Caringbah House 2020

Caringbah House

This 1950s fibro four-bedroom house has been retrofitted with 15,000L of rainwater storage and associated guttering, and first-flush systems for reuse in laundry, bathrooms and garden. It has a 4kW solar system in two arrays, plus 2 x Enphase 1.2kW solar batteries. Insulation has been added to walls, ceilings, roof and underfloor, along with UPVC double-glazed windows.

Shading has been improved on the north side of the house to block summer sun, but allow winter sun into the house and living areas. Water use is about 30KL per quarter.

For a five person family (including one young adult and two teenagers) our electricity costs are down to around $260/qtr (!!) with gas about the same.

The upgrading of the house is not nearly complete yet, and future projects include a backyard studio and carports with green roofs, and a solid-fuel masonry heater.