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Geoff’s Hemp House 2021

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Geoff’s Hemp House

Geoff’s Hemp House

Geoff’s house is a highly thermally efficient 8.8 star hemp house with exposed slab on ground and slab edge insulation. It uses passive solar design. The main roof faces due north, tilted up at 20 degrees and is designed to take 20KWh of PV panels (it currently has 11KWh installed) and has 1.0m eaves to east and west. There are south facing clearstory windows for summer ventilation plus a heat recovery ventilation system. All external windows and doors are double glazed with FSC hardwood frames.

Designed by Earlx2 Architechture

This house achieved a NatHERS rating of 8.8 stars using NatHERS accredited software (BERSPro). Find out how the star ratings work on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) website.

The house is owner built. Construction commenced in October 2018 and was completed in February 2020.

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Sustainability Features

Years Open
2019
2020
2021
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
      Energy monitoring
      Smart home features
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Cross ventilation
      Passive solar designed home
      Shading
      Thermal chimney
      Thermal mass
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Ceiling fans
      Heat exchange ventilation system

    • Active heating cooling:
    • Combustion wood burner stove
    • Water heating:
    • Hot water heat pump
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Rainwater storage - Above ground
      Stormwater management
      Low flow shower heads
      Low flow taps
      Drip irrigation

    • Average water consumption per day:
    • TBA
    • Above ground rainwater storage Type:
    • PVC tanks under deck
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 4000L
    • Water harvesting and saving
    • Village reticulated recycled water system for toilet flushing and garder watering
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Natural daylight
    • Window Protection:
    • Awnings (external)
      Blinds
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • High fly ash concrete slab is ground connected with slab-edge insulation. Double glazed windows and external doors with FSC hardwood frames and magesium oxide board reveals. Hempcrete walls are rendered externally with Rockcote lime render. The main bedroom internal hempcrete surface has a Rockcote clay render. Recycled pavers used for landscaping. Recycled concrete used for backfill behind retaining walls.
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Appliances
      Concrete
      Excavated earth
      Paving
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Under-roof
      Ceiling
      External walls

    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – polyester
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R3.0
    • Other Insulation Methods:
    • Bulk recycled polyester batts R2.5 to non-hempcrete wall areas
    • Under Roof Insulation Type:
    • Reflective foil
    • Under Roof Insulation Rating:
    • R1.5
    • External Walls Rating:
    • R3.1
    • External Walls Type:
    • Hempcrete
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • No
    • Energy star rating:
    • 8.8 Stars
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Energy storage/battery
      Solar PV grid connect

    • Size of PV system:
    • 11kW
    • Renewable energy
    • Part of village smartgrid
    • Average Daily Energy Consumption:
    • 3.5kW
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • $450,000
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • No idea - I've never built a standard home!
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • Still waiting to see annual PV power output, but bills will be net positive amount.
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 182m2
    • BAL Rating
    • BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with a heat flux of up to 29kW/m2
    • Roof
    • Metal (Colorbond)
    • Wall Materials
    • Hempcrete
      Lightweight construction (timber frame)
      Metal (Colorbond)
    • Window and Door Types
    • Double glazing
      Sliding windows/doors
    • Universal design accessability
    • Multi-generational
    • Universal Design Features
    • 80cm minimum door opening width
      Flush thresholds (no lip) to all external doors
      Lever handles for doors (no knobs)
      Minimum 110cm wide hallways
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 3
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 2
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Mushroom growing - oyster and shitake
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Bee keeping
      Chickens
      Community vegetable garden
      Composting
      Drip irrigation
      Edible garden
      Permaculture
      Swales
      Wicking beds
      Worm farm

    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Compost all food scraps
      Recycle
      Repair
      Tool exchange/library
      Swap with friends and neighbours
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Airtight house design
      Cross flow ventilation
      Heat recovery ventilation (HRV)
      Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
      Natural light and ventilation

    • Healthy Home
    • Hempcrete with lime render allows water vapour and other gases to exit the house via the walls
Location
Narara NSW 2250
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Open with support of
    • Narara Eco Living Network
    • Builder
    • Owner builder
    • Designer
    • Earlx2 Architechture

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