Valentine 'Funky House' has a secret

In Valentine, an unassuming 1950’s cottage sits on the corner of two streets. The house is surrounded by lush greenery, a dragon fruit plant climbs the north facing wall, herbs sway merrily throughout the gardens, and a frog pond trickles quietly in a shaded oasis on the western side. From first glance, you may think this lovely home is simply a cottage owned by an avid gardener. The house, however, has a secret. It is one of the most energy efficient homes in Lake Macquarie, and features some incredibly smart and yet simple technology, all choreographed and installed by the energy savvy Gayle. And best of all, Gayle doesn’t have to pay an energy bill anymore. 

Gayle purchased her home four years ago, and quickly got to work in retrofitting its beautiful bones with energy efficient upgrades. Gayle is no stranger to energy efficient homes, with this being her third project to date.  

One of the first steps Gayle took in upgrading her home, was to draught proof all the doors and windows. She did this herself, ordering stick-on-draught proofing strips online, that were cut to size to fit her door frames. This simple first step ensures when heating or cooling her house less heat is lost through the cracks, saving her money on her power bill.  

Two large skylights in her loungeroom were next to go. Gayle removed these because they are not thermally efficient. Skylights allow heat to be easily transferred, and create gaps in the roofs insulation, making heating and cooling rooms more difficult. Gayle replaced the skylights with illume lights, a diffuser that clips onto the ceiling and is powered by a small cable attached to a solar panel on the roof. These panels look and act exactly like a skylight. You would never know the difference, except the roof is now intact with insulation, preventing heat exchange and loss. An excellent solution to lighting up a room without sacrificing thermal comfort.

Gayle then added a ‘Solar Wizz.’ A fan with a solar panel on top which sucks hot air out of the roof. The 28watt device is the equivalent of 30 whirly birds. “I came home around 2:30pm on a very hot day and was amazed to find that the inside of my house was 27 degrees, while the outside was 34 degrees, how good is that!” Gayle didn’t stop there. Blinds, curtains, and outdoors awnings shield the house from the sun on hot days, and multiple windows have been replaced with aluminium frame, double hung e-glass. Gayle says she can really notice the difference between her normal windows and the new e-glass windows that allow less heat to pass through.

Gayle also installed eco fans, a heat pump, induction cook tops, a split system air conditioner and extra insulation under the floors. Each sustainable improvement contributes to keeping Gayle’s electricity costs down, whilst creating a comfortable home all year round.

The crowning glory of the home is the 7.3kw solar PV system that sits atop the roof capturing the sunlight and channelling it into the Sonnen battery that helps store power for the evening. Gayle has been in credit on her power bills for a while now, generating enough electricity to run her home, and to trickle charge her electric car.

All of these efforts come together in the most simple, yet effective way, creating a home that doesn’t cost the earth in electricity bills. When speaking to Gayle about her home, and how others can make efficient changes to lower their bills, she encourages everyone to start with draught proofing.

“It’s so easy, and there’s plenty of videos on YouTube about it” Gayle says.

The key to an energy efficient home is starting simple and making smart changes as you can afford them. Some of Gayle’s top tips are:

• Draught proof your doors and windows.
• Choose more efficient appliances when you are ready to upgrade or replace your existing ones.
• Make the most of NSW’s energy rebates.
• If you already have solar, program your hot water system to heat up during the day when the sun can do it for you, rather than using electricity from the grid overnight.
• Invest in technologies that suit you and your home. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be efficient.