Water

The Red House is totally reliant on rainwater collected on the roof and stored in the three water tanks that flank the property. Capacity is about 300,000 litres, which should be enough to provide guests with water for all their requirements and provide water for the garden. 

A Puretec Hybrid H7 Whole House UV Water Treatment System has been installed near the water pump to provide pure, clean drinking water. It is a three-stage process – dual filters for extra sediment capacity and Radfire™ ultraviolet technology, a natural purification process that’s eco-friendly and chemical-free.

It eliminates 99.9% bacteria in the tank water and also reduces bad taste, odours, chemicals and sediment giving good general-purpose filtration.

Tanksafe is also added to the tanks when they are full at the start of summer. Tanksafe is a Hydrogen peroxide-based water purification additive. It is tasteless and odourless and completely safe to drink. 

So all the water coming into the house is safe to drink. 

Check out the filtration system at: 

http://puretec.com.au/hybrid-h7-rainwater-and-wholehouse-water-filter.html

Please use water sparingly as it is a finite supply!

Energy

There is a 5.23KW photovoltaic system on the roof of the garage. There are 16 panels with an output of 327W per panel. We have plans to install another PV system on the shed with a battery as well. The aim is to use as much of the electricity produced on site rather than send it down the lines to WP.

Insulation

Straw bale walls are about half-a-metre thick and are excellent insulation. The compressed bales trap air that acts to insulate the house. Combined with a thick rendered finish on both the inside and the outside of the house, the walls act to stabilise internal temperatures all year round. Generally the internal temperature remains between 18 degrees and 24 degrees depending on the time of day and year