Nestled in a lush avocado orchard in New Zealand’s rural Bay of Plenty is a modern and energy efficient home with clever technology at its heart
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A sustainable build
The couple wanted their home to be as sustainable as possible – from the raised slab filled with 250kg of locally recycled plastic that creates a thermal break and regulates their home’s temperature, to the smart hot water system and pre-wiring for solar panels and EV charging that creates energy efficiencies.
“Having a sustainable floor base that would retain the warmth for us was really important so that we didn’t have to run electricity or burn wood,” says Carol. They also installed double glazing with argon gas to help maintain the inside temperature.
A future-ready home
“Electric home design actually future-proofs you within your new build,” says Alistair.
“The more preparation you do beforehand allows you to enjoy things later. We spent a lot of time thinking about little things that could make a big impact later on.”
He also recommends asking your electrician for ideas as you go. “It’s really important to understand what your electrician can add to your project. They are all about value-adding.”
A smart and energy efficient home
The couple’s plans for a smart home meant finding a system that could bring all the individual parts together in one easy-to-use application. Clipsal Wiser Smart Home links all the electrical elements in one easy-to-use app and gives the couple touch-screen control of their home’s lighting, heating and security so they can see exactly what is on and when.
“If we’re out and coming home and it’s a cool evening, I can actually crank up the heat in the bathroom from my phone, so there’s a warm bathroom to shower in,” says Alistair.
Even the entrance to their house can be operated via Wiser – an electric maglock secures the large reflective glass front door, which they can see via the security cameras on their phone screen and then unlock remotely.
Electric Home Design brings energy efficiency and smart living to this modern home
For Carol and Alistair, the time spent on planning and design was well worth it for the energy efficient and technologically intuitive home they have created.
“It’s warm, it’s inviting, it looks beautiful. We just love it here, we struggle to leave.”
Hear it from them.
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