The Cape home owner Ned Fitzpatrick: "We’re trying to leave the world a little better for our kids." Photos: Alastair Brook
A NINE-STAR prefabricated home delivered to Cape Paterson on an electric truck is being promoted as a model for low-carbon housing in Australia.
The three-bedroom modular home was built in a factory in the Yarra Valley, trucked more than 160 kilometres to The Cape and installed within days.
Owners Ned and Sarah Kilpatrick say they wanted an energy-efficient “forever home” that would be cheaper to run and more resilient in the future.
The three-bedroom modular home was built in a factory in the Yarra Valley, trucked more than 160 kilometres to The Cape and installed within days.
Owners Ned and Sarah Kilpatrick say they wanted an energy-efficient “forever home” that would be cheaper to run and more resilient in the future.
“We’re trying to leave the world a little better for our kids, and this felt like a practical way to do that,” Mr Kilpatrick said.
The house was built by MillBuilt and designed to achieve a nine-star energy rating using passive solar principles. The company says the factory-built approach reduces waste, shortens construction time and improves quality control.
The house was built by MillBuilt and designed to achieve a nine-star energy rating using passive solar principles. The company says the factory-built approach reduces waste, shortens construction time and improves quality control.
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The Kilpatricks’ home was built in about six weeks at the factory before being transported and installed on site in a matter of days, compared with a conventional build that can take many months.
It's expected to maintain comfortable temperatures year-round with minimal heating and cooling and to operate entirely on electricity. Independent modelling commissioned for the project found the house could reduce running costs by about 87 per cent compared with a typical home and avoid more than 10 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. An electric prime mover was used to transport the completed module to Bass Coast. |
The project
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CD Wilson and Sons driver Jason Wilson said one unexpected benefit was the reduced noise.
“In the yard, the team could communicate normally without shouting over engine noise, which made the whole loading process calmer, safer and more efficient,” he said.
Developers say it is one of the first Australian demonstrations of a housing project designed to reduce emissions at every stage – construction, transport and day-to-day living.
The Cape general manager Clint Hare said sustainability had to be considered across the whole process, not just in the finished building.
“Decarbonising housing cannot stop at the front door,” he said.
Source: Diane Falzon Public Relations
“In the yard, the team could communicate normally without shouting over engine noise, which made the whole loading process calmer, safer and more efficient,” he said.
Developers say it is one of the first Australian demonstrations of a housing project designed to reduce emissions at every stage – construction, transport and day-to-day living.
The Cape general manager Clint Hare said sustainability had to be considered across the whole process, not just in the finished building.
“Decarbonising housing cannot stop at the front door,” he said.
Source: Diane Falzon Public Relations