Residential solar power systems do not need to be isolated systems that supply power for an individual home. They are most effective when grouped together to service an entire land development or subdivision. An excellent example of this can be seen in the development of a new eco-village at Witchcliffe, near Margaret River, Western Australia.

Sustainable green building design

If most Australians knew what was going to happen to planet earth this century, they would be lining up to buy a house and land package in an environmentally sustainable eco-village.

Shaping such development is not a simple task. A developer must be fully aware of how to design a sustainable residential subdivision and establish guidelines that work. Correct green building design must be incorporated in each unit. It is imperative that strong guidelines are attached to real estate developments to achieve results that are a win for residents, the community and the surrounding area, reducing energy and water and conserving the natural world.

For a small developer, joining forces with a major highly ethical real estate development company is a smart move for everyone involved. In this case, it gave the smaller developer on the project the financial clout he needed to succeed. While so many dream, very few act and fulfill successfully.

affordable housing

A developer should start by considering the needs and best interests of the community. In Margaret River, not everyone is a retired real estate agent or doctor, or has a big bank account. They may not be rich in financial resources, but they are good, down-to-earth people who highly appreciate nature and want to help coexist with it.

With construction costs skyrocketing in recent years, many people have dreamed of having their own house nearly destroyed. This particular developer in Margaret River decided early on when purchasing the land, not only to do something for the environment, but also to address the issue of affordability. By producing well-designed small blocks as part of a larger community, it has combined economies of scale and collective action to bring the costs of a house and land within reach of the average person in the region. At the same time, it makes it attractive for similar people in the city to opt for an alternative lifestyle.

Its synchronization is impeccable. Energy use is set to increase by 50% world-wide thus compounding the greenhouse effect. It will also produce huge increases in energy prices over the next two decades, as all known sources of energy are depleted. Cost-effective residential solar power systems used provide power for groups of homes, not just individual units.

alternative lifestyle

What we now call an ‘alternative lifestyle’ may not be described in this way for long. If the world continues to go as it is, then we are going to need more of this lifestyle. The increased use of energy and the depletion of the world’s energy resources will ensure that no one except the wealthy and those without public awareness can afford conventional lifestyles.

Healthy food and fresh, clean water are the keys to healthy living, and through cutting-edge water technology and productive landscaping, a well-designed development like this will provide these valuable products to all residents. Food and water bills will be kept to a minimum. This will be a great environment to raise children and create a generation of socially and scientifically sustainable people.

green by design

The developers also had the good sense to recruit an experienced environmentalist and sustainable gardener and landscape designer to ensure that the gardens and landscaping are designed in detail to complement their vision for the property.

The vision of this ecovillage is to create a world leading sustainable community in Witchcliffe. The village will comprise 180 Strata titled land with a wide range of infrastructure and services in place to create a world leading example of sustainable development that achieves:

• 100% net power generation on site with solar PV and wind turbines,
• 100% self-sufficiency in water through on-site rainwater harvesting,
• 100% production of fresh seasonal products on site,
• Class A recycled water for domestic garden and toilets,
• all houses to face wide open spaces and community gardens,
• High efficiency, passive solar houses,
• affordable house and land packages,
• on-site wind turbines to provide free charging for up to 100 electric vehicles,
• a local energy network employing smart grid technology

microsolar economics

As a solar energy specialist deeply concerned about the issue of climate change and the contribution our built environment makes to pollution, I am pleased with this initiative and wish the developer every success for the project.

Solar energy in the form of passive solar energy, green building design of individual houses, photovoltaic panels and solar water heating will all form a backbone to make this development a true ‘micro solar’ economy. When combined with organic approaches to water harvesting, gray water and waste recycling, and Bio Bellows generation (courtesy of the greatest gift of energy: the sun), the beneficial consequences of this development will be far-reaching.