Residential Solar Power Systems Power Witchcliffe Eco Village
TechnologyResidential 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 be attached to real estate developments to deliver outcomes that are a win for residents, the community and the environment by 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 succeed.
affordable housing
A developer should start by considering the needs and best interests of the community. In Margaret River, not everyone is a retired realtor 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.
Unfortunately, the huge explosion in demand for large, expensive homes by those who primarily profit from Western Australia’s mining boom has pushed up consumption, energy use and home size.
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.
His timing is impeccable. Energy use is expected to increase by 50% worldwide, which will exacerbate 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. The cost-effective residential solar power systems being 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 much longer. If the world continues as it is, then we will 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 clean, fresh water are the keys to healthy living, and through cutting-edge water technology and productive landscaping, a well-designed development like this one 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 hire an environmentalist and expert landscaper and sustainable gardener, 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 with the issues of climate change and the contribution our built environment makes to pollution, I am pleased with this initiative and wish the developer much success on 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, greywater and waste recycling, and biofuel generation (courtesy of the greatest energy gift: the sun), the beneficial consequences of this development will be far-reaching.