Qld Election: Opportunity for candidates to
06/Sep/2006
Qld Election: Opportunity for candidates to show leadership on energy efficiency policies
The Insulation Council of Australia & New Zealand (ICANZ) today asked all candidates contesting the Queensland election to clarify to constituents their specific policies for reducing the energy waste caused by energy inefficient buildings in Queensland.
Dennis D'Arcy, ICANZ President, said that Queenslanders needed to know what policies candidates have developed in order to deliver the economic, social and environmental benefits of energy efficient buildings.
"It is our view that the energy efficiency of Queensland buildings is a critical issue facing Queenslanders," Mr D'Arcy said.
"Queensland has a good record in pursuing sustainable outcomes, but it has focused too much on supply-side solutions to energy problems, such as the construction of more power stations. There are great benefits to be reaped on the demand-side too, such as minimum 5 Star energy efficiency for new homes and the retro-fitting of existing uninsulated homes. Saved energy is the cheapest and cleanest of all energy" he said.
According the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland has the lowest number of insulated homes of any Australian state - only 43.2 per cent compared to a national average of 60.5 per cent*. Yet Queensland also has a very high number of air-conditioner installations with no sign of the trend abating.
"It is no surprise that electricity peak load supply problems in Queensland have now shifted from winter to summer. To use air-conditioners in houses with no insulation is like running a bath with no plug - it is not sustainable, and will get less sustainable as more houses are built," Mr D'Arcy said.
Queensland is yet to adopt the new 5 Star energy efficiency provisions recently incorporated into the Building Code of Australia. However, even with the new energy efficiency regulations, Queensland buildings will still fall far short of overseas minimum building regulations for equivalent climate zones.
"In the much less regulated US, the Bush administration has approved increased insulation levels for new homes that are much higher than the 5-Star national code requires for equivalent climate zones in Australia. For example, in Austin, Texas, which is in a climate zone equivalent to Brisbane, new houses must have insulation installed rated at R 5.3†. New homes in Brisbane typically have insulation installed that is rated at just R 1.5.," Mr D'Arcy said.
"It is time that the energy efficiency of buildings takes its place as a cornerstone of sustainability in Queensland going forward," he said.
* ABS, Environmental Issues: People’s Views and Practices, No. 4602.0, 29 Nov. 2005
† The thermal efficiency of building insulation (ie. its ability to resist the transfer of heat) is measured in terms of its R-value - the higher the R-value number, the greater the insulation's thermal efficiency.
