include anything that can't be easily added later so always include best insulation and double glazing and the solar panels are for producing power and double glazing and insulation saves power...check out YourHome.gov. au for information on Passive Solar Design to make sure that your floorplan makes best use of your land

Agree all of the above. I’d be surprised if they could meet 6 star with out double glazing and the insulation. And why not aim for higher. Plus solar is a no brainer. I would not think of these as extras but mandatory,

Solar panels are used for producing power, Double glazing depends on your climate. If you are in a cold winter, hot summer area, then yes, make it part of your build. But if you are in a climate where it doesn't get cold and you have strong breezes that cool the home in summer, then get more information. No use having double glazing if the windows are open most of the time. Always insulate.

@dreamer we will be building in west melbourne Where the climate will be drier. family areas on west side of house with big windows and bedrooms in the east.

Should we do double glazing or just add insulation?

@Kate we have 1 double glazed and standard insulation as part of the build package.

just wondering if it’s worth it to add more insulation? Not sure if that’s a thing?

@oklouise would love to include everything! But our main issue is the budget 😅 so trying to figure out which one of these options is the most cost effective/efficient

If you have large windows on the west side of your home, have you got some form of shading for those windows? If not then you need external shading first as a priority. Either part of your build or external blinds installed once house is completed.

Always get the best insulation you can afford.

What do you mean by "1 double glazed" ?

@dreamer ’1 double glazed’ - to achieve the minimum star rating, they double glazed the sliding door in the living area. the rest of the house are just normal windows.

the west side of the property does not have any eaves. neighbour is a one-storey house about 4m away. Will do some sort of outdoor pergola/shading in the future. If we have external shading, do you think this is enough? There is no need to do double glazing?

Single glazed vs double glazed windows

As its name suggests, a single glazed window is made using one pane of glass. This means the only thing between your home and the outside temperature is a pane of glass which doesn’t give adequate insulation. A single glazed window is not very efficient when it comes to heat loss or gain.

Double glazed windows use two panes of glass with a vacuumed air gap between them which creates an insulated barrier. Double glazed glass is laminated or tinted, but is similar to single glazed window glass otherwise.

What are the benefits and disadvantages?

Benefits

The most obvious benefit of double glazed windows is the increased thermal efficiency. This means it is easier to maintain the temperature inside your house. This is important if you use air conditioners or central heating or cooling systems. Other benefits include:

• Energy-efficient
• Sustainable and environmentally friendly
• Reduces outdoor noise
• Durable with low maintenance
• Increases the value of your house
• Less condensation on your windows

Disadvantages

As double glazing is so efficient, any heat that enters your home during the hotter months is easily stored. This means you should take extra measures to alleviate the problem in summer. Two options include applying UV protective coating or using window films. Remember, these additional protective layers will increase the cost of your installation.

Double glazing all windows in melb recommended. Helps keep heat in and out, I notice difference in my pay house where we have them.. Still need curtains to add to it though.west will need shading too

i would first check yourhome .gov.au to help make sure that you choose the best floor plan, window size, type of glazing and choose shading and insulation to suit your local climate (NB very different from northern Queensland to Melbourne etc) and solar power can be added as funds allow.. we chose various ratings of double glazing for different windows to suit our cold/hot climate and some of the windows have double insulated curtains and blinds which can insulate better than some double glazing but double glazing can allow the windows to be exposed to allow for more daylight and passive solar heating so there is no standard answer for every home

Location/climate information is always useful to include in questions such as yours as which of those features are 'worth it' is dependent upon that.

"Should we do double glazing or just add insulation?"

Double glazing improves the windows but leaves the walls/ceiling lacking and insulation improves the solid walls but leaves the windows lacking.

I'm not sure if your one double-glazed sliding door will do anything in terms of efficiency or comfort, or merely cover the requirement on paper. As oklouise talked about, different windows can benefit from different treatments. Has your builder explained why the sliding door is the best choice?

"family areas on west side of house with big windows"

Shading to prevent the hot afternoon sun entering the window in summer is a must for making those areas comfortably usable. I agree with dreamer that's a priority. Do you need large windows facing in that direction and towards the neighbouring house? Is there any potential in those rooms to move windows to another side, especially north?