What does a sustainable home actually feel like to live in?

That’s what Lucy set out to explore when she visited Bimbimbie, the home of resident and sustainable housing expert Tom Keel, as part of The Cape by Kids series.

What becomes clear in this episode is that sustainability isn’t one single feature or piece of technology. It starts with design, long before solar panels or batteries are added. The orientation of the home, where the sun sits in winter and summer, how air moves through the house, the size of the home, and the materials used all play a role in creating a house that is comfortable, efficient and easy to live in.

At Bimbimbie, the biggest energy source isn’t hidden away in a cupboard. It’s the sun. Through passive solar design, winter sun enters the home and is absorbed by the concrete floor, which acts like a thermal battery, storing heat during the day and slowly releasing it at night. The result is a home that stays warm in winter and cool in summer, without relying heavily on mechanical heating and cooling.

But the home doesn’t rely on just one idea. It works as a complete system. Double glazing helps keep temperatures stable, cross ventilation allows the home to cool naturally, solar panels generate electricity, and a battery stores energy for when it’s needed later. Add an electric vehicle charger, and the home and car can both run on solar energy.

The result of all this thinking is a different kind of comfort. A home that is quiet, stable in temperature, full of natural light and inexpensive to run. With an energy rating of 8.4 stars, Tom’s home uses a fraction of the energy of a typical Australian home, and in many months produces more energy than it uses.