Sustainable House Day 2026

Sustainable House Day (SHD) is an annual event hosted by Renew, a non-profit organisation that advocates for transforming Australian homes for climate and energy resilience.

Local councils, community groups and homeowners come together to showcase sustainable homes in almost every state. What started as a handful of open homes has now become Australia’s largest national, community-driven celebration of climate-smart living, with over 150 homes opening their doors in 2025.

This year will showcase Australians who have retrofitted, renovated, rebuilt or electrified their homes to inspire and showcase practical solutions for effective climate living.

“Australian households are leading one of the fastest clean energy transformations in the world,” says Helen Oakey, CEO of Renew.

“Families are installing rooftop solar, embracing home batteries, retrofitting insulation, and adopting passive design to save on bills and improve the safety of their homes in the face of extreme weather events.”

According to the Clean Energy Council, climate-smart home upgrades such as solar panels, batteries, insulation, heat pumps and passive design are already saving Australian households an estimated $3 billion a year; with average savings of around $1,500 per year, per home.

Core themes for SHD in 2026 include:

• Lower bills, smarter homes: Practical upgrades that ease cost-of-living pressures
• Resilience matters: Designing for fire, flood and heat in a changing climate
• Retrofit within reach: Affordable improvements that transform existing homes
• Community power: Neighbours inspiring neighbours to take action.

Some of the homes you will be able to visit include:

• Passive House on Canal – Kangerong, Safety Beach, Vic
  A new build designed on Passivhaus principles, the home owners say their power bills are routinely in credit. The home features a reverse-cycle heat pump that powers all heating and cooling and a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system.
• A Plain and Simple, Passive House – Nyaki-nyaki Noongar, Merredin, WA
  This home was built with energy efficiency, simplicity, functionality, and easy maintenance in mind. It’s a passive solar house – with no automation. The owner describes himself as an “active occupant”, who likes to manually adjust things within the home. The home takes advantage of north-facing glazing, cross ventilation, thermal mass and shading.
• The Earthen Retreat – Bundjalung Country, Byron Bay, NSW
  The Earthen Retreat is a 124m² house in Byron Bay, NSW, designed around passive solar principles and natural materials. Rammed earth forms the primary wall construction and has high thermal mass, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it gradually at night.

For a full list of the homes that will be open, please click here.

Sustainable House Day isn’t just about upgrading home appliances and technology; it’s about people sharing what works in their own homes. Workshops, expert panels, and local tours will run alongside open homes, creating spaces for communities to share ideas and explore practical solutions together.

“Seeing solutions in action inspires neighbours to act too,” says Oakey.

“Small changes add up, and people leave feeling empowered rather than overwhelmed. Sustainable House Day is where it all comes to life. It’s the neighbour-to-neighbour learning that drives real change.”

An all-day ticket costs $15. For more information, visit the Sustainable House Day website.

Images courtesy of Sustainable House Day.

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