Brod Street is a policy officer with the Department of Sustainability and Environment in Hawthorn, Australia. He and his wife Vivienne Street are the proud owners of 7-star efficiency standard home in Hawthorn, which the couple and their son Alexander, renovated over six years ago to try and be as environmentally efficient as possible. Starting with a solar electric system, an alternative water source system and solar hot water installations in 2002, the family has been able to reduce their emissions by a staggering 3000 kgs and now is down to just 900 kgs a year.
The solar electricity system on the home’s roof features 18 panels which produce over 1.7kw electricity a year and meets over 75% of the home’s electricity needs. Rainwater harvesting meets most of the home’s water needs and the family uses collected and treated grey water for use in the toilet.
With a mammoth 9000 liters of storage to keep their water needs fulfilled, the family is saving up on water bills as well and if the tanks ever go dry the family uses mains water till it rains again. The initial setup cost the Streets a staggering 250,000 but the family feels that the investment was more than worth it and are even looking at ways to upgrade their energy efficiency even further now, the first of which was a topping up of the insulation in the house that will allow the family to save up even more on heating and electricity bills this winter.
Source: The Age
