Fraser Property Australia’s Passive House project at Life, Point Cook, has reached Passive House Plus certification, making it one of the first properties in the country to do so.

Homes that reach Passive House certifications are designed to achieve outstanding energy efficiency with a number implementations that can include double (or triple)-glazed windows, continuous thermal insulation (as appropriate to the local climate) and airtight measures to reduce air leakage, better regulate temperature control in the house and drastically reduce heating and cooling costs, saving energy while improving air quality and comfort levels.

Frasers Property is the first major developer to support the Passive House movement in Australia. The building standard has become something of a phenomenon across Europe, with Australian developers and architects looking to build to the regulations on a more regular basis.

The home at Life, Point Cook has reached Plus certification due to the donation of 18 new solar panels that were installed by GI Energy. A Passive House Plus dwelling is a home that generates at least, if not more, energy through onsite rooftop solar PV than it consumes over the course of a year. The solar panel system will utilise the latest shingled cell technology, producing on average 24kWhs of energy per day across the seasons, reinforcing the high level of sustainability of the home.

Fraser Property Australia’s General Manager Development VIC, Sarah Bloom, says that while there are approximately 40 Passive House certified buildings in Australia, Life, Point Cook is the first for a large-scale developer.

“Now that we've executed the application of Passive House design and construction techniques, we can look at influencing our systems and supply chains to provide a more energy efficient, sustainable standard to all our customers,” she says.

“Some of the materials used in the construction are extremely specialised, like the double-glazed windows which had to be imported from Germany. Some of the design elements are intricately detailed, such as the thicker walls and the design interplay necessary to ensure they meet the floors and ceilings in a way for the house not to bleed heat in winter or lose it's cool in summer.

“The key to making Passive House homes available more broadly will be to improve supply chains for such products and techniques. To be able to access the necessary products and expertise locally and cost effectively, rather than having to source them from overseas, will drive demand and increase output.

“If we can create these specialised products and source this expertise locally in a cost-effective way, we can work toward making these technologies part of standard home design in Australia.”

The home was built by Creation Homes. Greg Pollard, Senior Project Manager at Creation Homes, says the company is extremely proud to have successfully completed the construction of a Passive House.

“Going into a new innovative build like this, we expected challenges in obtaining this certification. It has been one of our most rewarding builds given the additional time, effort and education that went into achieving such stringent constraints around heat retention and air tightness,” he says.

“It will be great to see the payback period of the home comparing it with the control home within the estate given the thermal efficiencies of the Passive Home.”

The purchaser of the house must agree to take part in a 12-month trial, in which Frasers Property will monitor the energy performance data that will be measured and compared to a seemingly identical home side-by-side subject to the same environmental conditions.

Paul Wall, CEO of the Australian Passive House Association, applauds Frasers Property on becoming the first major developer to achieve Passive House certification in Australia.

“Consumers are becoming acutely aware of the positive effects on their health and wellbeing of a good indoor environment, and the foresight from Frasers Property further enhances their reputation as leading thinkers in the built environment,” he says.

“This project represents world’s best practice, delivered in an Australian context, using local climate data and construction techniques, expertly delivered by the Frasers Property team.”

To find out more about Frasers Property Australia’s Passive House project at Life, Point Cook visit frasersproperty.com.au/vic/point-cook.

Image: Supplied

Jarrod Reedie

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