Solace 2018

House Notes – Solace

This is a low-cost, fully sustainable home built in 2002. It has a small footprint on a 930m2 sloping block that posed considerable challenges for the architect. It now produces significantly more energy than it uses, has composting toilets and automatically distributes its greywater daily to a fully native garden.

It has fulfilled its intention to be a good family home that was sustainably up-to-date in 2002, and since then has been opened numerous times to the public because it displays many features that are economically affordable for people to consider retrofitting to their own homes. It has been retrofitted with some double glazing, solar panels (five upgrades over a 15-year period), solar evacuated tubes for hot water, and energy-monitoring equipment.

With the addition (August 2017–18) of an Australian 10kWh storage battery (Redflow) for our 7kW PV, combined with a Selectronic battery inverter – and also coupled with other Australian-designed devices such as CatchPower and a SwitchDin droplet for system control,  this home potentially still models a vision for the future.

It incorporates a good number of fruit trees in one section of the block, which includes a chook shed and vegetable garden.

Designed by Ric Butt and built by Strine Design.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2004
2005
2007
2008
2010
2012
2015
2017
2018
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
      Energy monitoring
      Smart home features
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Cross-ventilation
      Shading
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Heat pump
    • Water heating:
    • Solar hot water (evacuated tube)

    • Water heating:
    • CatchPower for boosting drawn from excess PV production
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Above-ground rainwater storage
      Greywater system
      Low-flow shower heads
      Drip irrigation

    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 13,000L + 2000L for water feature
    • Water harvesting and saving
    • Clivus Multrum toilets (CM 10)
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
    • Window Protection:
    • Adjustable shading
      Blinds
      Honeycomb blinds
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Aggregate
      Basins/sinks
      Concrete
      Paving
      Rocks/stone
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
      External walls
      Floor
    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – polyester
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R5.0
    • Floor Type:
    • R4.0
    • Floor Rating:
    • R4.0
    • Internal / External Walls Type:
    • Tilt concrete sandwich – 100 inside/50mm foam/200 outside
    • Internal / External Walls Rating:
    • R5.0
    • External Walls Rating:
    • R5.0
    • External Walls Type:
    • Bulk – polystyrene board
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • Yes
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Energy storage/battery
      Solar PV off-grid
    • Size of PV system:
    • 7kW
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • $300,000
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • $30,000 for battery setup
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • $4000
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 150m2
    • BAL Rating
    • BAL – Low: There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements
    • Roof
    • Metal (colorbond)
    • Wall Materials
    • Insulated panels or blocks
    • Window and Door Types
    • Clerestory windows
      Double glazing
      Sliding windows/doors
    • Universal design accessability
    • Adaptive design
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 3
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 2
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Chickens
      Composting
      Drip irrigation
      Edible garden
      Organic
      Native plants
      Water-wise plants
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Cross-flow ventilation
      Indoor plants for air filtration

    • Healthy Home
    • Low VOC paint on kitchen cupboards
Location
Jerrabomberra NSW 2619
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • Continual Improvement
    • Open with support of
    • ATA Canberra Branch
    • Builder
    • Strine Design
    • Designer
    • Ric Butt

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