Cairns Solar Power home transformed with into a sustainable way to save money

Cairns Solar Power

One way of having a money tree would be to create a sustainable home which doesn’t carry massive overheads.

Simon Thompson and his wife Martina have spent over $10,000 to transform their 1960’s Manunda home into a Cairns solar power energy efficient home.

The family of four uses only 16 per cent of the power generated by the array of 16 solar panels on the roof.  They are set to receive close to $1400 each year from Ergon Energy for the electricity which they feed into the grid.

“For every kilowatt of power we export, we get 44 cents back,” Mr Thompson said.  The Solar Feed-in Tariff is one of many Australian solar incentives.

As well as the solar panel installation, the Thompsons have also installed R3.5 insulation batts, painted the roof white, Solar hot water system,  as well as replacing the air conditioners with fans and louvers. Cairns solar power has seen massive increases in the last few years and solar power is becoming a large part of the cities residential culture.

The Thompsons solar house will be on display next month alongside eight other Cairns solar power homes across the region as part of the Sustainable House Day.

The day is organised by the Tropical Green Building Network and the Cairns Far North Environment Centre aims to promote smart, sustainable design features of homes.

The Author

Darryn Van Hout

I developed an interest in the Australian energy and construction sectors more than a decade ago and have since closely followed the trends, technologies and developments shaping both industries. My involvement in the Australian solar market began in 2008, and over the years I have built strong connections with professionals, businesses and organisations across the construction, solar and renewable energy sectors in Australia and internationally. These connections include solar panel and inverter manufacturers, electrical and construction industry professionals, software developers creating tools to quote, monitor and manage solar power systems, and media organisations that closely follow developments across energy, construction and renewable technologies. Today, I continue to contribute as an industry advocate, author and commentator, sharing practical insights and information to help Australian consumers and businesses better understand solar power, energy technologies, construction-related developments and the changing Australian energy landscape.