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A 12-month independent study conducted by RMIT University and analysis by
Renew, sustainable not-for-profit, aimed to provide evidence of qualitative
and quantitative lived experience of a housing development which is
attempting to deliver high quality housing. The purpose of this research is
to guide other new housing developments and future revisions of minimum
performance regulations for housing Australia.

For this research, The Cape provided sustainable homes for participants.
The Cape is a sustainable housing estate in Victoria’s Bass Coast that
demonstrates how Australian housing estates can build affordable energy
efficient housing, carbon neutral homes that achieve a zero emissions, low,
cost future.

The Cape is the ideal controlled variable for this study with its combined passive
solar design and construction techniques with affordable technologies such
as heat pump heating, cooling and hot water systems, and solar power, to
achieve carbon neutral, healthy homes that are comfortable, resilient and
healthy in hot spells and heat waves, with super low running costs compared
to conventional homes.

The Cape is also generating three to four times the energy it is using. It
demonstrates how new “energy positive” estates can become power stations
in suburbs, generating a surplus of clean energy for use on site, to help power
electric vehicles, and to export to surrounding neighbourhoods and improving
energy security.

Research reveal a preference for a sustainable community

The report shows that most participating households aimed to live in The
Cape permanently.

There were a range of motivations from the households as to why they had
bought land and planned to build a home at The Cape. Motivations ranged
from wanting to reduce living costs and environmental impact through to
being part of a like-minded community.

Some households already lived in the area and were looking to move into
sustainable and quality housing, while others were from Melbourne, or further
afield, and were looking to transition living down at The Cape.

In interviews with households after they moved, they reported that the
housing was thermally comfortable, that they rarely had to use their heating
and cooling systems and their energy and water bills had significantly fallen.

The participants also spoke about how friendly the community was, even
though it was still under development. Residents spoke about how the
existing community welcomed new households and there were a number of
community events starting to occur in the development.

Some of the residents who were not yet living in the development would drive
down from Melbourne to participate in some of the community activities
such as the community gardening days.

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