Window style providing reduced costs for investors
Investors looking to reduce the costs in their properties while still providing cooling opportunities for tenants may want to consider alternative products that can increase the natural airflow in a property rather than air conditioners.
Australia is known for its scorching temperatures, and Australians have been known to find any way they can to try and keep cool.
One preference may to be to consider air conditioners, but the installation and maintenance of these can cut into an investor’s bottom line, in addition to increasing the energy bill of tenants.
However, the introduction of natural ventilation generated through louvre-styled windows can provide cooler airflows into a property.
For the cooler months, shutting the louvres can stop cold air and extreme weather conditions from entering the property.
How they work, according to Niels Verhaar, product manager at Doric, is that they take air movement and pressure differences from outside to cool the inside of a property, balancing increased circulation and ventilation in order to provide reduced inside temperatures, manage humidity and reduce condensation.
This method of natural ventilation, according to the National Institute of Building Sciences, can save tenants up to 30 per cent of total energy consumption.
A study from Washington State University also found that natural ventilation also improves inside air quality by cutting down on odours, humidity, dampness and dust and dirt buildup.
“Well-designed louvre systems can also provide window shading and allow users to control natural light levels,” said Mr Verhaar.
“When correctly designed, such louvre systems should allow light to enter an interior space while minimising solar heat and damaging UV rays.”