Jeffery St, Blackburn, among first in Melbourne to use self heating and cooling technology

The stunning home at 25 Jeffery St is so energy efficient that with the addition of a battery system to its 20-panel solar array it could be taken off the electricity grid.

And it’s up for grabs.

Built on stilts and designed to curve around a stream that runs along the property’s fringe, it can use water evaporating from the stream and drawn through a fernery underneath the home to help cool the interior, according to Earnshaw & Associates building designer Peter Earnshaw.

The smart heat energy recovery heating and cooling system uses similar design features around the home to help recirculate heat from a variety of sources, including a wood-burning fireplace and warm air from outside, to maintain the property at a preset temperature.

Mr Earnshaw, who specialises in green building design, said he believed 25 Jeffery St, Blackburn, could be the only home in Melbourne using this particular technology.

“Using this particular system, this is the first time this has been done in Melbourne as far as we know,” Mr Earnshaw said.

“There’s a sensor built into the walls of the house that tests the air for pollen or CO2 and there’s an alarm if there are any issues.”

He said the home’s solar array, 9000 litre water tank and energy-efficient design meant it was the equivalent of a 10-star energy efficient home.

It does feature a small heating unit, and a small airconditioning unit, but both can be powered by the solar panels.

The home itself has plenty of smart features as well, ranging from windows lined with cedar on the inside and aluminium on the outside to cut down on maintenance and reduce heat escaping.

Mr Earnshaw said he expected more homeowners would seek out similar systems in the future.

“These things now will gain momentum as people get sick of paying $3000 or $4000 a year to heat the home — a system like this, after seven to 10 years, you are going to clearly be ahead,” Mr Earnshaw said.

“But it was fortunate we had good clients, as it took five years to get it approved.”

Or you could just buy 25 Jeffery St.

Ray White Blackburn director Peter Schenck has the 1254sq m property listed for sale and said he didn’t believe anything would ever come close to it.

“There will never be anything else like it, you will never get a permit to build that close to the creek again,” Mr Schenck said.

With 58 potential buyers viewing the home in its first 10 days on the market, he expected the four-bedroom house would receive strong offers by a set date of November 15.

“The buyers love the fact that it’s so energy efficient and the design is unique — everything faces north so it’s got plenty of natural light,” Mr Schenck said.