Australia’s first carbon neutral apartments are expected to go on the market later this year. The units, each expected to fetch approximately $1 million, will make up the 10-storey Delta complex.
Australia’s first carbon neutral apartments are expected to go on the market later this year. The units, each expected to fetch approximately $1 million, will make up the 10-storey Delta complex, a part of the $600 million Carlton Brewery development, which is expected to be completed by 2014.
The apartments, when completed, will be built to conform to the stringent European Passivhaus standard (German for ‘passive house’) which requires high levels of energy efficiency.
For certification according to the Passivhaus standard, a dwelling needs to conform to specific levels of superinsulation, ventilation, airtightness and passive heating and cooling. Houses that conform to the standard generally require very little additional heating and cooling, and are considered to be highly energy efficient.
The prefabricated structure of the building, which is to be transported from Europe, will be made of a thick plywood and is said to offer high resistance against earthquakes and fires. All of the windows will be triple glazed and timer framed, and the walls will be airtight and insulated with shredded newspaper treated with fire retardant.
Heating, cooling and the supply of electricity to the building will be generated on site using a process called ‘gasification’, and will theoretically remove the need for residents to pay monthly power bills.
The new apartments will join around 20,000 other houses in the world which conform to the voluntary standard, most of which are located in Germany, Scandinavia and Austria.
