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Source:
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The Daily Telegraph
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Date
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09/02/2010
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FREE to a good family: a brand new hi-tech green home complete with its own power generating sources, electric car, state-of-the-art TV - and even a kitchen worm farm.
It sounds too good to be true but that's the deal being offered by the State Government.
Energy Minister John Robertson said yesterday the Government wants a family to live in the three-bedroom Smart Home at Newington for a year as a real life investigation into the benefits of the latest technologies and how they'll govern energy and water use in years to come.
"This trial is about taking smart green technologies out of the lab and putting them to the test in the real world," Mr Robertson said. "The house will be powered by rooftop solar panels and a fuel cell on site that converts natural gas into electricity - allowing them to produce all their household electricity on-site."
The loungeroom will feature an organic LED TV and the energy efficient kitchen will have a worm farm for recycling food scraps.
All rent and utilities will be covered in exchange for the family testing the new technology and sharing their experience in blogs or other media.
The Government favours a couple with children and possibly small pets.
The Smart Home is expected to be built by the middle of the year as part of a Smart Village project involving 1000 households in Newington and Silverwater.
Interested families can go to www.tenderlink.com/energy
Applications close February 22