Architects and designers
Your design team will be essential in helping you achieve your energy objectives.
Architects and designers have the skill set to think about problems from an integrated perspective and will approach your requirements in a holistic way. They can add the most value during early design stages, when considerations that impact your energy use such as building shape, orientation, passive heating and cooling can be incorporated in the design.
Sustainability consultants
Sustainability consultants can be valuable even before starting the design stages. They can be helpful when defining objectives and can provide guidance on how to quantify them. If you are interested in rating schemes, they will be able to advise on the best alternatives to match your objectives, and later can support you through the process to successfully achieve certification.
Once the design is under way, they can work together with designers in testing the design and defining strategies to improve your house’s performance. They can also facilitate the energy modelling process and communicate results in a way that is easily understandable for both clients and designers.
Suppliers
Experience gained on site has given suppliers (e.g. PV system retailers, ventilation companies) valuable practical knowledge about systems and products. Adopting an integrated process, in which suppliers are involved in the project while it is still in the design stages, can result in greater efficiencies and reduced risk of changes during construction, as they are likely to advise on the most efficient and practical ways of installing systems.