Glaze your windows and you may not need ACs

John Bell, professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Institute of Sustainable Resources, has found how different window glass options can increase the energy efficiency of houses and decrease carbon emissions, saving money too.

"Airconditioners contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and it is expected that by 2014, almost 60 percent of the households in Queensland will have these appliances," Bell said.

"But what people may not know is that there are commercially available advanced glazing alternatives that can help in reducing the need for airconditioning," he added.
Bell said houses in Queensland built since 2008 were required to have a minimum thermal efficiency rating, but a vast number of the state's 1.5 million houses were built before this regulation.

"Good windows can help to insulate the house, keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in summer and decrease the amount of energy required for the same," he said.