Canberra's eco-friendly homes open their doors for Sustainable House Day

Canberra’s frosty winters and sweltering summers can run up the power bills, but the city’s clear crisp days provide an ideal setting for solar passive design.

“Blue House” in Coombs is the perfect example. It’s one of 13 properties in the Canberra region that will open its doors on Sunday for Sustainable House Day.

Owners Luke and Shelley Dickerson and their children Jesse, 4, and Charlie, 5, have not used their heating all winter. The home’s north-facing aspect, combined with double glazing and a concrete slab for thermal mass maintains a comfortable temperature all year round.

Ms Dickerson said she’s surprised smaller, eco-friendly homes haven’t become the norm in Canberra.

“It’s one of those rare places in the world where you have consistently clear skies even on the coldest of days,” Ms Dickerson said.

“We have this opportunity in Canberra. It’s one of the best cities to harness good solar passive design.”

The home, designed by the couple’s own company Bespoke Building Services, has incorporated other sustainable features and has an eight-star energy rating.

• Related: ACT Architecture Awards – sustainable homes
• Related: Canberra’s first hemp house under construction
• Related: Solar houses showcased across Canberra

Solar panels, a water harvesting system and recycled materials have all been put to good use.

“We used a beautiful salvaged ash floor that came out of a church hall in Moss Vale,” Ms Dickerson says.

“It had a life before it was here. It brings the home alive and makes it feel charming and warm and cosy. New houses can sometimes miss that.”

Sustainable House Day is run Alternative Technology Association and chief executive Donna Luckman said it will give others the opportunity to learn from these clever designs.

“Saving money on bills and being energy independent is a real concern for many households in today’s world, and this has been a key driver for many of the homeowners opening their homes this year,” Ms Luckman said.

“There will be a great range of houses opening – new builds, renos, homes that have seen gradual changes over a period of time.”

Ms Luckman said there were three key things any homeowner could do to make their home more sustainable: sealing any gaps in the walls and windows, installing solar panels and making sure the walls, floors and ceilings are well insulated.

See more: sustainablehouseday.com