Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry The Honourable Richard Marles MP launched Australia’s first zero-emissions home today at Laurimar in Melbourne’s north east, setting a precedent for sustainable living in Australia.
The AusZEH demonstration home will set a precedent for sustainable living and building practice in Australia and is expected to use up to 70 per cent less energy than a traditional home of similar size.
Designed and constructed by leading Australian builder Henley Property Group in consultation with CSIRO, Delfin Lend Lease and Sustainability Victoria, the home will be able to produce enough ‘zero-emission’ renewable energy on-site to supply all the operating energy needs of the household so its net total CO2 or other greenhouse gas emissions is zero.
Zero emissions is achieved through a combination of energy efficiency and demand reduction measures, on-site renewable energy supply and the application of a home energy management system, and not through any carbon offset programs.
The home’s performance will be evaluated against other homes within Laurimar to gauge the success of the project and help identify key areas for further improvement.
Delfin Lend Lease chief executive officer Toni Milis said the project proved zero-emission housing could be affordable and designed for ordinary families today and for tomorrow’s generation.
“Delfin Lend Lease has a national commitment to being sustainable, so we’re proud to have been involved in the development of the zero-emission house, the first of its kind in Australia,” Ms Milis said.
“Families right across our 25 communities are telling us they want to be green and they want to reduce their carbon footprint, but they want it to be affordable.
“The home will now be open as a display home and we will search for a family to occupy the home for six months while CSIRO monitors the home’s emissions.
“By investing in a scientific trial, we are making sure that zero-emission housing is a reality for all Australians and that it’s designed and delivered in the best possible and most affordable way, so it can be rolled out across Australia
“We congratulate CSIRO, Sustainability Victoria and Henley Property Group for their efforts in reducing emissions.”
The project is part of the CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship’s Low Emission Distributed Energy research program, which focuses on developing low-emission technologies and solutions for a quick response to climate change.
