Information below about the Sustainable House Day. Visit their website for more information.

The national Sustainable House Day event aims to demonstrate how good design can virtually eliminate the need for heating and cooling and thus save money and the environment. It’s a great opportunity to see houses utilising rather than exploiting nature’s natural energies and to talk to homeowners, architects and designers who have created sustainable living environments, often on modest budgets.

Formerly known as Solar House Day, the name change reflects the fact that most participating houses also include water saving design features. The new and renovated homes on show all have examples of passive solar design and many also feature active solar measures such as solar hot water and solar electricity.

The 5 key issues in passive solar design are:
* orientating the house correctly
* gauging the appropriate levels of insulation
* correct glazing with appropriate shading
* correct use of thermal mass, and
* natural ventilation

After space heating and cooling, water heating is usually the single largest ongoing use of energy. Electric hot water systems are the most inefficient of any option.

The event has been organised for the past six years by the Australian & New Zealand Sustainable Energy Society. The chair of ANZSES, Arthur Zawadski says that if more Australians adopted sustainable practices, our power demands could be met within existing resources and there would be no need for talk of nuclear power alternatives. Sustainable House day is all about encouraging and
empowering people to act locally, namely at home. The need to address the issue increases daily.

The Australia-wide list of houses will be available online at www.sustainablehouseday.com or contact the National Coordinator Julien Lacave on 02 9282 6944, julien[at]anzses.org