352 Rose Cottage Road

Wisanger SA 5223

- Farm dams provide reticulated water for stock and garden
- As new architecturally designed passive solar home
- Self sufficient for power, solar, 6.28 Kw system, battery bank, (new early 2020), with generator back up installed, and 110,000 litre rainwater storage
- Home comprises 4 bedroom 2 bathroom, plus a dedicated office, configured to use 2 separated living areas, maximising the northerly exposure
- Every room connected to Star Serve, internet and phone
- Protected external living areas a feature
- Double car garage under main roof
- Fully enclosed house yard, planted to easy care native shrubs, bushes
- Separate enclosed orchard area, enclosed by vermin proof fencing
- Steelframed colourbond machinery shed, 60 x 30 x 14' high, cement floor and power

Owner's musings:

Location
This house sits at the western end of the Wisanger Hills approximately 3km inland from the north coast of Kangaroo Island. The house is exposed to winds from every direction throughout the year, and experiences an annual rainfall of approximately 450mm.

A house made of
A pavilion style house built in four distinct sections. The steel frame provides the structural integrity of the home with hebel block used to infill the walls underneath the colourbond roof. The house has four bedrooms, study, two bathrooms, second lounge and large central living area incorporating the kitchen, dining, and main living room. The house was designed by architect, Emilis Prelgauskas and the owners to accommodate the features of the site and climate conditions.

Living in comfort
The passive solar design of this house and hebel walls moderate the internal temperature. The north-facing orientation coupled with the design of the eaves provides shade in the summer and allows sunlight into the house in winter. The house enjoys significant levels of natural light due to the numbers and location of windows. These windows also provide cross ventilation producing cooling effects during summer. Heating is provided by a slow combustion wood heater in the main living area which is boosted by a gas heater when needed in the second lounge. Hot water is provided by two roof-top solar systems, each with a gas booster. Gas is used for cooking.

Water - the elixir of life
Rainwater is collected off the house and shed roofs and stored in four tanks which have a total capacity of 110,000 litres. In addition, the property is supported by a number of dams, one of which has its water reticulated to the house and gardens.

Waste not want not
A septic tank deals with all wastewater produced.

Powering on
The house runs on 240V solar power with a petrol generator for backup. The system design load is 6.28 KWh/day.
System Specifications
Inverter: Selectronic , Sine wave inverter 48V rated at 3600W continous.
Battery Bank: Energystore II 24RP 830, 40kWh capacity, 48V (24 batteries, gel type) installed 2019
Battery Charger: Stanbury Scarfe & Lord Output Voltage 60V Output Current 55A
Solar Controller: Victron Energy Maximum Current 35A for new solar array, Victron Energy Maximum Current 60A for old solar array
Solar Array: Sharp Array Peak Power 2100W (12 panels @ 175W) installed 2005, System Voltage 48V, Trina Solar Array Peak Power 1000W (4 panels @ 250W) installed 2018.

Favourite things
We love the natural light and sense of space that the house has along with the peace and quiet provided by the sound-proofing qualities of the building materials. The many windows enable us to enjoy a range of views over our property.
We did not want to compromise our access to technology and household appliances whilst trying to achieve maximum energy efficiency. The result is a house that has a very contemporary feel about it and accommodates the technological needs of our family (computers, televisions, stereos etc). In fact, many visitors are unaware that we are self-sufficient with our power and water.