Greens Beach Solarhome 2018

House Notes – Greens Beach Solarhome

Possibly the world’s first actual zero-emission house. 100% off-grid, 100% electric, no wood fire or gas for heating & cooking, and no backup generator.

The aim was to design an affordable, high-quality house that would not only minimise operational energy consumption (allowing it to be powered entirely by solar-charged batteries with no need of a generator or grid backup), but also withstand the ravages of time and harsh weather (including severe storms and bushfires), age gracefully with little maintenance, and never go out of fashion, to create a stylish modern home that is durable, practical and comfortable in most climates, using standard building materials and conventional construction techniques, so that it can be easily built just about anywhere in the world.

Greens Beach Solarhome is the prototype of this concept, which was built in Tasmania in order to test its performance in a challenging climate. After more than 12 months’ trial it has exceeded expectations, remaining warm (around 20°C), comfortable and emission-free throughout a cold Tasmanian winter, and cool (less than 25°C) during the hottest summer days, while operating seamlessly, totally on solar-charged batteries with no grid connection, no generator backup, and no gas, oil, coal or wood fire for heating or cooking. It uses an average of less than 10kWh per day, which is significantly less than the theoretical primary energy demand required for German Passivhaus certification. The house is currently available on Booking.com and Airbnb so that visitors can try it for themselves.

This house achieved 9.2 Stars using FirstRate5 software, to find out more about the NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) click here

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2018
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
      Energy monitoring
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Passive solar designed home
      Shading
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Heat pump
    • Water heating:
    • Hot water heat pump
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Blackwater system
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Natural daylight
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • Materials are selected to have the longest, maintenance-free life possible – focused on 'life cycle' rather than 'embodied' energy. The house, essentially, has a concrete outer shell that could potentially last hundreds of years.
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
      Internal walls
      Floor
    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – glass wool
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R9.6
    • Floor Type:
    • Bulk – polystyrene board
    • Floor Rating:
    • R9.1
    • Internal Walls Insulation Type:
    • Bulk – polystyrene board
    • Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
    • R8.7
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • Yes
    • Energy star rating:
    • 9.2 Stars
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Energy storage/battery
      Solar PV off-grid
    • Size of PV system:
    • 8kW
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • $600,000
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • $100,000
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • $7000
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 170m2
    • BAL Rating
    • BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with a heat flux of up to 29kW/m2
    • Roof
    • Concrete slab
    • Wall Materials
    • Concrete blocks
      Timber
    • Window and Door Types
    • Triple glazing
    • Universal Design Features
    • 80cm minimum door opening width
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 2
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 1
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Airtight house design
      Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
      Natural fibre furnishings
      Natural light and ventilation
      Natural oil sealer/finishes
Location
Greens Beach TAS 7270
    • Housing Type:
    • Display Home
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Builder
    • Rob Miller
    • Designer
    • David Macfarlane Design

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