With soaring temperatures and extended heatwaves becoming more common, traditional housing in Australia is struggling to keep residents cool. San Williams explores the challenges faced by heat-affected homes and potential solutions.

There’s much to be experienced in rental situations, especially as a young person embarking on an independent life. Scouring countless property listings, a small or humble household is likely settled on, offering affordability. Then only once moved in are the drawbacks fully realised.

Before long natural, unwanted drafts are felt through the rooms or sometimes there’s a lack of ventilation leading to stuffy rooms. A personal favourite is inadequate or a lack of cooling appliances, leading to rough nights sleeping with a wet towel and a pedestal fan.

Living in extreme heat isn’t easy, and it’ll only get worse with Australia’s summers becoming increasingly intense and heatwaves growing longer, hotter and more frequent.

Housing is one of the most vulnerable sectors during this climate change as traditional building practices, often designed for milder climates and before minimum performance standards, are ill-equipped to handle the extreme heat. As temperatures soar, average homes become a hazard, posing significant health risks to occupants, particularly the elderly, young children and those with underlying health conditions.

Extreme heat was responsible for 7,104 injury hospitalisations and 293 deaths, 43% of all injury deaths over ten years, according to research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

To combat these issues, seeking the expertise of qualified tradespeople can be invaluable. A skilled electrician can install energy-efficient cooling systems, while a carpenter, plumber or retrofitter can professionally seal drafts and enhance insulation. Still, it seems there’s a deeper underlying problem needing to be addressed.

RMIT University research fellow Sarah Robertson and associate professor Trivess Moore are experts in sustainable and climate resilient housing. A new paper led by Sarah has reinforced the importance of good thermal quality housing when it comes to extreme heat.

“The work on summer heat came out as part of interviews with households in Victoria. In the context of increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, we found housing plays a critical role in adapting to a changing climate and ensuring comfortable living conditions,” Sarah says.

“People were talking a lot about how their homes were uncomfortable in summer. So, what we did with our research paper is look at how households in Victoria cope and adapt to summers and heatwaves.”

Sarah and Trivess interviewed industry experts and 160 households across Victoria and South Australia. To delve deeper, Sarah re-analysed data from 74 households in Melbourne and Gippsland, exploring their experiences with summer heat and winter cold.

By analysing the rhythms of daily life during heatwaves and drawing attention to the importance of understanding the temporal dimensions of heat vulnerability, the findings showed many households employ short-term strategies to cope with heatwaves, often focusing on immediate relief rather than long-term solutions. This approach may be problematic given the increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves due to climate change.

In addressing this issue, they agree it’s crucial to prioritise the thermal performance of homes, ensuring that they are designed and built to withstand extreme heat. By focusing on long-term solutions, such as improved insulation, shading and ventilation, households can better adapt to a changing climate.

“The effectiveness of these strategies depends on the specific characteristics and condition of the dwelling. To assess a property’s thermal performance, it’s recommended to consult an independent expert. They can conduct a thorough evaluation using a standardised assessment tool to identify areas for improvement,” Trivess says.

To help identify areas for improvement and potential energy-saving measures, the Victorian Government has now offered free energy assessments for eligible homeowners. Trivess says these retrofit activities offer the best value for money and are tailored to the specific needs of your home.

The Federal Government’s Your Home website provides valuable information and best practices for energy-efficient home improvements and has implemented various initiatives, such as rebates, to encourage homeowners in Victoria to undertake energy-efficient retrofits. These financial incentives can help offset the cost of improvements and make energy-efficient upgrades more accessible.

“There’s been a big push for solar panels, heat pumps and other energy-efficient appliances as we transition away from gas within our buildings and improve the quality performance, overall. But the government also has a role to ensure we’re educating those in the industry as well as consumers,” Trivess says.

“That’s the idea of gaining that nuanced information (via a scheme like property energy efficiency rating system). So, we’re not just installing an air conditioner despite gaps and cracks around the windows and the doors. The first step in that case might be doing draft proofing. It’s about trying to get the right combination for different households to improve the outcome.”

