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.
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
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).
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! "
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.