Sustainable House Day

A record number of homes are expected to open their doors to the public on Sunday 11 September for Sustainable House Day - this year celebrating its 10^th birthday - as Australian homeowners continue to embrace green technology and other sustainable practices designed to reduce their carbon footprint.

Already, more than 200 homeowners have signed up for the event and with more than six weeks to go, organisers are expecting to beat last year's record of 272 homes which attracted 40,000 visitors across the nation.

Event organiser Pia Vogrin says initiatives such as the Federal Government's Clean Energy for the Future campaign  and an increase in the interest and value of  real estate of  green homes are creating huge levels of interest in the event.

"With energy costs rising, people everywhere are looking to save money and realise that a switch to greener living not only has a positive impact on the environment, it also makes good economic sense," she says.

"We want people to consider making changes to their home or business sustainable based on the ideas and information they receive by attending Sustainable House Day."

Sustainable House Day is a unique national event providing people a look inside houses that have been designed, built or fitted out with sustainability in mind.

Visitors are given the opportunity to see the benefits of solar, ventilation, water harvesting and recycling, shading, thermal mass (materials that absorb and release heat), glazing and window treatments first hand and will be able to discuss solutions with the owners to receive unbiased advice on how to implement practical and efficient changes to their homes.

"With so many homes on display this year, from those that have been retro-fitted with DIY solutions to custom designs showing off the latest advancements in green technology, there are plenty of ideas people will walk away with," Ms Vogrin says.

"Independent research has shown that nine out of 10 people say they will make a sustainable change based on attending the event and when contacted 10 months later, 75% of those have made changes to their own homes which shows just how worthwhile a visit to the event is."

For more information about Sustainable House Day visit www.sustainablehouseday.com