Situated in Adelaide's eastern suburb of Woodforde is Australia's first 10 star rated house.
Utilising Victoria's leading residential thermal performance assessment software; First Rate 5, design studio Suho achieved the maximum rating of 10 by delivering the best in thermal comfort, materials, insulation, minimum energy consumption, and building orientation.
It also features glazing type and shading devices built for the Australian climate without the use of artificial heating/cooling.
The 10 Star house is designed to be air-tight to trap and maintain heating and cooling within the home thus reducing the carbon emissions that may be produced.
Receiving a 10 Star rating means that the temperatures within the design will not fluctuate spontaneously and, with the inclusion of solar panels as the main energy source and lithium batteries for storage, energy savings are set to reach thousands of dollars a year.
Artificial thermal conditioning requires energy to generate heat and cooling while natural passive is provided by storing heat from sunlight during winter. Cooling options during the summer months include dispersing energy through ventilation, night flushing, radiative cooling, evaporative cooling and earth coupling.
Not only does passive heating and cooling lower the energy consumption and billing cost, it will allow the home to be dependent from large energy providers who produce energy through fossil fuels.
The strategy of the 10 Star Home was to provide inclusive environments to demonstrate how aspects of the building industry can foster a social commitment to an ecologically sustainable future through clever design.
The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), is a performance based rating system that rates the energy efficiency of a home, based on its design.
While the minimum compliance for homes in Australia is 6 stars, the design of the 10 Star Home goes above and beyond 10 stars.
There will not be anyone living there in the interim while the home is being monitored to determine energy savings.