Sustainable House Day - Footprint Garden Farm and Brick Veneer electrified and retrofitted home – Willunga

Footprint Garden Farm and Brick Veneer electrified and retrofitted home – Willunga 

Join us at Willunga Environment Centre for an overview and talk about the properties and then take a short walk or drive to visit both of these amazing properties.

Footprint Garden Farm - “Electrify Everything” may be the latest catchphrase, but we can demonstrate that we planned and were able to achieve it with a minimum of fuss; using an EV, all-electric garden tools, and now even an excellent electric BBQ which completes the picture! A smaller footprint constraint meant using a ‘loft style’ house plan, minimising waste space. We incorporated higher-than-average insulation with a low-cost self-designed wall, sub-wall and roof system; plus, high thermal mass, including a virtual ‘earth-coupled’ slab. 
Our plan for ageing gracefully here includes low-maintenance cladding and top-quality fittings. 
We can demonstrate how simple actions like changing the HW heat pump timer and running appliances (including ‘pre-conditioning’) while the sun is shining, help sustainable living. 

Willunga Brick veneer electrified and retrofitted home - This project home, built in the 1970s, was typical of the era with no wall insulation and minimal in the roof. However we did rotate the design so the living areas faced north, and with abundant north glazing and an outdoor living area shaded by a deciduous vine, plus no west facing glass the house was ok. In the 1990s improvements were started, solar hot water, a pale roof repaint and plastic film ‘double glazing’ applied to some south facing windows. The next decade saw PV panels on the roof, blow in insulation installed in walls and roof, rainwater storage and circulation and an air-cond for heating. The 2010s included double glazing the extensive north facing glass, increasing PV to 4KW, painting the dark brick a pale heat reflecting colour. In this decade we have added an EV and upgraded power to 10KW PV and a storage battery. Electric mower, BBQ and bikes continue the story.