Why We Chose Panasonic for Our 8 Star Energy Rated Home

When people hear 8 star energy rated home, they often assume you would not need air conditioning at all. And in an ideal world with perfect weather, that might be true. But here’s the reality. We live in Wagga where the climate is not exactly gentle. Summers can be absolutely stinking hot, winters can be bitingly cold, and despite all the good work we have put into insulation, airtightness, passive solar design, and double glazing, sometimes you just want the comfort and convenience of climate control.

Why Panasonic?

We have chosen the Panasonic 22.4kW ducted system because it suits our home’s specific needs. We have a large open plan design with multiple living zones, bedrooms, and spaces that need flexibility across the seasons.

Here’s why this system works for us:

• It is highly efficient, especially when paired with a well sealed, energy smart home like ours
• It is powerful enough to handle large open spaces without strain
• It is designed for extreme climates, both very hot and very cold
• It runs quietly and integrates smoothly with solar to help manage running costs
• It is a reliable and trusted brand with solid local support

The Importance of Zoning

One of the biggest advantages of this system is zoning. We have designed the house and the air con system so we can break it up into different zones. This means we are not cooling or heating the whole house unnecessarily.

For example,

• Living areas can be cooled or heated during the day
• Bedrooms can be zoned separately, for use at night
• Guest rooms or less used spaces can be left off entirely when not needed

This keeps energy usage to an absolute minimum because we are only conditioning the spaces we are actually using.

Why Even Bother with Air Conditioning in an 8 Star Home?

You might still wonder why bother at all. The truth is, energy efficient homes are all about options and flexibility. A well built home keeps the temperature steady for much of the year, but there are always extremes. Heatwaves, freezing fog, humid stretches, this is where having a system like this just makes life more comfortable.

Comfort is part of sustainability too. A home you enjoy living in is one you will stay in, and one you will not be tempted to retrofit later with something less considered.

Big Does Not Mean Wasteful

Yes, this is a large capacity system, but that does not mean it will be chewing through power unnecessarily. In fact, an efficient, properly sized system working infrequently and intelligently is far better than smaller units running flat out and failing to maintain comfort.

And with our solar panels, we will be offsetting most of the energy it uses.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, this system is part of our toolkit for comfort. Most days, our house will stay at a beautiful temperature with just passive design, insulation, ceiling fans, and smart window placement doing the work. But on those days where nature throws something extreme our way, it is good to know we can flick a switch and keep the whole house comfortable, without compromise and without blowing our energy budget.

If you are building or renovating and wondering how heating and cooling fits into your own energy efficient home, feel free to reach out or drop your questions below. I love chatting all things homes, energy ratings, and clever design.