Once a dream notion to live by in an ideal world, sustainable living is now becoming a reality and necessity, and within reach for home owners and renters alike.

This Sunday marks Sustainable House Day 2013 with two local properties lauded for their sustainable qualities open to the public.

A solar powered townhouse in Atoll Close, Port Douglas, is part of a unit complex retrofitted with two grid connect systems and community solar that powers the complex’s pool pump. The owners say all systems are proving to be giving positive investment value and were paid off within two and a half years. The townhouse also utilises a solar hot water system and solar oven, as well as a roof-top garden over the carport with a rainwater tank behind the carport to harvest run-off.

The community within the complex, located within a cul-de-sac off Port Douglas Road, has a strong sense of sustainability, with residents growing fruit and vegetables in their organic community garden. Talk of a community water tank to be installed in the future will help with watering their harvest. Another sustainable property at Black Mountain Road, in the cool hills of Julatten, offers a very high level of stable internal temperatures through its insulation, ventilation and design features.

The energy system used to power the hardwood and zincalume construction is impressive. It features a stand-alone solar system with ten 85 watt solar modules, a 1500 amp gel cell battery bank for storage and a 1500 Watt 240V DC/AC inverter. The home also uses low consumption/high efficiency globes, gas and electric refrigeration and a custom-built, wood-fired donkey hot water system with high level insulation, which requires firing only once every 48 hours.

General household water is river water pumped to gravity tank with rainwater used for drinking and cooking, and grey water used for tree watering via a filter system. Two open, three metre verandas face east and west and run the full length of the house, with large eaves over northern and southern end of building to protect it from the sun and heat, along with natural cross flow ventilation to catch prevailing breezes and dark transparent window shades.

The owners say after a cold night in winter, the internal temperature can still be as high as 12º Celsius above outside temperature the following morning. No heating system is required – a remarkable thing considering Julatten experiences some very cool nights.

These properties are two of eight places in Far North Queensland will open for Sustainable House Day this Sunday, September 8. All houses will be open to the public between 10am to 4pm, and entry is free.

For more details, visit www.sustainablehouseday.com