Off-grid Orange House 2024

Off-grid Orange House

Nestled on the outskirts of a vibrant country town, this 19-acre property provided us with a blank canvas to build a sustainable and innovative family home.

The resulting home design seamlessly integrates with its surroundings, offering functionality, climate responsiveness, and remarkable energy efficiency, with a 7.1 star energy rating in a challenging climate zone.

Driven by a passion for low-impact, eco-friendly living, we incorporated a 14kW solar panel system and a 40kWh battery for both home and car power. A geothermal heating system, extensive rainwater harvesting, and reed bed wastewater treatment helps meet our commitment to lowering our environmental footprint.

We have adopted a regenerative agriculture approach, embracing native revegetation and permaculture principles to become more self-sufficient, while also making choices that pave the way for a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2024
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Efficient lighting
      Energy monitoring
      Smart home features
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Cross ventilation
      Deciduous planting around house

    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Geothermal ground source heat pump
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Geothermal
    • Water heating:
    • Geothermal ground source heat pump
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Rainwater storage - Underground
      Blackwater system
      Compost toilet
      Grey water system
      Stormwater management
      Low flow shower heads
      Hot water recirculation
      Drip irrigation
    • Average water consumption per day:
    • 0.08
    • Underground rainwater storage type:
    • concrete tank
    • Underground rainwater storage Size:
    • 120,000 l
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
    • Electric Vehicle
    • Volvo XC90 Recharge
    • Window Protection:
    • Deciduous tree/vegetation
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • Using locally sourced, renewable, and sustainable building materials. Wastage limited during the construction process as house was built off-site.
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Excavated earth
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
      Internal walls
      External walls
      Floor
    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – glass wool
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • R6.0
    • Floor Type:
    • Bulk - glass wool
    • Floor Rating:
    • R6.0
    • Internal Walls Insulation Type:
    • Bulk – glass wool
    • Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
    • R6.0
    • External Walls Rating:
    • R2.7
    • External Walls Type:
    • Bulk – glass wool
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • Yes
    • Energy star rating:
    • 7.1
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Energy storage/battery
      Solar PV off-grid
    • Size of PV system:
    • 14kW solar panels, 40 kWh battery system
    • Average Daily Energy Consumption:
    • 6.7 kWh
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • 740000
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • 740000
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • 7000
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 190 m2
    • BAL Rating
    • BAL – 12.5: Ember attack with heat up to 12.5kW/m2
    • Roof
    • Metal (Galvanised)
    • Wall Materials
    • James Hardie Axon fibre cement cladding
    • Window and Door Types
    • Double glazing
      Sliding windows/doors

    • Window and Door Types
    • Thermally broken
    • Universal design accessability
    • Multi-generational
      Wheelchair accessible
    • Universal Design Features
    • 80cm minimum door opening width
      Remote power open and close doors
      Rocker style light switches
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 5
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 3
    • Healthy Home Materials
    • Airtight house design
      Asthma and allergy free certified carpet
      Cross flow ventilation
      Formaldehyde free cabinets
      Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
      Natural light and ventilation
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Bee keeping
      Bee hotels/friendly
      Chickens
      Composting
      Drip irrigation
      Edible garden
      Frog friendly
      Greenhouse
      Local indigenous plants
      Organic
      Permaculture
      Native plants
      Swales
      Water wise plants
    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Compost all food scraps
      Make jams/conserves
      Pickle and preserve food
      Recycle
      Repair
      Take own containers to the supermarket and for take away food
      Swap with friends and neighbours
HEALTHY HOME FEATURES
    • Healthy home features
    • Airtight house design
      Asthma and allergy free certified carpet
      Cross flow ventilation
      Formaldehyde free cabinets
      Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
      Natural light and ventilation
Location
Orange NSW 2800
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • New Build
    • Builder
    • Ecoliv
    • Designer
    • Ecoliv

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