Nulook Homes and Solar Dwellings from Western Australia has won the title of 2019 HIA Australian GreenSmart Custom Built Home – as announced on 10 September – for its classic suburban home that surpassed the GreenSmart standard.
This contemporary single-storey custom-built home displays exemplary energy-efficient, water-wise and sustainability principles.
The home achieved an impressive 8.9-star rating and has been built for universal access and the changing needs of the clients’ lifestyle.
The judges commented: ‘from the adjustable shading, passive solar design to the use of recycled building materials, there is a lot more to this project than meets the eye’.
The home has been designed to optimise airflow through its solar passive orientation, and where possible, bio-degradable and recyclable building products and materials were sourced locally.
The home’s solar energy production can be tracked and managed with a consumption meter that has been fitted into the home. This can be managed remotely on a tablet, smart phone or computer using the Solarweb website. The monitoring platform allows the homeowners to view the current power of the system, including the energy consumption of the home and solar panels, and the amount of power going to and from the gird (only 10 per cent of the homes power is taken off the grid).
In addition to adopting the GreenSmart build principles to build a greener, cleaner more efficient home, onsite methods were implemented to improve waste management processes and minimise excess.