John’s Happy House 2015

House Notes – John’s Happy House

A typical looking Western Australian double brick on concrete slab house with mostly single glazing “on the outside”. But an exciting high performing passive solar designed 8.5 star house that naturally heats & cools itself “on the inside”. The house’s long axis is true north, with extensive full height glazing which maximises the full potential of the passive solar effect, using the thermal mass in the concrete slab and internal brick walls to draw the sun in.

Although shade sails will be used in summer, dual curtains and pelmets throughout the house help keep in the ambient heat in which is lagged back from the thermal mass at night time.

The home is well insulated with triple insulation. It has only two rooms wide with clear natural cooling breeze paths. I decided to go gasless to improve indoor air quality.

Also due to the moderate swings in internal temperate in passive solar designed homes, it is a very comfortable, happy and healthy home that is going to improve the quality of life for my family for the foreseeable future.

The home has provisions for full disability access so we could be here for the long haul. I feel a well designed home that floods the occupants with natural light is priceless.

I look forward to understanding my design more, how to best use my new home and what fine tuning/adjustments I need to do to make it work the best it can.

Also reduced utility bills for the foreseeable future is a bonus too.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2015
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Efficient lighting
      Draught proofing
      Efficient appliances

    • Energy efficiency:
    • Enphase Micro Inverted PV production monitoring
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Shading
      Cross ventilation

    • Passive heating cooling:
    • thermal mass in concrete slab & internal brickwork
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Ceiling fans
    • Water heating:
    • Solar hot water (flat panel)
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Above ground storage
      Low flow shower heads
      Low flow taps
    • Above ground rainwater storage Type:
    • Slimline Water Tanks plumbed to toilets & laundry
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 3000L
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • LED lighting, 5.2 kW micro inverted PV, close coupled solar HWS
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
      Internal and external walls

    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bradfords R4.1 Gold Batts
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R4.1 Gold Batts + R1.3 Anticon = Total R5.4
    • Other Insulation Methods:
    • GDI Insulated Garage Sectional Door, anticon to roof
    • Internal / External Walls Type:
    • Kingspan Air-cell Permicav to all external walls
    • Internal / External Walls Rating:
    • R0.15
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • Energy star rating:
    • 8.5 Stars
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Solar PV grid connect
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • $250,000 - $300,000
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • $1,000 per year
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • House Area 185m2 - Total Area 250m2
    • Window and Door Types
    • Low-e, films

    • Window and Door Types
    • comfort plus glazing to east & west elevations only
    • Universal Design Features
    • Disability access
      Multi-generational
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 4
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 2
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Water wise plants
      Edible garden
      Native plants
      Green walls
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Low VOC internal paint, triexta carpet, mostly tiled
Location
Hillarys WA 6025
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Builder
    • Dale Alcock Homes

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