Gardens, solar, native plants etc

Vimoksalehi Lukoschek’s home, 21 Barcroft St, Aitkenvale
This retrofitted army built house has many features that typify a sustainable house.  In the last 18 months Vimoksalehi Lukoschek (Vee) has worked hard to increase its energy efficiency and create habitat for wildlife and a food garden for her. This is one of six homes NQ Dry Tropics will open on Sustainable House Day Sunday September 11.
 
These features of the home are best seen from the outside. “The solar panels and solar hot water systems are the most significant thing I’ve done to save money. They have made a huge difference to my electricity bills.” She says. The 1.5 kilowatt photovoltaic system generates all of Vee’s winter electricity consumption and more than half of her summer consumption.

The solar hot water system is also a significant cost saver; water heating was previously done by a 30 year old gas heater and since the solar hot water was installed gas usage has dropped from more than $500 per year to less than $100.
 
Vee had her roof painted white with a special heat reflective paint, to reflect the sun’s rays and reduce the heat going into the insulated ceiling. During summer she maintains the air conditioner at 26 degrees for maximum efficiency.
 
In her backyard fabulous vegetable beds are partially watered by a 5,000 litre rainwater tank. Vee is growing a range of fruits and vegetables successfully on her 607 m2 house block and she’s using her home grown black bamboo to build structures for her passionfruit vine and other climbing plants. Kitchen scraps from the house are either composted in one of the four compost bin systems or processed by a worm farm. A chook pen is currently being built.
 
At the front of the house Vee has planted a range of natives including melaleucas (paper barks), grevilleas, callistemons (bottlebrush), leptospermum (tea tree), acacia (wattles), banksias, syzygium (lilly pillies) and native grasses. She has also planted citrus, mango, avocado and black sapote.