ray bender domes also ensure that the overpowering direct mid-day visible light, containing heat-generating infrared rays, is deflected away from the tube.  The technology reduces the solar heat gain coefficient by 25 percent, meaning less heat is transferred. The new models are also ENERGY STAR-rated for optimal energy efficiency.

The new versions of these smart skylights not only reduce the need for consuming energy by turning on lights during the day they are also easy to fit in that they have “easy-snap” rooftop dome that snaps directly onto the dome ring, covering the screws and securing the unit together without additional fasteners.  They also have several diffuser options for highly effective light diffusion.  Both diffusers now have a removable dual glazed lens for cleaning purposes.

This day-lighting system can be also “accessorized” to create multi-functional units by adding a Light Add-On Kit, (The skylight shaft can have an energy efficient Light Globe fitted into it, so the Daylight – Skylight doubles its effectiveness and limits the need for light fitting in the ceiling in that area and can be used at night time.) Ventilation Add-On Kits are great ideas for areas such as bathrooms – where one may not only need extra light (ladies applying makeup) but where one would wish to remove steam / moisture heat and odours. So The Skylight doubles as an extractor vent as well.

Products like these have changed over time and are now seen as energy efficient solutions rather than problems or heat loads for the home. And they will be one of many products such as Solar Power, Solar Hot water, Ventilation and the like that are not only energy saving devices but will also be eligible for Green Loans in the new Financial Year.

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More information about this topic in our business services section.

Written by Sean Cochrane

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