Newington. Family wanted for 'smart home'

Sydney Water and Energy Australia are asking seeking a family to live in Australia's first ever smart home. The three-bedroom home in Newington, comes with rooftop solar panels, a fuel cell that converts natural gas into electricity, water saving appliances, state-of-the-art lighting and a worm farm. An electric car is an added bonus.. The home is being fitted out over the coming months, and is expected to welcome its first tenants in the middle of the year.

Newington. $10 million Smart Village

Around 1000 properties in Newington and nearby Silverwater, are being fitted with technology allowing their owners to control air conditioning units, heaters and other devices via iPhones or other mobiles with internet access. So far around 400 homes have been fitted with the technology and a further 600 homes will be installed by December, NSW Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, John Robertson, told AAP. Newington was chosen because properties are relatively new and a high proportion already has environmentally friendly items such as solar panels. Silverwater was chosen because it has a higher proportion of older homes, enabling researchers to trial the technology in a range of properties. The so-called Smart Village, which has cost $10 million, will be monitored for two years and the results used to persuade energy firms and politicians to adopt the technology.

Auburn. $10 million Smart Village trial

Smart electricity and water metres will be installed in 1000 homes in Newington and Silverwater as part of a two-year, $10 million Smart Village trial, a partnership between Energy Australia and Sydney Water. The trial, which is expected to commence in February, is designed to demonstrate how intelligent networks will reduce bills and environmental impact. The trial is expected to save more than $400,00 from domestic energy and water bills over two years. Greenhouse gas emissions are also expected to fall by 2500 tonnes, The Australian Financial Review said.