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Sustainable House Day, Sustainable Living House, Alice Springs, NT |
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Category: Sustainable House Day 2009 |
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by cormorant  (August 2009) (rank 204th) |
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On Sustainable House Day 2009 this property will be open from 10am - 2pm only.
Sustainable Living House
A typical ex-government house of concrete block construction, this home has been retrofitted to reduce water and electricity consumption and improve comfort. The building is positioned on the block along the east-west axis; a good original design feature which minimises solar access to the eastern and western walls. Additional shading has been provided using external cladding and adjustable shading on the western side. A patio on the southern side also protects the house in the middle of summer when the sun is setting in the south west. The roof has been painted white to further reduce heat gain during the summer and insulation has also been upgraded to help reduce heating and cooling costs.
Heating & Cooling
Cooling is provided by ceiling fans and ducted evaporative air-conditioning; relief air vents have been replaced with newer models which can be closed in winter to reduce heat loss. Heating is provided by a combustion stove using locally sourced wood.
Water Heating
A solar hot water system with electric boost has been installed with a one shot relay booster to improve booster use efficiency.
Solar Power Generation
A 1.98kW grid-connect solar power system is roof mounted generating approximately 3000kWh per annum.
Water Conservation
To reduce water use inside the house the toilet has been replaced with a model that has a 4-star Water Efficiency Label Scheme (WELS) rating. The showerhead, basin taps and kitchen taps have been upgraded to a 3-star WELS rating. Flow restrictors have also been fitted where necessary.
Water Harvesting
A Greyflow Diversion System has been installed diverting greywater from the laundry and bathroom; the greywater is pumped out to the garden and used with a subsurface irrigation system. A 5400L rainwater tank has been installed at the rear of the property to take advantage of an existing concrete slab; this tank has been fitted with leaf beater and first flush diverter and pumps water to the solar hot water system.
Garden
The front garden has been planted exclusively with native plants well adapted to the arid environment and features a swale to maximise benefit from rainfall events. A small vegetable patch and several fruit trees have also been planted to utilise greywater and provide some food for the householders reducing reliance on fresh produce imported from outside the region.
