September comfort and cost report
As the days and nights become warmer, less mechanical heating is required to assist passive solar heating (plus insulation) to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors. Increased solar power exports and decreased grid imports reduced the energy bill to 50c per day.
August comfort and cost report
In August, our high performance home maintained a comfortable indoor temperature within the target range of 18 to 21oC. The month’s energy bill was $47 or approximately $1.50 per day, ...
July comfort and cost report
Analysing the temperature monitoring and electricity consumption data for July is an opportunity to review the comfort and cost of living in a passive solar, all-electric home.
Electric vehicle summer experience
Committing to electric vehicle only driving was a positive experience. The cars have more than enough range to meet our urban needs, with the MG ZS EV enabling longer distance travel. In summer, trickle charging the EVs with excess solar power minimised the running costs.
Gravity feed rainwater system
The gravity feed rainwater system for 23B works but we haven't eliminated the need for a pump. A small, solar powered pump transfers water to the tank to keep it full.
Winter sunshine benefits
A few cold, but sunny, days allowed our home to show off what it can do with sunlight. Light streaming through the large north facing windows quickly warmed the house in daytime. Solar panels produced more than enough electricity to supply our all-electric home's needs.
Cladding evolution
Building the three homes sequentially gave us the opportunity to make improvements as we went. The cladding evolution is a good example of that process.
Cladding materials for number 2
Experience gained from building our first home helped to make some modifications to the cladding specifications for the second one. For example, we replaced Shadowclad with more Klip Lok steel cladding.
Sustainable House Day 2019
After several years of visiting other people’s homes on Sustainable House Day, we’re excited to announce that our first home will be open for visitors on September 15. Now it’s ...
