Australian Passive Solar Home

I’ve been asked why I keep posting data from my passive solar house. The questions go along the lines of this: “Lots of energy efficient houses keep the internal temperature within acceptable limits – it’s nothing special. So why trumpet your house?”

Fair enough! So here’s the key point.

This house uses completely conventional construction and cost basically no more than any other bog-stock Australian house being built to current regulations.

Other houses that you see being posted as being energy efficient almost always use unique and expensive construction. And it’s really easy to build an expensive house that is energy efficient – nothing could be simpler! Use lots of insulation, costly windows and external doors, a mechanical ventilation system and special construction techniques. Job done.

And I must also point out that what I am doing with my home is nothing new – it just seems to have been forgotten. Effective passive solar house designs have been constructed for 50+ years. In fact, not one single aspect of my home design is unique – every single passive solar design feature has been done before.

Is it perfect? No.

Will it need some mechanical heating and cooling? Yes, a bit.

Does the approach suit everyone in southern Australia? No, but probably most of them.

Why do people pay so much for their energy efficient houses, then? I am not sure, but my guess is that those who benefit from consulting fees are a large part of the problem. Making things mysterious and complex is always a good earner!