Halcyon notches first Tesla home

Semi-retired couple Robert and Pam Jones may not have to worry about a power bill ever again now they have moved into their new waterfront home at the Vision by Halcyon community at Hope Island.Theirs is the first Tesla Powerwall battery-powered home to be completed in an Australian over 50s community, and with power generated by solar panels, the Joneses can almost disconnect from the power grid.The first of its kind to be approved in Queensland, the home is equipped with a Bradford Solar ChargePack incorporating a Tesla Powerwall system, which stores electricity generated from rooftop solar panels during the day.That power can then be used at night, negating the need to draw on the power grid when the sun goes down.Mr Jones said the installation of the system would future-proof the two-storey home which has an elevator, multiple entertainment areas and a C-Bus home automation system that controls everything from lights to air conditioning.“This is an investment that will pay for itself over the next decade while allowing us to tread more lightly on the earth,” he said.“We don’t need to worry about energy price rises and power blackouts.”Keith and Joan Facey power their home at Vision by Halcyon with 26 solar panels and store energy in a Solax battery.“We’ve future proofed our home and couldn’t be happier,” Mr Facey said.“We can access, operate and review our usage from anywhere in the world via the web.“The benefits are endless - if the grid goes down - we don’t, which is vital at our age.”Halcyon joint managing director Bevan Geissmann said the battery powered homes represented early adoption of new technology.“The modern senior is perhaps surprisingly one of the stronger adopters of technology in their homes,” Dr Geissmann said.“They see the financial spin-off and are willing to invest now for their future.”Queensland manager for CSR Bradford Joe Potter said the system had the potential to save the average family more than $2000 a year on their power bills and allow them to achieve up to 96 per cent self-sufficiency from the electricity grid.“This is the leap forward the industry needed and will provide Aussie families benefits like we’ve never seen,” Mr Potter said.“It is the future for energy management giving control back to individual households and enables residents to see, control and manage their own guilt-free energy.”Mr Potter said the system worked well for retirees who were home more during the day.“It covers your energy usage during the day and is capable of storing enough power to cover an average home’s evening energy usage,” he said.Vision by Halcyon’s homes, featuring the Bradford Solar ChargePack incorporating Tesla Powerwall, is the latest innovation of the developer which has championed environmentally sustainable development in Queensland over 50s communities and receiving numerous UDIA state and national accolades for its efforts.Vision by Halcyon will ultimately feature 88 luxury, energy efficient homes.