Owners: Stewart and Kathryn Greenhill
We built our home in 2000 on a 600m2 rear strata block in suburban Hilton. We wanted an ecologically sensible home for a small family, with space for gardens and home offices. Our home uses a passive solar design, requiring no additional energy for heating or cooling.
Designed by: Solar Dwellings
Built by: Glenway Homes
Solar Design
Our main living area faces north to the garden. A solar pergola and vaned rafter extensions shade the north wall completely in summer, whilst letting sunlight in during winter, providing warmth which is stored in the living room floor. Windows are positioned for cross ventilation, allowing the "Fremantle doctor" to cool the house on summer evenings.
Temperature
The temperature inside the house generally ranges between a very comfortable 19 and 22 degrees Celcius. (66 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit).
External temperatures range between 0 and 45 degrees Celcius ( 32 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit).
Internal temperatures range between 16 and 28 degrees Celcius ( 61 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit).
Roof: Zincalume with 50mm Anticon insulation. "Thinking Cap" roof ventilation system.
Walls: Double brick construction, with cavity insulation in east and west walls.
Floor: Concrete slab with ceramic tiles throughout, except kitchen which is Marmoleum.
Windows: Single glazing with blockout curtains and sealed pelments on north facing windows.
Heating / Cooling: We don't using have air conditioning as the solar design keeps the temperature fairly comfortable for most of the year. We recently purchased a small gas heater which helps take the chill off after a week of cloudy winter days.
Water Heating: Solar with electric booster.
Power: No on-site generation, but electricity is sourced from 100% renewable sources (Synergy "Natural Power"). We intend to install a photovoltaic system in the future.
A sensor has been installed in the childrens' toilet to automatically switch the light on and off.
Gardens
The gardens are very compact, around 200 metres square.
Deciduous trees and vines provide shade for the garden and house in summer. Janine Mendel helped us design the garden, which includes several garden "rooms" that connect to each other as well as to the house.
Although the garden is smalll, we aim to produce food. We have a "mandala"-style vegetable plot, with a chicken enclosure that rotates with the fallow bed. We have several food trees including almonds, mulberry, nectarine, peach, feijoas, mandarine, lemon, olives and grapes.
The garden is reticulated with "miniscape" dripper irrigation, with a few popup sprinklers for the small lawn. The hedges of grevillia and lavender are popular with the native birds and bees.
(August 2009) (
