After years of research and frustrating dead-ends trying to find a balance between affordability and passive solar design, our family finally found our answer in freely downloadable house plans from a government website. With a few extras added to get off the grid, the result is a home that is bill free, has great thermal performance year-round, is filled with natural light, and is self-sufficient in power, water, and waste management. The thermal mass walls are built from rammed earth.
The house is a passive solar design, which means it incorporates design elements such as orientation, window placement, and internal thermal mass to maximise the position of the sun to naturally heat and cool the house. It provides stable internal temperatures year-round and needs less mechanical heating or cooling.
It is based on the Banksia plan, which is available free from the Australian Government’s website Your Home. This site provides architecturally designed plans to help Australians build sustainable homes that are healthy, comfortable to live in, and cheap to run, no matter where you live.
I worked closely with builders and other tradespeople, researching the most cost-effective, energy-efficient, and practical solutions for the house – from heating and cooling options to flooring, and window materials. It achieves a Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating of 8.2 stars. The house is in the coastal region of South Gippsland, on Bunurong Country, and it averages around 18 – 24 degrees during winter without mechanical heating, making it very comfortable to live in.
Some additions to the plans took their home fully off the grid, including a 13.92kW solar system, 76.8kWh gel batteries, household water catchment and filtration, and a worm farm septic system to process black (toilet) and grey (laundry, kitchen, and bathrooms) and wastewater.
Overall, we managed a build with multiple tradespeople and incorporated passive solar design principles to create an affordable, sustainable, and comfortable home that is off the grid.
You can take a closer look at this energy-efficient home and hear from Richard via this YouTube video.
Things about our build that I can share with you:
The experiences and opinions shared on this site and by homeowners are general in nature. The information is relevant to their situation and available at the time of their build or renovation. Products, situations, and contexts change. Please talk to a qualified architect, builder, or industry professional for advice specific to your circumstances. A small % of booking fees goes to Lived In Eco Homes.
Lived In Eco Homes acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Country we work and build on. The founders live on Bunurong/Boon Wurrung Country.
