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| Greensmart village |
| This new concept in housing sounds too good to be true. |
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With a wiring system that allows you to have several Internet lines open simultaneously, a TV that lets you shop online, solar heating that controls air temperature year round and an economical waste reduction system, all at a very affordable price, the GreenSmart Village sounds too good to be true. Rebecca tells us more about it.
The Homeworld Exhibition Centre in Kellyville will be displaying a new type of home, called the PATHE GreenSmart home. PATHE stands for Partnership Advancing the Housing Environment. The aim is to create houses that are up to date with modern technology, and help save the environment.
To cope with our Internet, television cable, fax, and other communication needs, PATHE homes provide 'smart wiring'. This system uses less electricity than normal homes, as the lighting and garden irrigation are sensor. You program the irrigation to come on and off via the Internet, and it is claimed the sensors "know" when the ground needs water and automatically adjust.
To help conserve energy and the environment, several methods have been implemented. One is the Solar Passive Design. This is used to control heating and cooling in the home all year round, so you won't need an air-conditioner or artificial heating.
The other ways the home conserves energy can be divided into two groups — passive and mechanical.
PASSIVE:- You can allocate rooms inside the house as needing less solar access, while pergolas installed with a deciduous vine help to cut down the summer sun.
- The houses use eaves in summer to block out the sun. The eaves are removed in winter to help warm up the house.
- Open doors and windows create a free flow of air, ventilating the house.
- They also employ thermal massing, which means materials such as concrete slabs with tiles surfaces are used instead of carpet. This helps to store heat in winter and keep the house cool in summer. These are also much healthier for asthma sufferers.
MECHANICAL:- Insulation in ceilings and walls of varying grades helps control temperatures.
- Hot water systems are fuelled by solar power and gas, both of which consume less power and give off less greenhouse gases.
WATER-SAVING INITIATIVES
The Botanical Gardens helped design a water-efficient system, that uses native turf and low-water-using plants such as acacias, banksia and grevilleas. Mulches, compost bins and worm farms are also featured.
Gravel driveways are also being created as they absorb the water to avoid run-off and are also a good place to wash the car.
Rainwater tanks will supply water for the garden, whilst inside, water-saving showerheads, taps, dual flush toilet and AAA-rated water appliances to bring down the bill and to help save our precious environment.
And as if the houses don't sound perfect enough already, the profits gained from them will be donated to the Wesley Mission for Disability Services — who provide respite care to families with a disabled child, and help to reduce the rate of divorce in those families.
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More Info
PATHE GreenSmart Village will be on display at the Home World Centre in Kellyville, Cnr Samantha Riley Drive and Gainsford Drive Kellyville around November 2000 to August 2001
Or call:
Wayne Gersbach
Housing Industry Association
on 02 8878 0404
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Disclaimer
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