Approximately 170 homes opened their doors to the public for this year’s Sustainable House Day on Sunday 13 September, a sign that Australian households are continuing to integrate renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling and other sustainable practices into their lives, and that they’re proud to be doing so.

Sustainable House Day gives people the chance to get a real-life look inside houses that have been designed, built or fitted out with sustainability in mind and talk to owners, receiving unbiased advice.

For the first time, homes were open for free this year, an initiative supported by the Australian Government. The event organisers reported that they had seen greater investment in harvesting water and solar energy, as communities are realising that resources are finite and likely to become more expensive.

Architects and builders were on hand at many of the homes to provide expert tips, while home viewers were able to see benefits such as solar, ventilation, water harvesting and recycling, shading, thermal mass, glazing and window treatments.

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Home Sustainability Assessors, funded through the Australian Government’s Green Loans program, were also available to discuss energy efficiency actions for around the home.

The Sustainable House Day competition, for which entrants had to describe ‘what sustainable living means to you’, saw the major prize, a 1.5 kilowatt grid-connect solar system from Solar Shop Australia, awarded to Caroline Allen from Rooty Hill in New South Wales. The winners of the Dux Hot Water Systems from Dux and Envirosaver were Carol Macreadie of Coburg in Victoria, and Laura Llewellyn from Downer in the Australian Capital Territory.