SYDNEY, 15 OCTOBER 2020
Frasers Property Australia and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) have announced a $1.42 million project that will deliver 51 net zero energy demand homes at Ed.Square, the game-changing community in south west Sydney. The homes will feature technology to produce more energy than they consume.
The project, receiving $708,910 in funding from ARENA, aims to expand the knowledge and understanding of renewable energy technology so these innovations can be refined and developed to elevate the energy performance of Australian housing.
The 51 medium density homes will be known as Balanced Energy Homes – or BE.Homes – and will integrate a suite of renewable energy, electrification and energy efficiency measures including 4 kW of solar PV per dwelling, ground source heat pump space conditioning, induction cooktops, electric boosted solar hot water, low-e glazed windows, LED lighting and roof insulation.
All BE.Homes appliances will be electric with no gas connected, creating ongoing connection savings for customers, and supporting increased utilisation of the electricity network.
The data captured will provide valuable new insights into the cost, efficiency and effectiveness of new sustainable housing technology to help identify the optimum path for its widespread application, says Cameron Leggatt, Executive General Manager Development, Frasers Property Australia.
“Our vision for this project is for it to have industry-wide implications that will elevate the energy performance of not only the homes Frasers Property creates for its customers, but the new housing sector nationally,” Mr Leggatt says.
“To achieve this, we’ve committed to sharing the insights we gain from the initiative and we’re pleased to join forces with ARENA to ensure the data collected will be widely available for interpretation, scrutiny and most importantly, to drive better outcomes.
“Net zero energy demand must be a goal for the entire property industry across all sectors if Australia is to achieve its emissions reductions targets. Projects like this are an essential part of the broader effort required,” he says.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller says: “Through this project we’re able to highlight the beneficial changes that energy efficiency improvements can make to next generation, net zero energy demand homes, whether that be through cost savings for homeowners or reducing emissions in the construction industry.
“We look forward to working with Frasers Property throughout the build of the homes at Ed.Square and sharing valuable knowledge that we hope industry can use to replicate this model and adopt more net zero energy demand homes going forward,” he says.
Ed.Square is the fourth Frasers Property community to be awarded a 6 Star Green Star Communities rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, joining Fairwater in Blacktown, Sydney, and Burwood Brickworks and Mambourin in Melbourne.
The BE.Homes at Ed.Square are expected to be available for purchase later this year with construction starting in 2021. Of the 51 homes, a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom townhomes is planned.
The BE.Homes are part of the great Ed.Square precinct, which includes a variety of home styles and floorplans across 991 apartments, and 893 terraces and townhomes, set amongst more than six hectares of open space. It will be one of Sydney’s most walkable communities, with Ed.Square Town Centre within 400 metres of all homes, parks dotted through the community to encourage walking and community connections, all integrated with surrounding bushland. The first residents of the community started moving into Ed.Square in August 2020, followed by the opening of Coles and Liquorland on 9 September 2020.
Like the wider community, Ed.Square Town Centre will be at the cutting-edge of sustainability. Its energy needs will be provided by Real Utilities, Frasers Property’s renewable energy retailing business, through an on-site embedded energy network that will generate energy via a large solar array. Real Utilities will procure any surplus energy required for the Town Centre from offsite renewable energy sources.
Ed.Square will be serviced by convenient bus and train links to Parramatta and Sydney CBD, with easy access to Sydney’s main roads and Western Sydney Airport. It is a 45-minute train journey from Edmondson Park railway station to Central railway station.
The Ed.Square Sales Centre and Display Village is open daily from 11am to 4pm. For further information or to register your interest in Ed.Square, phone Frasers Property on 13 38 38 or visit www.EdSquare.com.au.