Newcastle Efficiency Journey

Awabakal,
Adamstown Heights,
NSW
This home will be open for in-person tours on the 17th May 2026

About this home

11 years ago we (2 adults and 3 kids) moved into a beautiful (yet flawed) 4/5 bedroom house near the bush in Adamstown Heights.
10 years ago we started a journey to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of the house.

With upgrades including: solar, hot water heat pump, new air conditioning, an induction cooktop, cathedral ceiling insulation and double glazing we have gotten off gas and more than halved our energy use.

We have recently upgraded our bathroom which now features a super warm, fully enclosed dual shower area, with 2/3 privacy glass and 1/3 louvres for ventilation.

We use a western “green wall” to reduce heat load in summer and have recently purchased a variable speed pool pump to further reduce power use.

During COVID we also installed horizontal and vertical “glazing” to improve thermal comfort in an office space with cathedral ceilings.

In May 2025 we added an additional 6.6kw solar a 16kwh battery and an EV charger. In August 2025 we purchased a EV (BYD Sealion 7) which we love.

In February 2026 we replaced our old pool pump with a variable speed pump and installed a heat pump pool heater to extend the swimming season utilising excess PV.

We really enjoyed showing our home for the first time in 2025 and look forward to meeting more people interested in improving home comfort and reducing CO2 emissions in 2026.

Q & A

What motivated you to build or retrofit sustainably?
Reduced energy usage, C02 emissions, cost and increase comfort
Rooftop solar, house battery and EV have considerably reduced our reliance on grid energy. This has significantly reduced our energy costs and mean we are net electricity exporters and no longer require the use of petrol or gas.
I wish i'd known that not all double glazing is the same. We installed aluminium framed double glazing, which is no where near as efficient as PVC, though to be fair i don't think PVC double glazed windows were readily available when we undertook the work.
We plan to add a 2nd story which will add several bedrooms and additional study areas and mean that our south facing solar can be tilted to the north.
Back to 2026 Homes
Type: Standalone house/townhouse
Project: Gradual upgrades over time
Size: 200m²
Bedrooms: 5+
Bathrooms: 3

Sustainability Features

Building Materials & Envelope

Draught-proofing/air sealing
High-performance insulation
Double or triple-glazed windows

Heating, Cooling and Ventilation

Passive heating/cooling (north-facing glazing, cross ventilation, thermal mass, shading, etc.)
Ceiling fans
Heat pump (reverse-cycle) heating/cooling

Energy and Appliances

Rooftop solar PV
Battery storage
Dedicated wall-mounted EV charging
Energy monitoring/smart home systems
Efficient lighting (LED, daylighting, solar skylights)
Heat pump hot water
Electric cooktop - induction/ceramic
Other energy-efficient appliances

Water & Waste Systems

Water-efficient fixtures

Landscape & Biodiversity

Climate Resilience

Accessible & Flexible Design Features

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