Ideas for eco-friendly houses

[lizzie]

Wow

Looks like it might really possibly happen this year.

After years and years and years dreaming of building my own home (instead of renovating other's muck-ups) if things go well this week, there is a real possibility we will be building (if I can convience hubby).

I am wanting to build something as modern looking, but eco friendly, as possible.

So my search is starting ... and I am open for suggestions. Here is an idea of the style of home I would like to build, albeit a bit smaller and less pretentious - and on 20 acres instead of 100:

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-other-nsw-luskintyre-7352436

The property will be slightly inland, in the Hunter Valley, so subject to hot summers and cold winters (average down to 0 - up to mid 30's) so heating and cooling are major factors, that can be very energy sucking if not done correctly.

Asides for the dozens of solar panels - solar hot water - thinking polished concrete slab with the solar heated water pipes running thru it for winter, along with the lovely crackly combustion fireplace ... and ground source cooling for winter. Not sure if to run concurrent pipes in the slab for the cooling, or to go the "heat" pump method more like ducted air.

Obviously - wide overhang eaves, super well insulated, thermal glass, massive cross ventilation, north facing (garage/laundry etc west).

But I am open for other suggestions - building materials - new innovations.

I am trying to not to get excited ...

 

[lizzie]

Other obvious things ...

-Hot water service inside, so not subject to winter outdoors
-Energy efficient lighting
-Energy efficient showers/taps etc
-White roof
-Water effcient garden (except for the veges, herbs and orchard!) ... hmm ... grey water ... of course.

Liking this site:

http://www.completehome.com.au/Green_Home

 

[kathryn d]

geothermal energy.
take the heat from the ground in the winter, and cool from it in the summer.It's 15c all year round.I guess.
Rob knows so much more about it, than I.
If we were building a new property, that is what we would do.
They run water pipes underground (it just circulates, doesn't constantly use more water)

Composting toilet..we had one at a housesit..interesting.

 

[lizzie]

geothermal energy.
take the heat from the ground in the winter, and cool from it in the summer.It's 15c all year round.I guess.
Rob knows so much more about it, than I.
If we were building a new property, that is what we would do.
They run water pipes underground (it just circulates, doesn't constantly use more water)

Composting toilet..we had one at a housesit..interesting.

exactly what I was looking at for the cooling ... not really enough for heating at 15c so that's where the solar thermal heating would come in. Same process but pipes run up to the roof for heating the water.

Both systems need no water top up. Solar heating requires no pump - although geothermal cooling needs a small one.

 

[kathryn d]

exactly what I was looking at for the cooling ... not really enough for heating at 15c so that's where the solar thermal heating would come in. Same process but pipes run up to the roof for heating the water.

Both systems need no water top up. Solar heating requires no pump - although geothermal cooling needs a small one.

It's starting to become popular in Canada.One of our apt building is heated thru hot water heating. We are trying to get someone to give us a quote on drilling a well and installing the ground pipe for this. It would pay for itself in a few years...when we already spend $15-$20k a year on heat there now, using oil.

Also came across this http://survivalplus.com/foods/THE-FANTASTIC-FLY.htm

a couple weeks back. It feeds your chickens, uses waste, and produces methane gas for energy. Not sure how efficient you want to be..but I did get a chuckle from it.

 

[akiwinut]

Check out http://www.yourhome.gov.au/

 

[Aaron_C]

Geothermal heating (particularly in-slab) sounds like a good idea - and it is suitable for the prolonged cold winters in Canada and Europe. It takes many, many hours for the slab to heat up to the proper temperature. Thus, it is not so suitable for the Australian climate because our days are simply not as cold as in the Northern hemisphere.

Other suggestions for eco-friendly house-building could include simple things like eaves, metal sliders for privacy/sun blocking, double glazed windows. Those are the ones from the top of my head but I am sure someone will suggest more.

 

[kathryn d]

Geothermal heating (particularly in-slab) sounds like a good idea - and it is suitable for the prolonged cold winters in Canada and Europe. It takes many, many hours for the slab to heat up to the proper temperature. Thus, it is not so suitable for the Australian climate because our days are simply not as cold as in the Northern hemisphere.

The type we would use, would be used with our current boiler. It heats up the water even further, and then circulates throughout the building via hotwater baseboard heaters.

What you mention, is infloor heating..which is nice too.

 

[laurieload]

There is also information at www.inhabitat.com

Friends of mine built a totally sustainable house in the adelaide hills 5 years ago - all self sustained by solar panels and rainwater tanks, reticulated water clean filtered through grassland down to veggie patch that keeps them in food all year; they also have alpacas and chooks, and their waste goes to their olive and fruit tree grove, etc. Not a single electricity or water bill and hardly anything on food!

