The same goes for me, anyone wishing to be ‘sustainable’, and all of us seeking to sustain our lovely Earth.

I’ve written about this in my column, Bathurst Burr, for The Fifth Estate.

Hello Michael,

Thank you both; oh, and Andra, you’re welcome to post your photos of the tour on the facebook page for the house, or email them to me:  https://www.facebook.com/sustainablehouse

Michael

Last week 21 students from Boston Uni toured Sydney’s Sustainable House and the road gardens.

The teacher, Gordon Hinds, let me have this background note about the Boston Uni course being taught in Sydney:

Boston University has a campus in Sydney near Central Station in Regent Street. The campus has about 120 students accommodated in a dormitory style high-rise building with lecture theatres below the accommodation tower.

Boston University offers it students the chance to study abroad but also stay within the Boston University academic programme. In Sydney a variety of courses are offered that relate to a distinctive Australian experience.

One course that is conducted is Sustainable Sydney, a course that examines the operations of Sydney and the efforts it goes to to be more ‘sustainable’.

The course takes a critical look at how a city is powered, feed, the waste dealt with, and how it is built — all in six weeks. Students get opportunities to see first hand significant parts of the city’s infrastructure, from visiting a power station, to seeing the main commercial markets through to seeing how the waste and recycling plants. Students also benefit from hearing first hand key people in the various related industries what the state of development is for technology that is impacting on the management of the city, as well as government regulations and policy.

The Sustainability Course has proven to be very popular with Boston University Students and was developed by Gordon Hinds, who also teaches the course, along with Dr Delphine Rabet. For more information on the course, call Gordon on 0419266932 or email - gordon@thpads.com

For more info:  www.bu.edu…

This gets you to the website and then go to elective courses – Sustainable Sydney

It was fun to swap stories and perspectives with young students from the US.

Come again anytime you lot,

M

The study is reported in Reneweconomy this week.

The article says:

“Installing rooftop solar panels boosts a home’s resiliency and green credentials while cutting utility bills, but does it also increase a home’s resale value?

The answer according to Exploring California PV Home Premiums, a new Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) study, is a resounding yes – at least in California.

Data analyzed from 2000-2009 highlights a clear trend of solar homes selling for a higher premium than non-solar homes statewide, meaning going green also creates economic opportunity and empowers homeowners to make some greenbacks.”

It’s Floriligium at 65 Derwent St, Glebe.

Inside the cool, quiet old sandstone building you’ll find a wonderful, complete coverage of all things that grow and if you ask for help your visit will be made richer by talking to the knowledgeable owner, Gil Teague.

So I’m giving it a shameless and proud plug and suggesting that you either drop in or check out their xmas catalogue which can be downloaded as a pdf here.  And I confess they sell my two books there, Sustainable Food, and Sustainable House.

Go the plants,

M

This website has a menu heading called, “My electricity“.  If you use it you can see the amount of electricity used and generated by the solar power system each day, month or year at Sydney’s Sustainable House.

By making energy data available to anyone I hope it may be used as a guide for those choosing or already using solar power systems for their own use.  (The system here was installed in 1996, is 2.1 kW capacity, faces solar north; more energy and other design and data is in my book, Sustainable House.)

My thanks to the data business, Our Green Home, who have installed the data system at my place.

“Once you have the detail you have the high ground”, I say.

Be great to have your questions and comments on this blog; I look forward to hearing from you.

May the sun be with you,

Michael

Josh Byrne, Michael Mobbs and Mayor Brad Pettit

As Josh Byrne, the Western Australia presenter for ABC TV Gardening Australia‘s show, builds his ten star houses in Fremantle he is documenting it and making the plans, costs, data and details available for all to see.

In the latest video Josh covers the ecopops as they were being built in Fremantle then takes the viewer to his houses.

It’s a useful summary of both projects and you can see the 4 minute 40 second video here.

Enjoy,

Michael

The Berkelouw Bookshop in Oxford Street, Sydney, is one of the more civilised, civilising and well-lit bookshops around.  With beautiful timber floors, tall windows, high ceilings and timber shelving and desks it’s a relaxing place to read, have a meal or glass of wine and enjoy the world of books and ideas.

Recommended,

M

Today in the first week of 2013, fifteen years after I made my house sustainable – November, 1996 –  and I’ve just received the latest electricity bill for the house and the four people who live here.

The energy company owes me $22.

The lot can be soil and grass or concrete, residential or factory.

I want to put a tent on it to stay in temporarily.  More on the design, food, water and living plans later.

I can’t offer prizes or inducements for this information but would love to see you sitting on a pallet bench on the  lot outside my tent with a cold beer on a hot day.

My friend, Monique, who is providing solar powered lights to folks living in tents in India, will give me one of those for the tent next week  - woo hoo, Monique is my energy service provider for my tent life; thank you, Monique.

May the simple life be with us in the city – and laughter,

M