Tips for building an off grid home in Tasmania

Hear all about Off Grid homes from our experts!

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Tasmania has a great reputation as an eco-friendly destination, and building an off-grid home is an option that many new home owners explore when considering their options. While the hybrid option of roof top solar mains power back up is a far more common solution, Tasbuilt has worked with a number of clients to develop off grid homes across Tasmania.

There are a few design considerations to take into account if you are planning to build an off-grid home:

Making provision for the physical infrastructure

Consider where you will mount the solar panels, remembering these will need to be north facing. The roof top is the most popular option for this, but going completely off grid does require a large area of panels, so it may be worth considering other options such as the roof top of sheds or garages, or even ground mounted on rails if you have the available land area. You will also need to provide an area for your back up generator and fuel, and batteries if you are including these in your system

Reduce your requirements by building an energy efficient home

Work with your designer and builder to maximise the efficiency of your home and reduce the load on your power generators. Using good quality insulation and double glazing can ensure that when you heat your home this eat does not escape and therefore be wasted

Use sunlight to naturally heat your home

While cooling is still important, in Tasmania the main energy use is heating. By having north facing glazing you can use sunlight to naturally warm your home, reducing your requirements for electronic heating

Use energy efficient appliances and fixtures

Install appliances that have high energy efficiency ratings. Select LEDs where possible for your lightings, as these draw very little power. You can also use alternative energy sources such as gas or wood fires for heating and cooking to reduce the demand on your power supply

For more information on building an off-grid home in Tasmania, contact the team at Tasbuilt today.


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