Sustainable property 101: Go green and save money
Home owners and builders in Geelong will now be able to create more sustainable and energy-efficient homes, thanks to a new online, free assessment tool.
Launched in partnership with Deakin University and the not-for-profit GEELONG Sustainability organisation, the new tool named MOTIIVES offers step-by-step guidance on building or redesigning homes to be more climate-friendly.
The tool is set to help home owners and builders plan, retrofit, redesign, or renovate dwellings that can passively hold a comfortable temperature without heating and cooling systems.
According to tool co-creator, Deakin University lecturer in property, real estate, and sustainable building, Tom Keel, there is an urgent need for more environmentally friendly homes.
“Most homes in Geelong aren’t designed with the environment in mind, and aren’t thermally efficient enough to adapt to future climate changes,” Keel said.
“The MOTIIVES tool will help home owners and builders create more sustainable homes that are more comfortable to live in, cheaper to run, and better for the climate, with simple design tips that can be easily incorporated into new or existing homes.”
The online tool comprises eight videos that offer practical, easy and actionable advice to help home owners have a more climate-friendly and comfortable home that is cheaper to run and increases its value.
Tips include better choices of materials, orientation, thermal mass, internal room placement, insulation, ventilation, energy efficiency and smaller size, giving the program its name MOTIIVES.
Free for Greater Geelong residents, the tool has also been designed to be accessible to everyone, including for people without technical building knowledge.
Keel said that the long-term benefits of sustainable home design or renovation do not only help the environment but last longer and have lower running costs.
“Building future-proof homes isn’t just about helping the environment,” he said.
“The changes you make now can greatly reduce your costs and environmental impact on the future.”
In Australia, according to a University of Sydney study, only 11 per cent of new homes between 2018 and 2022 were designed at a higher standard of 7–10 stars under the NatHERS scheme.
Since then, the federal government has introduced, in 2023, new regulations that have increased the minimum energy rating from 6 to 7 stars’ NatHERS equivalent.
Geelong Sustainability CEO, Dan Cowdell, said the MOTIIVES tool is a “game-changer” for Geelong home owners who want to take control of their home’s environmental footprint.
“Our temperate climate is ideally suited to passive thermal design principles – homes that work with the local climate to stay comfortable year-round without constant heating or cooling,” he said.
‘It’s about learning how to keep our homes comfortable and save money in the long run.”
“MOTIIVES brings this to life with practical, easy-to-follow steps,” Cowdell said.
The MOTIIVES tool was funded by a climate change partnership grant from the City of Greater Geelong and is part of the area’s broader climate action response plan to achieve net zero community emissions by 2035.
Greater Geelong Senior Sustainability City Officer, Pete Mercurio, said the city is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of local buildings.
“The MOTIIVES tool fits perfectly into our vision of a sustainable Geelong,” Mercurio said.
“It’s accessible, easy to use, and will help both builders and home owners make informed decisions that support our broader climate goals.”