Laura Ryan is close to severing ties with the power grid.
Her two-bedroom cottage on 104sqm in inner-Sydney is already without a sewer connection and entirely water self-sufficient.
And she’s hopeful solar will soon be allowed on her front roof, with the local council reviewing rules restricting street-facing panels on heritage conservation grounds.
“All throughout Europe, even on homes much, much older than his house, solar panels are allowed on the roof,” Dr Ryan told AAP during a tour of the house in Newtown.
“We’re in a climate emergency.”
The extra power generation would be enough take the house entirely off-grid, she said, with help from the energy-efficient design and existing solar panels at the back of the dwelling and battery storage.
Dr Ryan will open her doors to the public for tours on Sunday for Sustainable House Day, an annual event organised by not-for-profit Renew to showcase homes with a host of sustainability credentials, including bushfire-resilient and all-electric dwellings.
As many as 230 homeowners will be running in-person and virtual tours the day after the federal election.
Homes account for nearly one quarter of electricity use nationwide and Renew chief executive officer Helen Oakey said poorly-performing homes were driving higher bills and more emissions, and putting pressure on the energy grid.
“We’re calling on governments to support large-scale retrofitting, energy-efficient appliances and transitioning homes off gas,” she said.
Sustainability upgrades have featured in Labor’s campaign in the form of battery subsidies, with the coalition hinting at its own scheme but no announcement so far.
Not all sustainable home enthusiasts are trying to disconnect from energy, water and sewerage infrastructure but Dr Ryan wanted to prove self-sufficiency was possible on a small, inner-city block and without bucketloads to spend.
“I want to live in a way that’s minimising my footprint as much as possible and lots of other people want to do that, yet most of us live in the city,” she said.
“If we want to live a modern life, then we should try to live that modern life in the most sustainable way.”
Not all aspects of the complicated build came under budget, though the water system – including five 2000 litre tanks under the floors and a recycling system – managed to stay within her $30,000 ballpark.
The incinerating toilet – which works by burning waste – was on the expensive side but necessary in such a tight space.
Upcycled shelving and keeping other elements of the pre-renovated home also helped keep costs down.
Aside from a few quirks around cleaning and maintaining the toilet, Dr Ryan said living in the house was comfortable and “normal”.
“Everything just works in the same way.”
Source: AAP