I think they originally read lots of books from Europe and then got in a consultant to help when building. Now they have a company that makes money recycling green waste from restaurants.

 

[kathryn d]

If everyone was able to become self sufficient, the government would tax the sunshine, wind, water that lands on your property.

They are already doing the water in some areas.

I'd love to be self sufficient, but it would probably be a lot of work.
I'm lazy.

 

[laurieload]

he he..yes this is true.

My friends are avid gardeners and are into trying new science based green technologies - think they even got students from the local uni involved in perfecting their setup which is labour for free. But its true, they do prefer working more in their garden and less working real jobs. But I think some of the infrastructure they had set up at the start does takes care of itself (eg grass filtered grey water with trickle pump to garden.)

Actually they were forced to go this route because the guy next door was a state level pollie - and wouldn't allow them to run services through his extensive property or even connect up to the elect pole on his land!

 

[knightm]

one thing to remember for sustainability is size.

We all want a bigger house but remember that has flow on effects for all your heating and cooling systems. Keep the size down it will reduce the size and cost of those systems.

(but you may want a mighty big home which is fine too )

 

[knightm]

and site positioning is key too.

Eg if you have land with a natural north facing amphitheatre and can build below the ridgeline then you will cut out the cold southerlys in winter and maximise the winter sun niceness. Depending on how far from coast you are you might not get NE sea breazes but these chanel nicely up the north facing hills for cooling in my area. Its a good combo if you can choose the block or the site location on the block.

Otherwise consider what and where you will plant around the house for seasonal shade and wind blocking

 

[Lou300]

Sanctuary

get your hands on Sanctuary magazine. its an Aussie mag from the Alternative (?) Technology Association (ATA). Its designed for the upper end market of homes and shows some great homes which are very sustainable without looking like a hippie's caravan. they give you tips on who they built with, who their suppliers were, how much it cost etc. Some of the homes featured have been on the Australian version of Grand Designs.

I think you can buy back issues of this mag too.

 

[lizzie]

Well - that put paid to the geothermal aircon cooling idea!

The cost is so expensive, I could install 20 solar panels and solar hot water for the same price - with government rebates - so better off installing the panels and producing electricity 365 days a year, and producing my own hot water, than saving electricity on cooling the house for only (say) 50 days.

Pity as geothermal cooling and heating is such a great idea - but it can be retrofitted, so may just have to wait until the costs come down.

 

[kathryn d]

Well - that put paid to the geothermal aircon cooling idea!

The cost is so expensive, I could install 20 solar panels and solar hot water for the same price - with government rebates - so better off installing the panels and producing electricity 365 days a year, and producing my own hot water, than saving electricity on cooling the house for only (say) 50 days.

Pity as geothermal cooling and heating is such a great idea - but it can be retrofitted, so may just have to wait until the costs come down.

Curious as to how much they quoted you for the geothermal?
We are considering putting it in an apt building of ours.
Haven't had a quote yet, but expect it be $20-$30k

 

[mattnz]

Have a look at these guys http://www.insulliving.com.au/insulliving/home.php

Were recently on Today Tonight. Say they take 2 months less to build, 8 star rating and cheaper to build than a normal home.

 

[Rolf Latham]

Light recycling can help a little with the energy use

ta

rolf

 

[lizzie]

Curious as to how much they quoted you for the geothermal?
We are considering putting it in an apt building of ours.
Haven't had a quote yet, but expect it be $20-$30k

$35,000 for a 200m2 home.

We don't use much electricity anyhow - our bills are usually only around high $400's, and that includes a pool and electric hot water, whereas many friends are up near $1,000.

I don't know how they get their bills so high - so perhaps solar hot water and solar panels will suffice us ... combined with thermal windows, combustion fire for winter, wide eaves and high rating insulation.

Should I insulate the internal walls as well?

 

[kathryn d]

$35,000 for a 200m2 home.

We don't use much electricity anyhow - our bills are usually only around high $400's, and that includes a pool and electric hot water, whereas many friends are up near $1,000.

I don't know how they get their bills so high - so perhaps solar hot water and solar panels will suffice us ... combined with thermal windows, combustion fire for winter, wide eaves and high rating insulation.

Should I insulate the internal walls as well?

I don't know.
Rob is more knowledgeable about this than I. I will get him to reply to you a bit later.
He also wondered what was actually included in the quote.
When I mention this thread to him an hour ago, and he wanted to let you know, it will also provide heat (if that is also a concern, not just cooling)

We want to drop our heating bills (currently about $15-17k a year)
and hope to halve them ...if we go ahead.

If you decide on solar hot water, consider the ones that look like glass thermos interiors. Very effecient. We saw them at a home show last year in Kilcoy,Qld. They are basically the same price as the other models.