Southern Highlands ‘Eskihaus’
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House Notes – Southern Highlands ‘Eskihaus’
The ‘Eskihaus’ was designed and built on a modest project home budget, using Passivhaus building principles as a guide.
These include: high levels of insulation, high performance European windows/doors, a thermal bridge free construction, an airtight thermal envelope, and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR). Initial blower door test results (lock up stage) measured an air infiltration rate of 1.7 ACH (Air Changes per Hour) at 50 Pascals.
We will be conducting another blower door test, prior to SHD, to see if recent improvements in sealing the thermal envelope and fine adjustment of the window/door closing mechanism, has brought a further reduction to the all important ACH reading. Results announced on the day.
After 2 years of living in the house, we can confidently say that it performs to and in some cases, exceeds our expectations. Thermal comfort, indoor air quality and energy efficiency have all been achieved.
There are still a few improvements to the house we would like to make in the next 12 months, for example, the addition of a 3 or 5kW Solar PV system that will make it energy positive.
Also, a number of long overdue landscaping projects are already under way.
Looking forward to meeting you and answering any questions you might have.
Sustainability Features
- Energy efficiency:
- Efficient lighting
Draught proofing
Efficient appliances
Energy monitoring
- Passive heating cooling:
- Shading
Cross ventilation
- Passive heating cooling:
- Solar passive heating/cooling, good orientation with correct window sizing and placement. External and internal blinds. Open plan living spaces.
- Active heating cooling:
- Heat exchange ventilation system
- Water heating:
- Hot water heat pump
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Above ground storage
Low flow shower heads
Low flow taps
Storage connected to
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- Colorbond Steel Tank
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 5000ltr
- Storage connected to
- Garden
Toilet
Laundry
- Sustainable materials:
- FSC timber, FSC bamboo flooring, highly durable structural materials for house longevity.
- Insulation Type:
- Ceiling
Internal and external walls
Floor
- Ceiling Type:
- Earthwool batts and Intello Plus vapour retarding and airproofing system.
- Ceiling Rating:
- R6
- Floor Type:
- Fully insulated concrete slab. Schoeck Novomur-Light and XPS foam.
- Floor Rating:
- R2.5
- Internal / External Walls Type:
- Rendered 130mm EPS panels on a 90mm timber frame with Earthwool batt insulation and Intello Plus vapour retarding and airproofing system .
- Internal / External Walls Rating:
- R6
- Energy star rating:
- N/A
- Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
- $330,000 total build cost, including all sustainable features.
- Estimate of annual savings:
- $3000 per year on energy bills
- House Size
- 246m2 including garage (36m2) and alfresco (20m2)
- Window and Door Types
- Double glazing
Triple glazing
Low-e, films
- Number of bedrooms
- 4
- Number of bathrooms
- 2
- Garden / Outdoors
- Water wise plants
Edible garden
Organic
Composting
Native plants
- Healthy home features
- Low VOC paints, low VOC furniture, low VOC flooring, Intello Plus vapour retarding and airproofing system, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery(MVHR)
- Housing Type:
- Standalone House
- Project Type:
- New Build
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