Almost all the open homes have efficient LED lighting, double or triple glazing, and solar PV panels. The categories below show the features of our greener homes in addition to these. By 'retrofit' we mean work on an existing house to make it more efficient, better insulated, drier etc. Homes are ordered West to East Dorset, use the filter on the map or the options above the map to filter the list and map.
A 1960s building with a modern extension. Extensively fitted with insulation and underfloor heating powered by the Air Source Heat Pump. Solar panels with planned battery .
Low Cost Improvements Sustainable Materials Lifestyle Changes Retrofit
This victorian property has been extensively retrofitted, with sustainable materials.
Sustainable Materials Solar PV with Battery Heat Pump
Well insulated 2008 house with AS heat pump, solar panels on West facing .roof; 100% renewable electrical supplier; car charging point.
Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Retrofit Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
Built in 1995, Cavity wall and loft insulation and glazing has been added, Then a Mitsubishi Ecodan Heat Pump, new radiators and Solar Edge Solar Panels were installed in 2021. Plenty of surplus energy is exported to Octopus for 15pkWh, an EV charger charges the car via the Solar PV
Two-thirds of the homes on this development of 53 affordable eco-homes are now occupied. Every building hass PV panel which feed into a common battery system, and the whole development is car-free.
Low Cost Improvements Sustainable Materials Solar PV with Battery Open by Appointment all year round
John and Debbie turned their former nursery school 2 acre site into a community resource. John’s particular skill is finding second-hand materials and repurposing them in creative ways, while Debbie has a gift for designing and planting cosy natural spaces for human activities and wildlife diversity.
Solar Hot Water Solar PV with Battery Open by Appointment all year round
This 200 yr old farmhouse has been brought up to modern standards with extensive insulation and renovations, with Solar Panels, and a Solar Boost, and a 25kw Wood Pellet Boiler.
Sustainable Materials Solar PV with Battery Heat Pump Open by Appointment all year round
Near Passive-house with timber frame. Air-tight building with made of structurally insulated panels, filled with wood fibre insulation. Air Source Heat pump. 14 PV panels and a battery to store excess electricity. Triple glazed windows., MVHR ventilation..
Solar PV with Battery Retrofit Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
Electricity to the house is provided by a 100% renewable supplier, currently Octopus on the Flux tariff. The Tesla Powerwall battery is controlled by an app that allow it to charge and discharge, buying and selling electricity at the most favourable rates, thus reducing the overall energy cost.
Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes Retrofit Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
A seventies house with extensive interior and exterior insulation; PV panels charge a battery and the car, and heat water, and a solar thermal panel also heats sthe water. extensive rainwater harvesting. The gas boiler has been replaced with electric heaters and a wood burner.
Solar PV with Battery Retrofit Open by Appointment all year round
A 1950s bungalow with insulation added as improvements have been made. PV panels with batteries and effective use of the electricity tariff are likely to reduce electricity charges to nearly nothing over the year.
Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Retrofit Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
A 1989 building which Grahame and Yvonne have extensively renovated, with cavity wall insulation, much thicker loft and underfloor insulation and new double glazed windows. Two sets of PV panels, and a solar thermal panel. The house is heated with air source Heat Pump with underfloor heating.s
Solar PV with Battery Open by Appointment all year round
Smart Home with many energy saving improvements • Solar 12 PV panels, 4.2kW Peak • House battery storage 5kWh Fox Plug-and-play • Intelligent electricity tariff: Octopus Flux • Load shifting strategies implemented so all electricity is on cheap night rate via the battery storage • Intelligent smart home with presence sensing, which controls the Nt thermostat, charging the car at efficient times, • Electric vehicle
Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Retrofit Open by Appointment all year round
The large extension was built to be very efficient; with high thermal standards for the thermal block walls and Argon filled double glazing with low-E glass. Other areas are highly insulated. A 35kW wood pellet boiler with hot water storage tank warms the house, and a system to divert excess generated electricity to heat water (ImmerSUN).
We renovated this 1920's home in 2021. We have tried to maintain the period feel so we have solar panels on the side elevation, a battery, full insulation and Reynaer's aluminium double glazed windows and doors.
Solar PV with Battery Heat Pump Open by Appointment all year round
90s detached house with solar panels, Air Source Heat Pump, improved insulation and new double glazed aluminium windows.
Low Cost Improvements Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Sustainable Materials Retrofit Open by Appointment all year round
1950's brick built ex-council house with cavity wall insulation, high spec windows, solar panels, battery, air source heat pump, organic garden of vegetables and flower, wild flower meadow and 7 water butts. Recycled materials in conservatory and porch and built-in cupboards
Heat Pump Sustainable Materials Lifestyle Changes Open by Appointment all year round
A highly insulated converted barn, the build included repurposing materials onsite. It boasts passivhaus triple glazing, Mechanical ventilation and Heat Recovery. Also Underfloor Heating from a ground source heat pump.
Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes Retrofit Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
67 Chafeys Avenue was purchased on 2010, a traditionally built 2 bed bungalow with an EPC rating of D. The house now features:- Whole house ventilation with heat recovery. 9.2 KW of solar PV on east and west arrays. 16KW of battery storage. Smart car charging. 100mm of under floor insulation. Over 500mm of loft insulation. Cavity insulation. Solar diverter for water and space heating. EPC rating now A
Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes Retrofit Open by Appointment all year round
"A large Victorian house built circa1885. Nearing the end of an energy retrofit project - insulation, underfloor heating, solar panels, air source heat pumps, EV charging point. The gas supply was disconnected in August 2022. Communal living, no-dig growing, ex-battery hens, compost making, anaerobic digester. Rainwater tanks next! "
Cavity wall insulation, double glazing wooden framed windows, loft insulation and internal ceiling insulation of TLX Gold, and an airsource heat pump.
One of the only homes in Dorset built and certified to Passivhaus standard. The house is so well insulated that the heating is almost never turned on. The owner was the architect for the project.
Low Cost Improvements Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes Retrofit Open by Appointment all year round
70s building with extensive insulation, different materials for each wall allowing comparison. PV panels with Tesla battery.
The hall was extended and refurbished in 2020 with 8 kW of panels installed on the south facing roof and insulation to the latest standards. The hall also hosts recycling bins on Saturday mornings and a Repair Café widely used by both villagers and people in the neighbouring towns. There are plans to install a battery and improve the insulation in the older parts of the buildings.
Sustainable Materials Lifestyle Changes Open by Appointment all year round
2016 House constructed from load-bearing straw bales and timber-beamed frame. The foundations are gravel-filled car tyres. Near-passive house standard, with non=-powered ventilation system.. Clay finih with clay paint inside, lime render with graphene containing paint.
Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Sustainable Materials Lifestyle Changes Retrofit Open by Appointment all year round
The use of traditional and renewable materials and ensuring that the 500 year old building would be as energy efficient as possible were the principles behind the restoration. A 14kw PV array has been sited on the East/ West facing barn roofs (almost invisible) and two Sonnen Battery 10s provide 22kWh of battery storage. This year we fitted a ground source heat pump to heat water and provide heating for the house..
Low Cost Improvements Solar PV with Battery Sustainable Materials Lifestyle Changes
This cohousing community boasts shared hot water & heating from a biomass boiler, a biodigester for sewage which in turn cleans the water for use on the vegetable plots & PV Panels. They are actively looking for further systems to improve sustainability and future resilience.
Shaftesbury's Community Farm attracts volunteers who enjoy one another's company as they use sustainable approaches to growing fruit and a range of salads and vegetables, as well as keeping chickens (for eggs) and bees (mainly for pollination).
Heat Pump Sustainable Materials
From Summer of 2020, we’ve taken this hodge podge house back to a shell, and then made it into a home, with eco decisions at the heart of the project, including new utilities and heating, and various types of insulation, along with major structural work.
Low Cost Improvements Solar PV with Battery Sustainable Materials Lifestyle Changes
This 1930s centre-terraced, former council house was extended and refitted 5 years ago to provide for the needs of two active retirees - balancing considerations of practicality, energy-efficiency and sustainability.
The Museum has installed an array of Solar PV Panels part funded by Low Carbon Dorset. The Museums environmental group works on environmental and eco events across the area. A major project has been the creation of the museums climate resistant Garden with sustainable watering and gardening techniques.
Solar PV with Battery Sustainable Materials
Solar panels, iboost for hot water, rainwater harvesting, rewilding
Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
This house built in 1928 has had Solar PV Panels with battery installed, Pod Point for EV charging, Solar Thermal Array to heat the Water, and plans are in place to install better insulation and an Air Source Heat pump. A pond in the Garden has encouraged more diverse wildlife and waterbutts collect rainwater for the garden.
Campsite with two large solar arrays, a guided wildlife walk and possibly an archaeological dig of a Neolithic flint collection. Bring a picnic.
1930s build 3 bedroom semi with wooden floors throughout.. TThe back extension has considerably better insulation and is south facing. Converted loft with much improved insulation.9 solar panels, 3.09 Kw. 3 batteries 7KWh. EV with Zappi charger .
Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes
Come along and enjoy our bee friendly garden and see our new living roof(s) on the shed and summer house. We also hope to show a range of bee keeping and honey extraction equipment. And if you have time, you can enjoy a slice of honey cake and a cup of tea.
Low Cost Improvements Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Sustainable Materials Open by Appointment all year round
This 1970's bungalow has had extensive insulation to improve the house, solar panels and an air source heat pump. They have also done a lot in the garden to encourage nature.
Solar PV with Battery Lifestyle Changes Heat Pump
In roof PV Panels with Battery, Air source Heat pump. The owners have undertaken an extensive thermal upgrade to the house. Where possible the owners plan energy consumption to make maximum use of the energy produced by the installed renewable energy sources.
Retrofit Heat Pump Solar PV with Battery Solar Hot Water Open by Appointment all year round
This 1906 Edwardian House has been extensively Retrofitted and Insulated. Electricity is produced from the many Solar PV Panels with Battery, Along with Solar Thermal Panels, an Iboost and an Air Source Heat Pump. The Garden is pollinator friendly.