Team UOW with a miniature model of the Illawarra Flame sustainable home. (Image credit: UOW Media)
The public is set to get a taste of how we might live in the future, with Team UOW’s completed entry into the Solar Decathlon China 2013 competition to go on show at the Innovation Campus from next week.
The zero-energy home was transformed from simple fibro shack over 12 weeks by the 40 strong team from the University of Wollongong and the TAFE Illawarra Institute.
Complete with energy efficient heating, solar panels, a grey water treatment system and air conditioning, the sustainable Illawarra Flame house will be put through its paces later in the year against the world’s best innovators and thinkers. Ten events will test how well the house stands up to the daily tasks of living, as well as its affordability.
“This is not just an über cool, ultra futuristic house…” said Project Manager Lloyd Niccol. “In designing and building the Illawarra Flame we wanted to create a house that could be used to inform everyday Australians about energy saving solutions and demonstrate practical ways to future fit their existing homes to improve cost effectiveness and sustainability.”
This year’s Decathlon will be the first for Team UOW. The competition will be held in Datong, China later in the year.
The house will be open for free between April 24 and 28.