Contact

Terry White
t.white@westnet.com.au 

Organisations

Mount Alexander Shire Council
Mount Alexander Sustainability Group
Lord Mayors Charitable Fund,
Forest Creek Housing Cooperative
Sustainable Australia Fund
Common Equity Housing Limited

Themes

, ,

The Zero Net Retrofits project aims to retrofit old housing stock for net zero emissions and greater thermal comfort. Retrofits include insulating floors, ceilings and walls, sealing gaps and cracks, switching from gas to more efficient electric appliances, shading exposed windows and installing solar panels.

Over 2020-2023 the Zero Net Retrofits pilot will work with ten houses within the Forrest Creek Housing Coop. Scorecard assessments and Blower Door testing will be used to measure the effectiveness of the retrofits. The pilot project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023 and current indicators suggest that emission reduction and resident thermal comfort goals will be achieved. Once the pilot is completed, resourcing will be sought for the next stage to retrofit 100 households.

The project has been initiated by the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group, supported by the Sustainable Australia Fund and the Mount Alexander City Council and the retrofit works funded by Common Equity Housing Limited, community housing provider in Castlemaine.

ZNET: emission avoidance and drawdown

  • Reducing household emissions through direct retrofitting, ensuring housing stock uses renewable energy, increasing passive energy potential, using appliances that are repairable and use less power.
  • Supporting those disadvantaged by the current systems to reduce emissions

ADAPT: people, places and sectors are climate ready

  • Improving the thermal comfort of the home help protects against heat related illnesses and conditions
  • Creates jobs in energy auditing, energy efficiency, and solar installation, helping industry sectors to transition

REGENERATIVE CULTURE: embrace caring for Country and Community, working creatively and a just society

  • Supports those systemically cast as vulnerable in the community