The suburban house and office built at 19 Manapau Street Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand has been designed in a contemporary style, by Kristina and Simon Cope.

 

We wanted a house and attached office space that was 'timeless' in it's style, practical to live in and maintain, and use near zero external sources of conventional fuel/energy to provide electricity, and heating.

 

We have achieved these goals by using readily available, proven products / design services - typically available anywhere in the western world:

Installation of solar electricity modules (photovoltaics) on the roof to generate adequate power to run all of the modern appliances in the house and office.

 

Installation of solar hot-water panels on the roof to provide all year round supply of hot water for heating and cooking / washing purposes.

 

Installation of radiator system throughout the house / office areas to evenly distribute and control the temperature in separate rooms.

 

Insulation pads (polyester fibre) installed in all wall (including internal) ceiling and floor areas to provide both thermal barrier and sound dampening properties.

 

Custom made heated towel rails that have hot water circulated through them to enable us to have warm and 'yummy' towels to dry ourselves with, and our washed clothes in the bathrooms and laundry areas.

 

Snaking 3/8 copper pipe with hotwater flowing in them under the tile floors in the bathrooms to ensure the tiles are warm and toasty in winter underfoot.

 

Use of a grid-intertie inverter to export the excess electricity generated onsite (i.e. electricity not used immediately by the house at that time) during the day out to other consumers in Auckland to use by spinning our utility/power company meter backwards - thus giving us a credit - and then when we use more than we are making, or at night time, draw off the national grid and spin the meter back in the 'normal' direction...No batteries, no hassles, nothing complicated :-)

 

If you are interested in any of the products or services we discuss here at the Solar Energy House.com, or want to ask us a question, or want to visit our home, please contact Kristina and Simon Cope at the Solar Energy House in Meadowbank, Auckland by clicking here now.

Click here to find out more...

600 litre hotwater cylinder feed by the sun, wetback & backup boiler to then provide endless hotwater for our radiators, custom heated towel rails, underfloor... learn from our mistakes & knowledge.  Click here to learn more > >

Total of 4.48kW array of solar PV modules generating ~25kW a day; all running 609m2 house with 5 occupants + 2 businesses with 7 computers, 3 staff and cat to boot! Is this practical for you? Learn more by clicking here > >

Collection of the bountiful rainful we get in Auckland... then make sure we don't get sick from it (ban the mozzie & dead mice!), and then save a fortune by reticulating it throughout the house... Click here to learn how we did it > >

Read & watch videos on what others have to say or report on what Simon Cope had to say about renewable energy in New Zealand over the last 20+ years... are we doing enough? Is he a greenie? (He doesn't vote for the Greens, so what gives? Why do it? You mean he could be... click here to learn more >>

Contact us now at the Auckland Solar Energy House - click here

How We Got Started...

Solar Energy House C/- Simon & Kristina Cope | 19 Manapau Street, Meadowbank, Auckland 1072  |  New Zealand  |  Contact us now to arrange your tour

We turned this freezing cold 100m2 ex-state house into...

This Auckland solar power home took years of planning & lots of input from business associates, friends and family to ensure it turned out 'just right'... Click here to learn who contributed & why you should be talking to them BEFORE you put pen to paper or hammer in another nail... Click here now >>

With a solar PV powered house you can still use an electric fridge, freezer, dishwasher, microwave, breadmaker, washing m/c, lights, stereo, TV, video, computers etc - just use the most energy efficient versions available in the world... Learn about the different appliances by clicking here > >

Learn through a guided tour with extensive notes on how Simon & Kristina Cope created a 609m2 house that uses $50 worth of electricity a month in Auckland!

Into a toasty warm 609m2 house that generates it's own electricity, it's own heating (water & space heating), collects it's own water & amply supplies this to 3 adults & 2 female tweenies all for $50 dollars a month! Click here to learn how we did it - all in the suburbs of Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand...

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Design Of The Home & Features

Energy Efficient Appliances

Articles & Videos About COPE

Tank Water

Hot Water

PV Solar Electricity

Every internal wall as well as mandantory external wall, floors and ceilings have the highest 'R value' insulation stuffed into them - providing sound proofing & nice & cosy environment to heat/cool... Click here to learn more > >

Insulation

Heating: Under the tiles in the bathrooms,up thru the heated towel rails with piping hot water and then throughout the house in radiators. Don't forget the beauty of an 'open fire' where you can relax in front of the flames... Click here to learn more > >

Heating

Why should you explore further into this website, let alone want to listen to what Kristina and Simon Cope have to say about designing, building or living in a solar powered house for? How is this relevant to me living elsewhere in Auckland or New Zealand? Click here to learn more >>

Who Is Kristina & Simon Cope?

The Solar Energy House in Meadowbank, Auckland has involved a large number of professionals and companies to make it happen. We wish to thank: Andrew Day Design, Autex Industries, Breeze Furniture, Energy Online, Mercury Energy, Genesis Power, Rockgas, John & Kathy Beavon of Solar Hot Water, John Austin of JASMAX, Shaun Waddell of Marley Products, Barry Hillis, Carl Emerson of FreePower, Mark Ayre, Bruce Page of Independent Power, Breeze Furniture, Rinnai NZ, Nick Schofield of Synergex Systems,