Sustainable House Day 2026 Impact Report
Every Sustainable House Day begins with curiosity.
A family wondering whether insulation is worth it. Someone planning a renovation. A couple ready to replace their gas appliances. Neighbours looking for ideas after a summer of extreme heat.
They arrive with questions. They leave with possibilities.
What they discover isn’t a display home or a sales pitch. They discover real people sharing real experience. Homeowners who generously open their doors and talk honestly about what worked, what didn’t, what they’d do differently and what they learned along the way. Visitors are invited into kitchens, living rooms and gardens where conversations unfold naturally and practical knowledge is shared, neighbour to neighbour.
These conversations do something that brochures and websites never can. They make sustainable homes feel achievable.
That is the power of Sustainable House Day. It doesn’t simply inspire people. It gives them the confidence to take the next step.
Download and read the SHD Impact Report 2026.
Latest from Renew magazine
Efficient homes
Lessons from Wavertree House
Featured in this year’s Sustainable House Day program, Wavertree House is an off-grid home in Darwin River inspired by the tropical architecture of 1930s government architect Beni Burnett. Andrew Spiers discusses the ideas behind the project and what contemporary Australian housing can learn from designing with climate rather than against it.
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gardening
FOGO, humus and the magic in between
Compost is one of nature’s most effective recycling systems. Whether it’s created in a backyard worm farm or a municipal-scale FOGO facility, the process follows the same basic principles. Thom Fox explores how organic waste becomes nutrient-rich compost—and how you can replicate the process at home.
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All-electric
Build your own ultimate 7.5kWh transportable power station
With daytime solar generation increasingly flooding the grid, Owen Hill looks at how the Solar Sharer Offer aims to extend the benefits of cheap renewable electricity to more Australian households.
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Latest from Sanctuary magazine
House profiles
Retro-fit
A minimal-intervention rejuvenation of a 1970s apartment block in inner-city Melbourne provides an appealing alternative to demolition and rebuilding.
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Interiors
Beating airborne pollution at home
Healthy indoor air can be compromised by particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. Rachel Rose explains what they are and how to minimise their impact.
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House profiles
Third life
A reuse project from the start, a cottage relocated to an Orange property years ago has had a comprehensive retrofit to Passive House standard – and what a result.
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News
Advocacy
AEMC proposed rule change on fixed charges not in consumers’ interests
Renew’s submission to the AEMC electricity pricing review supports fairer energy bills for households but warns that shifting toward higher fixed network charges could undermine solar uptake, energy efficiency and equity. The submission urges reforms that protect consumer choice, encourage clean energy investment and keep electricity pricing simple and affordable.
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Advocacy
Solar Sharers should be checked for unintended consequences
Renew has made a submission to the Federal Government's proposed Solar Sharer Offer whereby consumers are offered free electricity generated by solar in the network. Our submission supports the intent of the proposal and outlines how, with careful design, the SSO could support affordability and grid reliability while maintaining incentives for households to invest in solar and batteries.
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News
Sustainable House Day 2025 Impact Report
Sustainable House Day 2025 brought practical climate action into homes and communities across the country, combining 161 in-person open homes with a rich online offering, including 240 home profiles and a national webinar series.
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