Sustainable Display Home - Nowra

Shoalhaven City Council has worked collaboratively with the local business community to build a display home to showcase 'sustainable' building and design concepts.  Over 60 local and national businesses and a number of schools have been involved in this extensive project.  The project has a 'one-stop-shop' for residential rebates and demonstrates into-the-grid solar power, use of recycled materials, solar hot water, grey water treatment and reuse, high thermal value masonry, a permaculture garden, fauna friendly fruit tree caging and effective passive solar design. It is open 5 days a week and entry is free. Council worked with local schools to develop interpretive material for the house which explains the ways the house saves water and energy and waste products.  This information also suggests ways that visitors can lessen their energy and water usage and reduce their waste products. This project provides the opportunity for the community to learn about sustainable building and design options, and gain ideas for retrofitting their own homes.  It also demonstrates the lifecycle cost benefits of choosing low energy and water use appliances.  It shows the benefits of solar passive design and good ventilation. 

 

This project actively engaged with local businesses, the educational sector and the broader community.  It offers a live example of ways to lower our household energy and water usage.  It demonstrates ways to manage organic waste material and illustrates all the different rebate opportunities available to help lower your ecological footprint.  It also has a demonstration of a 'fauna friendly' fruit tree cage - to encourage people to build proper structures instead of throwing netting over trees that often entraps wildlife.  It's too early to fully evaluate the project, however visitation rates and media interest indicate that it has been a very successful project.  Visitors to the house are surveyed about their knowledge of government residential rebates in order to provide quantitative information on increased awareness.  A series of different forums will be run from the house to encourage different sectors of the community to visit.  Demonstrating greener options is a key step in awareness raising which we hope will lead to behavioural changes across the community.  We anticipate that it will encourage people to ask more questions about the building products they buy and hopefully make more informed choices. 

You can visit the house online at www.soshouseproject.com.au