Sustainable House Day

Today was Sustainable House Day. I visited the Thornleigh house, which I'd been watching take shape over the last few months. It's said to be Australia's first certified passive solar house. (That's because the certification system has just arrived. Not because it's the first passive solar house - I built one myself 35 years ago.)

It's very impressive. Very well insulated and draught proofed. Triple glazed windows. And a rather beautiful array of solar thermal water storage tubes. My house had black-painted concrete ones. Water's a better storage medium too. I want some!