Eco-Action held the first Sustainable House Bus Tour on Kangaroo Island on September 13, the national day for such events. A highly successful day for about 40 people who visited four houses, each showing different aspects of sustainability.
The tour began in Kingscote with a house retrofitted to grid connect electricity. The owners outlined the process which they found very straight forward, the costs and the savings. Although the system will take a number of years to pay off, they found that the rebate and the price of excess power fed back to the grid made it economically feasible.
The next stops were near Pelican Lagoon for two north facing houses on remote area power systems – both with solar power and generator back up, and one with wind power as an additional backup. Passive solar, cross ventilation, ceiling fans and slow combustion heater were features of both. Water heating is through solar and instant gas. At one house, the practical aspects of sustainability were highlighted, such as waffle pod concrete floors, siting of windows, use of plantation timber, and careful choice of appliances.
At the other, sustainable living was highlighted: the importance of a welcoming, warm home to share with others and to celebrate the combined skills of the architect and tradespeople.
The fourth stop at Penneshaw was a straw baled house, sited to maximise passive solar, and to minimise their environmental footprint, particularly using recycled materials where possible. The house works far better than the owners expected: their electricity and gas bills are minimal. Outlining the process of building, they mentioned how much they had learnt about sustainable living and found simple ways to achieve it.
There were a number of common themes.
• Siting of the house and its relationship to the land.
• The importance of architects and seeking professional advice.
• Compromise was inevitable through difficulty and expense.
The final stop was at Sunset Winery for wine and cheese and a talk and lively discussion about recycling led by Kathie Stove, about what could be included in kerbside and what could go to the Kingscote recycle centres.
It was an enthusiastic and sociable day with people sharing ideas, handy hints and promising to trade plant cuttings. Apart from it being an informative, thought provoking day, it was also a wonderful way to meet new people and old friends.
Thanks go to Pip Masters, Bec Mussared and Robyn Molsher for their organization, to Ron Swan and Tony Hoff for driving the buses, to Dave and Lynda Dowie, Bob and Joan Huxtable, Bob and Jennie Teasdale and Pat Goodwin and Les Montagees for opening their homes and sharing their experiences and Kathie Stove for her talk on recycling.
For any further information about sustainable houses, please contact Pip Masters on 85532135 ah. or email southgate@kin.net.au.
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