» Hawthorn House

Hawthorn House

We Renovated a west-facing Victorian cottage on a small block, with very limited access to north sun, to make it more energy efficient.

The main aims of our renovation were to:

Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from our energy consumption
Improve thermal comfort
Save on home running costs

This involved adding insulation to walls, under the floor, and to ceiling of those parts of the house that were otherwise unmodified, in addition to insulating the new sections of the home.

All windows in the living areas are now double-glazed, leaving only original Victorian windows at the front of the house single-glazed. Clerestory windows also added for winter solar gain.

There is an electric heat pump for hydronic space heating and for hot water, replacing gas, as do the induction cooktops.

This house was certified as with 6 stars using the Victorian Residential Efficiency Scorecard star rating.

Sustainability Features

ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES

- Energy efficiency:
- Draught proofing
  Efficient lighting
  Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Shading
- Active heating cooling:
- Ceiling fans
  Heat pump
  Hydronic
- Water heating:
- Hot water heat pump
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
  Natural daylight
  Skylight
- Window Protection:
- Deciduous tree/vegetation
  Drapes/curtains
  Honeycomb blinds
  Pelmets

SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS

- Sustainable materials:
- Recycled timber floorboards (Spotted Gum)
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Doors
  Timber

INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS

- Insulation Type:
- Ceiling
  External walls
  Floor
- Ceiling Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Ceiling Rating:
- R4.0 batts, overall rating R4.65 in old part of house, overall R5.46 in new areas
- Floor Type:
- Old timber-floored area of house: Icynene spray foam. Old concrete slab area of house, new slab edge insulation
- Floor Rating:
- Product R2.6, overall R3.48
- External Walls Rating:
- R2.5 (products). Overall dbl brick R2.93; new timber R3.25; old weatherboard R2.93
- External Walls Type:
- Outside existing double brick: Kingspan Kooltherm. New timber: glass wool batts. Old weatherboard walls: Icynene spray foam

RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS

- All-Electric Home?
- No
- Renewable energy
- Solar PV grid connect not yet installed. This will be done this year, but maybe not in time for sustainable house day.
- Average Daily Energy Consumption:
- Post renovation: Electricity 8.4 kWh/person/day, Gas negligible. [ Pre reno: Elec 4.5 kWh/person/day, Gas 15.9 kWh(57 MJ)/person/day ]

COSTS AND COST SAVINGS

- Total cost of home when constructed:
- $550,000
- Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
- $40,000

HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

- House Size
- 150m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – Low: There is insufficient risk to warrant specific construction requirements
- Roof
- Metal (Zincalume)
- Wall Materials
- Double brick
  Timber
- Window and Door Types
- Clerestory windows
  Double glazing
  Skylights
  Sliding windows/doors
- Number of bedrooms
- 3
- Number of bathrooms
- 2

GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION

- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
  Recycle

HEALTHY HOME FEATURES

- Healthy home features
- Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
  Natural light and ventilation

Hawthorn House 2020

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Hawthorn House

Sustainability Features

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