RETROFIT IN MANOORA
This house was built in 1974 by the Queensland Government for public housing. It is a great example of how retrofitting an existing house can create a much more sustainable and livable dwelling.
Steve and Alessia bought this 1970's house about 2 ½ years ago and have since retrofitted it to make it more sustainable and livable. They have a nearly two year old daughter who delights in eating produce grown in their own backyard. The recent installation of solar hot water and grid connected solar electricity has seen a 60-70% reduction in their electricity bills!
Retrofit House This house displays a variety of sustainable features including:
Water Harvesting
- 1 x 5000L above ground poly rainwater tank plumbed to the toilet and utilised for the garden.
Roof: Reflective insulation has recently been installed throughout the house. The existing roof is constructed of ceramic tiles.
Electricity Generation: This house has recently been fitted with a 1kW grid connected photovoltaic solar system. Owners can show a 60-70% reduction in power bills since the installation of this combined with the solar hot water system.
Cooling: The house is passively cooled with lots of windows and louvers providing cross ventilation. Windows are shaded with cane blinds and appropriate planting of trees.
Water Heating: Water is heated by a Conergy solar hot water system with a rooftop tank. The booster is manually switched off unless required.
Landscaping: The backyard of this house is a productive suburban food farm. It includes a compost for waste disposal, chooks, around 20 fruit trees including a banana circle and vegetable gardens.
(August 2009) (
