Description
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This sustainable house, built by a local builder and designed by the owners and architect Michael Ovens, is located on the Otago Peninsula. It was built in 2001, has a floor area of 140 m², cost approximately $165,000 and is occupied by two adults. It is clad with Hardibaker linings with stone veneer over. Water heating is by solar energy and wetback. The house is double glazed throughout. The house is not connected to the national grid and electricity is entirely generated by photovoltaic panels and a wind generator. Internal heating is underfloor by heat exchanger inside the hot water cylinder. Cooking is by bottled gas.
PV and wind energy - air x marine 400 watt turbine made by Southwest Windpower, USA. We had an earlier model and replaced it with a quieter one. PV series 8 x Siemens SP75 (75 watt). The technology cost was $20,775 (which includes installation, PV, batteries and inverter), and the owners estimate the resulting value in energy savings to be $800 per year (which is the adjusted total value).
Stone walls - 250 mm - 300 mm thick stone walls as outside cladding with air gap behind. This provides added mass and insulation through air gap. The stones are locally sourced. The technology was about $1,000 (cost excludes labour), and the owners estimate the resulting value in energy savings to be $200 per year.
Owner comments:
"Utilising this technology seems the obvious thing to do. We find that the house is warm, and the thermal mass also stores warmth from the wood burner in the evenings."
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