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Get the build inspected at each stage
In this blog I have repeatedly stated that you don’t need special materials or trades to…
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The best tool to assess comfort
The Centre for the Built Environment of University of California, Berkeley, has an excellent online tool…
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Black bulb sensor measures radiant heat
I recently added a black bulb wall temperature sensor to my passive solar house, in construction…
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Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels
Measurements of CO2 levels in our passive solar house have been very interesting. Outside air is…
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Energy efficient home design – grass roots versus top down
Over the last few years, as I have been building our house and writing the book,…
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Adapting to different temperatures
The most common way of assessing thermal comfort is to measure inside air temperature. If the…
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Some thermal camera images – December
Here are some thermal camera images taken inside our house in December, the first month of…
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How cool do you want to go overnight in summer?
One thing we’re discovering with our passive solar home in summer is that the overnight temperatures…
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Don’t touch interior surfaces to see how hot or cold they are!
You may be tempted to place a hand on an interior house surface to see if…
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Architect designed, energy efficient homes are very expensive
Since building our house, one thing I have become intrigued about is the cost of new…
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In Australia, Passivhaus is largely a giant scam
If you’re interested in energy efficient building in Australia, you are sure to have come across…
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For best value, use common materials and trades!
I am writing about southern Australia, but I imagine the same would apply in most locations.…
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Our house performance – December 2025
OK, the results for our passive solar house are available for December – the first month…
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Switching multiple amplifiers and speakers
It’s not an energy efficient home feature, but it’s one I am very pleased with in…
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Should you insulate under the slab?
When you use the concrete slab as the heat / cool storage mechanism in a passive…
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Western shade in summer but not winter
In homes in warm climates, western-facing glazing is a big problem in terms of heating the…
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Are windows getting smaller because of poor design?
New homes in Australia now need to meet 7-star energy rating. That’s actually pretty easy with…
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Should the toilet room be heated?
One of the interesting things about energy-efficient home design is the underlying heating/cooling philosophy – something…
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Northern windows and thermal mass
In a passive solar house design, window area and orientation are critical to performance. Pictured here…
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Doing weird stuff
One benefit of owner-building a new house is that you can do weird stuff without any…
Australian Passive Solar Home 