Sustainable Homes Projects - Any Experience?

Hi Jacob,

You might try checking 'Sustainability Street' on http://www.voxbandicoot.com.au/. It has had some great success and is expanding here and in other countries. Very people oriented and includes fun with learning, a very good combo as I am sure you would know.

Kind regards,
Paul Payten

GEENI - Global Ecology & Educational Networking Interface
Associate of EcoSTEPS Pty Ltd
Sustainability Partner
www.ecosteps.com.au

Hi Jacob

You may wish to review Queensland (Australia) "Sustainable Homes" program at: www.sustainable-homes.org.au The program focuses on sustainable housing design, taking an integrated triple bottom line approach (not just eco-efficiencies (water, energy & waste), but also economic cost-efficiencies & social dimensions (level thresholds to showers etc) for an ageing population). Each home is reviewed by program partners from a range of disciplines to enhance their design (thus reducing the chance of missing a sustainable design feature & subsequent visitor criticism). There will be up to 30 public display homes design & constructed appropriately for their climate & local circumstances around the state. Each of the program's local projects will demonstrate that sustainable design looks contemporary & performs better over the long-term. We are influencing industry & consumer behaviour for greater uptake of sustainable design (both new homes & renovations/retrofits). NB the program does not conduct specific work for householder behaviour once it's occupied (that is another program), but obviously there is a link between design and operational behaviour. The Queensland EPA also runs a portal for advice on 'ClimateSmart Living" at: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/sustainability/climat esmart_living/ It supplies practical information for sustainable housing & urban development for councils, industry & consumers.

Regards
Steve Storer
Queensland EPA

Hi Jacob,

You will find a lot of information about sustainability in the home with respect to energy use, waste reduction and recycling at our web site: www.sustainability.vic.gov.au Go to the section on our programs and then see the sections on rebates for energy products such as solar hot water systems and photovoltaic systems and high efficiency gas heaters, our Waste Wise program and out Energy Task Force which is improving the energy and water efficiency of houses of disadvantaged people in our communities by retrofitting them with low flow shower heads, ceiling insulation, compact fluorescent lamps, etc. Other programs include Byteback for recycling electronic equipment, Paintback for recycling old paint, Detox Your Home for collection of old chemicals, medicines, etc, Good luck with your program.

Cheers
John

John Osborne 
Renewables,
Sustainability Victoria
T: 03 8626 8783
F: 03 9663 1007
Level 28, Urban Workshop,
50 Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne 3000 
www.sustainability.vic.gov.au

Hello,

My name is Jeff Culp, and I run the Super E House Program in Canada. Super E is based on the Canadian energy-efficient housing program R-2000, which was created in about 1980. R-2000 was exclusively a Canadian program, while Super E has taken the idea to export markets in Japan, the UK, Ireland, Iceland, China and, most recently Korea. In a nutshell, it is a voluntary set of building standards which reduces the air leakage in the building envelope, increases the insulation, and adds continuous, whole-house mechanical ventilation. The system is verified by a series of tests including design evaluation, air tightness testing, and ventilation commissioning. Each home is given a serial number and, once the tests are verified, a certificate of recognition from the Government of Canada. Super E reduces energy consumption anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent over local codes. There have been approximately 10,000 registered R-2000 homes constructed in Canada. But more to the point, the lessons learned in energy efficiency and healthy housing in the course of delivering these excellent houses has changed the Canadian National Building Code. Super E has been somewhat less successful, enjoying its greatest success in the UK, where close to 1,000 homes have been built or have been contracted. In taking the Canadian approach to other countries, we have been met with many misconceptions about what makes a home energy efficient. We have seen great effort in alternative and renewable fuels technology, passive solar and ventilation and goethermal heat pumps and many other approaches. The secret is very boring. Make the house air tight and ventilate it. I like to tell people that if you have a leaky bucket that you want to keep filled with water, you have two choices: keep putting water into it, or plug the holes. Super E/R-2000 plugs the holes. I would be very interested in hearing more details of what you propose to do. Are you, for example, suggesting energy retrofits (i.e. making existing homes more sustainable)? This, again has been attempted by the Government of Canada using something called the EnerGuide for Houses. Information on this program can be found at the web site of Natural Resources Canada, which also is the license holder for both the R-2000 and Super E House Programs. www.nrcan.gc.ca Links to Super E and R-2000 should be found there as well. In terms of water efficiency, Canada has also done quite a bit of work. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca) has done considerable research on off-grid housing. Our northern communities have great problems with water, since you can't pipe it in, or take away sewage (the pipes freeze, so you have to bring it in - and take it away - by truck). For this reason, much experimentation in on-site water treatment, and water recycling has been done. Every time you talk about water recycling, the local health authorities have a spasm (witness the latest debate your Australian neighbours are having about this), but it can be done safely. The Toronto Healthy House was completed some time ago, and does this very effectively using the Waterloo Biofilter and a variety of sand filters. Although the treated waste water was as safe (or safer) than service water, local health authorities would not allow the recycled water to be mixed with potable water coming from the municipal mains. As a result, the water is used only for washing, flushing toilets, and watering the back lawn. Both the Toronto Healthy House and Waterloo Biofilter are searchable on the Internet. In terms of behaviours that are easiest to change, the approach we have taken is to assume people will not change their behaviours. This is despite surveys we have done showing that if you offer people the opportunity to recycle, reduce energy use, whatever, they will tend to do this, provided it is easy enough. This could mean something as simple as designated a space for recycled household materials, or a space for bicycle storage. Our greatest challenge has been the amount of education required to inform consumers of the difference between our housing and regular housing. I am often in the UK doing public speaking, media appearances, etc. We do not have an advertising budget to get the message across and, as I've said earlier, the message is kind of boring compared to PV panels and fuel cells, so it doesn't get the kind of media coverage it should. We spend most of our time educating builders, hoping they will use their normal promotional budgets to promote to consumers. Thus far, we have met with less than stellar success.

Hi Jacob,

You should also have a look at the Australian Conservation Foundation's Green Home program: http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=86

Cecilia Kemp

Residential Energy Liaison Officer
Manly Council
P: (02) 9976 1665
F: (02) 9976 1400

Hi Jacob (and all)

Check out the Your Home Technical Manual produced by the Australian Greenhouse Office.

www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome
www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/index.htm

Cheers,
Sharon

PS: Sustainable homes are an essential part of sustainable cities, but we must always be mindful of how these individual bits fit in to the larger city structure ie. it is good to have energy efficient homes, but does the city structure itself create huge energy and other resource demands?

www.urbanecology.org.au/ecocity2/transforminglanduses.html
www.ecocitybuilders.org

Hi Jacob

The Lincoln Envirotown Trust and one of our aims is the same as yours!! Look at our web site for info about what we are doing. (www.lincolnenvirotown.org.nz) We are starting to work with Selwyn District Council, Landcare research, Lincoln University and local developers on a number of sustainability issues. We are working on getting out a leaflet for people, especially those who are building. We are hoping to get a sustainable show home built soon.

best wishes
Sue

Dr Sue Jarvis
Chair
Lincoln Envirotown Trust