Where do I start? It all started with a viewing at my workplace of "An Inconvenient Truth" in which former U.S. presidential candidate Al Gore describes the growing risk of climate crisis. That was back in September 2006.
What a day! After the movie, a wave of emotion came over me (more like guilt for sins past), and as my office building was some 5 Km from the cinema, I chose to walk and think long and hard about what actions I could take. There was no way I was going to place more carbon into the atmosphere after knowing what I now knew.
I remember getting back to the office after the 1 hour 40 minute walk, with throbbing blisters on my feet. I forgot that I was wearing a new pair of leather shoes, therefore the blisters! I don't believe that I did any work all afternoon, I just wanted to know more, and what action I could take.
After driving home, I tried to explain my feelings to my family, but no-one understood what I was going on about. There was not a single person that knew what the ramifications were of the human race warming the planet above the historical high of 280 ppm of Carbon Dioxide. I went to bed, tired, confused, but determined to do something, but still not really knowing what.
Eventually they all came around to my way of thinking after I demonstrated the benefits of a more sustainable lifestyle. Since that time we have retrofitted our 70's house with many sustainable features. We use on average over a year 4Kwh a day from the grid due to the Solar PV system. We are energy efficient whereever we can be and in the first year reduced our energy consumption by 52% without the solar panels. I also write a blog called "The Greening of Gavin", where you can see more features of our home and the sorts of things we grow and make.. We retrofitted our brick vener home between 2006-2010. It was built in the 70's on a 779sqm suburban block. Here are a few features listed by category:
House: All rooms can be segregated to control temperature. All rooms have energy efficient lighting installed. We actually have doors, unlike most modern open plan homes
Water harvesting: 3000 litres in an above ground slim line tank, with 600L of water butts interconnected to water organic edible gardens. Connected to a low pressure drip irrigation system that is gravity fed. Swimming pool used as water storage backup and overflow from tanks.
Garden features: Front yard landscaped into a water wise garden with no lawn. Also contains 10 fruit trees on dwarf root stock (2 years old). The west side of the property contains an edible garden and greenhouse where main organic crops are grown, and also contains 6 fruit trees in pots. It also has a worm farm and 3 compost bins. The pool area contains 4 citrus trees in pots. East side of property has two x 5 metre veggie patches and a chicken run with 8 wonderful chickens. Here is a video I took of them.
Kitchen: We recently renovated contains energy efficient appliances (cooker, fridge, dishwasher). All waste from old kitchen reused or recycled with many items given away on Freecycle. Painted with Low VOC paints, most timber sustainably harvested or made from eco-wood. Taps are fitted with aerators to slow water flow.
Solar Power: 2.8kW Grid tied Solar PV. We purchase GreenPower for remaining power utilised from the grid. Here is a video of my solar system.
Water heating; We have installed a Solar pre-heat retrofit hot water service with natural gas storage as backup. Windows There are external canvas awnings on all north facing windows.
Insulation: Paper pulp insulation. This is next on my to do list to beef up the R rating.
Heating & Cooling: All rooms have ceiling fans (55w) for cooling and heat distribution. Home heated in winter by natural gas wall heaters in two main rooms. Heating rarely on in winter due to active management of home (closing blinds after sunset). Cooling via 1 small 700w air-conditioner used on days over 35°C
Pool: Pool pump is energy efficient (600w), and only on 1 hr in winter, 5 hrs in summer. Pool equipped with pool blanket to reduce evaporation and stop heat loss.
Please visit our home if you have time. >
(September 2010) (
