A passive house gem in Glen Eira
At Solar Savers, we love being a part of the home owner’s journey to installing rooftop solar. No two houses or installations are the same, and sometimes we come across a special home and unique story that we’re excited to share.
Allan and his wife, Shizuko, recently built a new home in Glen Huntly. They have wanted to make the switch to solar for a long time, both for economic and environmental reasons, and they found the best time to do this was once they’d demolished their old home and rebuilt a new passive house with a Colorbond roof.
Allan came across Solar Savers when he was on the Glen Eira Council website for other reasons. He noted that many other Councils around the state were endorsing the Solar Savers program.
“I have heard and read about solar installation in many forums, that contractors’ performance can be excellent and can be abysmal, and the fact that there was council endorsement gave me confidence that price and results would be good.”
Allan went no further and entrusted Solar Savers with the installation of his 6.4kW system.
Whilst it is currently just Allan and Shizuko living in their new home, their plan is to accommodate lodgers in the near future, specifically Japanese exchange students attending the Australian Ballet School.
Being mindful of when and how energy is used in the home can allow homeowners to make the most of their solar. For Allan and Shizuko, they tend to go to bed early and rise early, so most of their energy use is during the day. They prepare all their meals at home making use of electric appliances such as the rice cooker, microwave and electric oven. While they still have a gas cooktop their plan is to change to induction down the track.
For heating, Allan opted for a hydronic system and although this is a gas system, the passive design of the house means it captures the winter sun, retains heat well and is still an economical option.
Allan’s solar installation is relatively new and he and Shizuko “look forward to reaping the benefits as time goes on”. Further to this, the couple hope to put some of their energies into advocacy, that is, “encouraging others to go solar, and when there is opportunity start talking about regional and local solar networks and batteries.”
We thank Allan for sharing his experience with us and being part of Glen Eira Council’s emissions reduction goals