While Sarah and Trivess understand the poor thermal performance in many Australian homes today, they’ve also recognised a lack of a comprehensive system like mandatory disclosure or home energy performance ratings.

A reliable, energy rating system for homes based on independent assessments as well as easily understandable by homeowners would assess energy efficiency and resilience to extreme temperatures. Using the comprehensive and independently verified data from this would provide valuable information to guide retrofitting efforts and improve the energy efficiency of Australian homes.

“There are specific moments in people’s lives, like having children or experiencing a system breakdown, when they’re more likely to make home improvements. These opportunities can be used to enhance energy efficiency and thermal performance. A clear and reliable home energy rating system would be crucial in supporting this.”

Along with a ventilation system, Sarah says elements such as cool roofs, green roofs and cooling streets with trees, plants and clear floors can all help reduce heat in the home.

Depending on the climate zone, effective insulation and appropriate window coverings are also greatly beneficial for heating and/or cooling homes and account for a significant portion of energy consumption in Australian homes, often ranging from 20% to 50%.

By investing in these energy-efficient solutions, Luxaflex Window Fashions head of product and marketing head Diana Altiparmakova says homeowners can directly lower energy bills and contribute to broader climate change mitigation efforts.

“Window furnishings, blinds and shutters can offer a sustainable solution and enhance the performance of existing windows. Some window coverings are better at this than others, a sheer curtain, for example, won’t offer the same insulative properties as a honeycomb blind,” Diana says.

“Honeycomb-shaped air pockets, engineered in some blinds, trap air inside to help moderate temperature and reduce heat loss in winter and keep the heat out in summer. They’re the most energy-efficient window coverings currently on the market, reducing the average home’s heating costs by up to 43%.”

Other outdoor solutions, such as awnings, can also significantly reduce accumulated heat in homes. By blocking up to 95% of solar heat, the right awning fabric can enhance a home’s sustainability and energy efficiency. This leads to long-term energy savings and improved comfort throughout the year.

Other strategies property owners can use to minimise the effect of extreme heat in their homes include insulation and energy-efficient fans. Installing adequate insulation will help maintain stable indoor temperatures year-round, reducing reliance on energy-intensive heating and cooling systems.

“While the initial investment may be higher, the long-term savings and improved property value make it a worthwhile investment to significantly reduce energy consumption, lowering utility bills and promoting sustainable living,” Bradford Insulation category manager for insulation and construction fabrics Mariana Lai says.

“Insulation can reduce heating and cooling energy consumption by up to 45% and helps slow heat flow through walls, ceilings and floors, enhancing thermal comfort while meeting Australia’s seven-star energy efficiency standards under the National Construction Code.”

Strategically placing fans, choosing energy-efficient models and pairing them with natural ventilation, can abate reliance on air conditioning, improve air quality and lower energy costs.

A low-speed ceiling fan, consuming a mere three to four watts can be a budget-friendly alternative to air conditioning. This can cost as little as ten dollars a year, a stark contrast to the potentially high energy bills associated with air conditioning, according to Australian fan manufacturer Fanco.

“Moving forward, we may need to explore alternative solutions. This could include creating community spaces that people can access during extreme weather events. These would be crucial for those who cannot afford or can’t retrofit their homes or those living in homes that can’t be improved,” Trivess says.

“While higher-income individuals may be less affected, there is still a significant need for further action to address the broader issue of climate resilience.”

While commercial and non-residential buildings haven’t received nearly as much attention as residential in the topic of extreme heat vulnerability (likely because of existing regulations like mandatory disclosure for larger spaces), Trivess says some challenges exist in the sector, with long-term implications of these scenarios still unclear.

While many Australian homes are not designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, there are practical solutions tradespeople can implement before this issue becomes widespread and affects young renters and residential housing across the board.

Rather than simply installing a new cooling system, a deeper understanding of heat vulnerability can lead to more sustainable and long-lasting solutions. By investing in innovative housing design, tradies retrofitting existing homes and implementing supportive government policies, the industry can create more energy-efficient and comfortable homes for a diverse range of residents.