Eco Living Centre 2016

House Notes – Eco Living Centre

The HP Barr Community Centre was retrofitted as a part of the Eco Living Project in 2011 to demonstrate sustainability practices and retrofits which can be applied in houses. The community centre is still used for sporting events and hired by community interest groups. The upgrades and retrofits to the centre included:

• Installation of 4.3 kW static solar PV and a 4.3 kW dual-axis tracking system, comparing the outputs of each
• Evacuated tubes solar hot water
• Down light comparison display
• Night purge system to decrease the need for air conditioner use
• Insulation comparison of internal and external wall insulation for the changerooms
• Additional water tank which captures water from the sports centre roof and is used to water the nearby ovals and for toilet flushing at the Eco Living Centre
• A waterwise display garden
• Interpretative signage in and around the centre which details these features and more.

On Sustainable House Day, the centre open and will be showing short films highlighting local sustainability projects and initiatives. The films include

• ‘What makes a sustainable house’, short films created by year 9 Discovery class of Galen Catholic College students
• Climate Resilient community projects – Wangaratta Community Food For All Network Cooking Circles and Rent Savers program
• Watts Working Better energy efficient LED street light upgrade in Wangaratta and surrounding Councils
• Launch of the cogenerator plant at the Wangaratta Indoor Sports and Aquatic Centre
• Overview of Sustainability Victoria’s Hume Business Network

Open house addresses with maps will be available on the day. Tea, Coffee and refreshments will also be available.