Ken’s House 2025

Ken’s House

My wife Corinne and I started our sustainable journey by installing an induction cooktop when we put an extension on the house in 2006. At the time, the choice was gas or induction, and the latter seemed much more enviromentally friendly and easier to clean.

Then, in 2014 we installed 3 kilowatts of solar power on our back roof. This reduced our power bill by about half.

The next step was to deal with the heat problim in the house during summer. We decided to install insulated rollershutters on the upstairs windows and on the east-facing door and window downstairs. This dramatically reduced the temperature on hot days. We found we only needed to use airconditioning very occasionally, and heating almost never.

The next few steps occurred after I retired in 2019. I started working on a voluntary basis for the climate movement, but soon realised that Corinne and I were not living very sustainably. We decided to make some changes to our lifestyle.

The first thing we did was replace our gas hot water system with a heat pump. We disconnected the gas and found ourselves saving about $600 a year. The heat pump should pay for itself in about 5 years – fewer if our children were still living at home.

We then made the decision to buy an EV. By ditching our old gas-guzzler, we found ourselves saving about $3,000 a year on fuel and maintenance.

However, I was annoyed by only being able to charge at home when the sun was out in force, and only in the mornings (our solar panels being shaded after midday). At other times, I had to wait for a Jolt charge point to come free so I could grab some free power. (Jolt gives you seven free kilowatts a day – enough to take you about 45 kilometres.) We decided to put 10.5 kilowatts of solar on the roof of our garage, which faces east and west. This allowed us to charge the car at any time of day. It also cut our power bill to near zero.

The final step (thus far) in our journey was to add a 13.5 kilowatt battery, allowing us to operate without resort to the grid. We are now completely self-sufficient in energy, saving about $2,000 a year on our electricity bills. Soon I will be setting up as a virtual power plant (VPP), allowing me to ‘bank’ power in the day and sell it into the grid in the early evenings, when the feed-in tariff is much higher. That is how I plan to pay off the battery long before it reaches its use-by date.

So that is our sustainability journey. In going down this path, we have tried to prove that it’s possible to save money and save the planet all at the same time. So please come and see for yourself on Sustainable House Day. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2025
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Heat pump
      Split system airconditioner
    • Water heating:
    • Hot water heat pump
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Skylight
    • Electric Vehicle
    • MG4 Essence
    • Window Protection:
    • Automation/controls
      Drapes/curtains
      Roller doors
      Shutters
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Under-roof
      Ceiling

    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – cellulose fibre
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • Unknown
    • Other Insulation Methods:
    • We have corflutes in our front windows. These are wonderful insulators. They also advertise our house as being self-sustaining in energy.
    • Under Roof Insulation Type:
    • Reflective foil
    • Under Roof Insulation Rating:
    • Unknown
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • Yes
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Energy storage/battery
      Solar PV grid connect
    • Size of PV system:
    • 13.5 kW
    • Average Daily Energy Consumption:
    • 10 kWh
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • $42,000 spent on energy efficiency, generation and storage over the last 5 years.
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • $5,600 +
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • Unknown
    • Roof
    • Metal (Colorbond)
      Tiles (Concrete)
    • Wall Materials
    • Brick veneer
      Double brick
    • Window and Door Types
    • Skylights
      Sliding windows/doors
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 4
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 2
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Frog friendly
      Native plants
    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Book exchange/library
      Compost all food scraps
      Recycle
      Take own containers to the supermarket and for take away food
Location
Concord NSW 2137
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • Continual Improvement
    • Builder
    • NA
    • Designer
    • NA

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