Sustainable homes increasing throughout city with new addition on Sorrento Drive

This house could slice a chunk out of your electricity bill, and due to its design is a dream for Asthma sufferers. Here’s how this house has helped enhance the sustainable living movement in Toowoomba.

16 Sorrento Drive is home to one of the city's newest sustainable houses.

A new trend of sustainable living is rapidly spreading throughout the town, and Realway Lifestyle real estate agent Richard Cocozza knows just how in-demand the houses are, and how vied for they will be in the future.

16 Sorrento Drive is the newest sustainable home to pop up on the market, and Mr Cocozza said the home is ideal for a number of reasons.

“Passive House design and building technique, only just emerging in Queensland, makes it the second house of its kind in the state,” he said.

“Family members suffering from asthma or airborne allergens can keep ailments under control with the highest quality filtered air available in any new home.”

Passive Houses reduce the required energy to heat a building by:

– smart design and getting the building aspect right on the site

– increasing thermal insulation and installing high performance windows

– no thermal bridges which transfer heat through the building structure

– air tightening the building envelope

– incorporating a Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system

16 Sorrento Drive is home to one of the city's newest sustainable houses.

“The benefits of this rigorous design also help to keep the home cooler in summer,” Mr Cocozza said.

“Toowoomba’s outside temperature ranges from 0 – 35+ degrees Celsius but 16 Sorrento maintains a comfortable 20-25 internal temperature 98 per cent of the year.”

Compared with a new six star build with solar panels which use about 15,000 kilowatts of energy each year, 16 Sorrento is estimated to use just 3,000 kilowatts annually.

This makes it a Zero Energy building as it is designed to produce more energy than it uses.

The home will save 8.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year which is equivalent to 42 trees planted a year.

For the owner of the home it will save money on power bills this year and for every year of ownership.