Solar panels and solar batteries keep the power on at the St Andrews Wildlife Shelter with the fully donated system thanks to the support of our supply partners REC, Fronius, Powerplus and Selectronic.
BuildHer Collective empowers women with the right tools to build the home of their dreams or develop properties for profit through online courses and masterclass training sessions.
Every couple of years, the team at BuildHer Collective embark on an ambitious new build or renovation project and, in 2021, they contacted RACV to enquire about getting solar as part of an exciting upcoming project.
That project, BuildHer8, was a collaboration and joint venture between BuildHer Collective founders Rebeka and Kribashini and six BuildHer Masterclass graduates. Working under this collaborative model, the team set out to create two homes, designed by a leading, sustainability-minded architect, next door to one another in Melbourne's leafy northern suburb of Fairfield. With two interior designers on the team, the BuildHer8 team were able to deliver a unique yet complementary look and feel in each home.
We were thrilled to partner with BuildHer Collective and support an organisation helping women participate in the building industry. These sustainable, all-electric homes are 7-star energy rated and reflect our vision for the home of the future: efficient, sustainable, low emissions and low running costs.
Each of these passive solar homes were installed with a premium 9.1kW solar system with SunPower solar panels, Enphase microinverters and a Tesla Powerwall battery, along with a Jetcharge electric vehicle charger and Reclaim heat pump hot water system.
"In designing the systems for the BuildHer8 houses, premium quality components were paired with a custom system design and quality installation. This allowed us deliver maximum energy efficiency while also matching the premium architectural design of the builds."
- Pat Tale, Head of Business Development, RACV Solar
To keep the walls clear and the design clean, the team used Enphase microinverters which sit on the back of each individual solar panel rather than on the wall. They also laid the first solar panel at the front of each house flat on the roof, so the solar system isn’t visible from the street and doesn’t compromise the aesthetic design of the houses.
“When we embarked on this project, we knew we wanted to build beautiful, sustainable homes. We were confident we’d be able to deliver on the aesthetics, but to unlock the ultimate energy efficiency, comfort and future-proofing solutions, we relied on the wonderful team at RACV Solar to guide us. We’re so proud and excited to be part of a movement saying that developing property should and can be done with sustainability as a priority!”
- Ivy Huang, BuildHer8, a JV by BuildHer Collective
BuildHer8 features:
- All electric, no gas homes
- Passive solar architectural design by Ben Callery Architects
- 7-star energy rating, including slab insulation
- 9.1kW solar system with Enphase microinverters and Tesla Powerwall battery
- Jetcharge electric vehicle charger
- Reclaim heat pump hot water system
- Insulated garage door by 4Ddoors
Key numbers*
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*The statistics for RACV Solar customers have been calculated based on the following assumptions: the site's prior electricity consumption and tariffs, 3D modelling software for commercial and complicated residential sites (identifying shade/structures that impact performance), local sunlight irradiance and climate data, Victorian grid electricity emissions intensity factor of 1.12 kg CO2 eq / kWh, and average home system size in Victoria.