Sustainable House Day

Thanks to Bryan Havenand and the Transitioners who have opened their homes each year, Sustainable House Day has been an inspiration for a whole range of people.

Here's how Bryan started ....

Having heard of Sustainable House Day (SHD) in 2007 I wanted to see if it was possible to give sustainable houses in the Lower Hunter a chance to show off their features and the owner’s ideas, along with the benefits of living in such houses.

 While it was too late for a 2007 showing, SHD has included Lower Hunter houses for the last three years. It has grown from three to five to eight houses over that time with visitor numbers to the houses growing from around 250 in 2008 to 800 in 2010. In 2010 we had houses from Brunkerville in the south to Elderslie up the valley, houses in both town and country.

Key sustainable features for such houses could include a mix of the following:

•         use of building materials that are less environmentally damaging than conventional materials

•         low use of energy for heating and cooling

•         minimal use of water through well-designed systems

•         recycling and reuse principles applied to both the construction and use of the house

 When people consider buying a house, almost always the only consideration (naturally) is the upfront cost. Little thought, if any, is given to running costs. With the cost of running a house climbing (especially electricity, regardless of who owns it) these issues should be given greater consideration.

 As options and technologies continue to improve, payback periods on any green investment continue to improve. The eventual imposition of a carbon price will significantly improve things for those homeowners wanting to make their house more environmentally friendly.

 Notwithstanding the technological solutions on offer, the behaviour of occupants in a house can significantly affect the costs of running a house. Turning lights outs when no one is in the room is a good start.

 While not everyone is in the position to build a new house or renovate an existing one, there are many who are. One of the strengths of SHD is that it provides an informal gathering point for those wanting advice from those who “have done it”. Often the advice is: “Don’t do what I have done”. This exchange of ideas is central to the idea of transitioning from one mindset to another.

 If you think you have something to offer for SHD, we'd love to hear from you.