Sustainable House Day, Epping, NSW

  Epping Townhouse This townhouse is an example of how a standard low density apartment can be retrofitted to include active solar devices and other cost-effective strategies to lower the environmental footprint of the owner. The house features include a Solar Hot Water system, Solar Photovoltaic system and two rainwater tanks and a greywater diversion system used for watering the Permaculture-inspired garden area.   New or Retrofit: Retrofit Climate Zone: Eastern Sydney – BCA Climate Zone 5, Nathers Climate Zone 56. Unique Sustainable Elements featured in this home Water Harvesting Systems 5,000 litre Rainwater tank used for garden and other outdoor uses. The tank requires a pump to operate. Tank is connected to washing machine. 1,140 litre rainwater tank used for garden; if full enough can be used without a pump. Greywater diversion irrigation system diverts used water from washing machine to garden. Mains water used in the house.   External Walls   Brick veneer.   Internal Walls   Plasterboard.   Roof Standard tiles, with Woolcell insulation (pumped-in at the end of 2006). Floor Concrete slab covered with tiles, carpets and rugs in various areas.     Window Treatments Standard glass and lots of it! A number of floor to ceiling windows on lower level, all covered with Kresta Roman blinds which have built-in pelmets. Upper bedroom windows and lower bathroom window covered with heavy lined curtains and pelmets. Solar or Wind Power Generation 1.2 KW solar electric system, grid connected.   Heating & Cooling Small heaters (fan convection) for bedrooms, used with doors closed and door stoppers etc. About to install 7 ceiling reversible fans. No air con. We dress for the climate! Pergolas built to SW & SE, growing deciduous vine over SW and evergreen over SE. Westerly deciduous plantings. Water Heating Solar water heating with off-peak booster only turned on manually when water is too cold. Appliances Front loader washing machine; new 4-star 530kWhr/yr fridge Other Unique Features Food garden based on Permaculture principles (organic; sustainable; care for earth, care for people & share surplus; many uses each element; almost-closed waste cycle; understand and maximise what you have …). Various gadgets: rechargeable batteries, mechanical energy torches, energy-efficient lights, eco-friendly cleaning etc. Bush regeneration carried out at immediate base of property extending into council bushland to form wildlife corridor along creek. Much of the garden is also wildlife habitat. Getting to Lucinda’s place  - Coming from Epping Station: if you are on a train from the city, then the platform would be on your RHS if you face the direction of travel of the train.  Go up the steps, do a U-turn to your L and go through the turnstiles.    Go past the ticket office and there is a little newsagent on the corner: cross the road at the lights so you should now be outside a bottle shop.  Turn R and walk along the little line of shops (now on your LHS) and keep going until you reach another set of traffic lights: at the appropriate moment, keep walking straight ahead, so that you are now crossing Epping Road.  Keep waking straight ahead: Blaxland Rd should now be on your RHS.  There is a muffler (cars) shop on the corner and then a deserted bowling club on your LHS, then you come to a set of stairs.  Go down these - they cross a nice little park. At the end of the park you pop out into Forest Grove.  Turn R into this road, then L into Maida Rd and then R into Essex St.   Then take the 2nd L into Abuklea Rd.** **Then turn immediately R into Winifred Av.  At the bottom the road does a right angle to the L and becomes Donald Av.  The townhouse complex is about halfway along Donald Av to the RHS.  Park on the road (for those with cars: it's quite a safe area).  Walk down the entry stairs and then down the driveway; at the bottom there is a driveway that leads to 2 garages side by side.  My garage is the topmost one; walk down 2 steps and my townhouse and garden is the one to the R, where all the pots are! Via Car – from the city: travel along Epping Road, turning L into Essex St a bit before the road crosses over the railway line at Epping Station.  Take the 4th on the L (a fair distance down the road) into Abuklea Road.**[as above] Via Car – from Hornsby direction: travel along Beecroft Road and get into the L-most lane as the road approaches the swing to the R as it prepares to cross over the railway line just past Epping Station.  Turn R into Blaxland Rd and take the 1st L into Maida Rd, then turn R into Essex St.  Then take the 2nd L into Abuklea Rd.**[as above]     >