Home
My House
My journey
Electricity
Water
Wastewater
The Kitchen
Products & Services
Low bills living
Services
Book a talk
Off-grid projects
Off-grid fact sheets
Tours
General Public Tours
Model of my house at the Powerhouse Museum
Blog
About
Contact me
Media
Leaky drains and kerbside gardens
Food

Michael Mobbs' Sustainable House

Home
My House
My journey
Electricity
Water
Wastewater
The Kitchen
Products & Services
Low bills living
Services
Book a talk
Off-grid projects
Off-grid fact sheets
Tours
General Public Tours
Model of my house at the Powerhouse Museum
Blog
About
Contact me
Media
Leaky drains and kerbside gardens
Food
4 December 2025
Michael Mobbs
Cucumber farming in the street

Story by two US interns, Michael Miniotas and Will Brandt, who are growing cucumbers in a Sydney street.

Cucumber farming in the street
21 June 2019
Michael Mobbs
Make a more natural nature strip

Here’s a simple, low cost , low tech design which keeps rain water where it falls to make a self-watering nature strip.

Let’s put nature into the ‘nature’ strips of our cities. It’s easy.

Make a more natural nature strip
2 April 2019
Michael Mobbs
23 years off grid for water in the centre of ...

What does the data tell us about living off-grid for water in the heart of Sydney?

Analysis of water quantity by an American intern in Sydney, Jillian Meehan.

23 years off grid for water in the centre of Sydney - what the data says
6 February 2019
Michael Mobbs
Aircon for on and off-grid houses

Here’s how to have aircon and be on or offgrid for electricity. Cool!

Aircon for on and off-grid houses
Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

Roads increase household electricity bills

Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016
Roads increase household electricity bills

New research into household electricity use shows black roads, no trees and dark roofs drive up household electricity bills.

Tagged: Urban Heat Island, Streetgarden

Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

Children give an ecoPOPs to their mum for Xmas and her birthday

Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016
Children give an ecoPOPs to their mum for Xmas and her birthday

In Sydney’s west, Lorna Anderson’s children have given her an ecoPOPs for her birthday and Xmas present.

Tagged: ecoPOPs

Comment
Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

IPRT reduces stormwater charges for properties with water detention

Michael Mobbs
12 April 2016

For the first time since it began setting water prices NSW’s pricing tribunal (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) has proposed more than halving stormwater charges by Sydney Water for properties with rain tanks or significant water detention.

Tagged: Efficiency, Stormwater

Comment
Michael Mobbs
4 April 2016

How to insulate a bathroom

Michael Mobbs
4 April 2016

To make a bathroom warm in winter and cool in summer we can insulate the floor, wall and ceiling.

Tagged: Off-grid products, Energy

Comment
Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

How to cool a fridge and house with Earth's cool earth

Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Here's how to cool a fridge and house using Earth's free cool air harvested from the earth below a house; a 1.15 seconds video.

Tagged: Energy, Efficiency

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Three ways to insulate timber floors

Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Here are three ways to insulate a timber floor one of which works for existing floors; a 53 seconds video.

Tagged: Energy, Off-grid

Comment
Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

How to insulate a double brick wall

Michael Mobbs
13 March 2016

Here is a short video (.59 seconds) showing how to insulate a double brick wall.

Tagged: Efficiency, Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
29 February 2016

How can we run our swimming pool more efficiently?

Michael Mobbs
29 February 2016

“After our tour of your house you mentioned that you could tell us how to run our swimming pool more efficiently and cheaply. 

Tagged: Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
26 February 2016

Would you like to see construction of Kylie’s off-grid house?

Michael Mobbs
26 February 2016
Would you like to see construction of Kylie’s off-grid house?

If you’re considering going off-grid and would like to see how it’s being done during construction this is your chance.

Tagged: Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
24 February 2016

Can I put solar panels on my asbestos roof?

Michael Mobbs
24 February 2016

This enquiry just in from Richard:

“I have 8 solar panels on my roof but they are now shaded by a neighbour’s tree, particularly in winter. 

Tagged: Solar

Comment
Michael Mobbs
22 February 2016

Monitoring solar panels and appliances

Michael Mobbs
22 February 2016

Two homegrown Sydney-based technology companies will provide two ‘Off-the-Grid Guy’s" projects with solar and energy monitoring over the Internet.

Tagged: Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
22 February 2016

Farmers and city folk who conserve land, energy, water deserve fast approvals

Michael Mobbs
22 February 2016

Conserving land, water and energy benefits all of us.

Tagged: Fast track off-grid

Comment
Michael Mobbs
16 February 2016

A chat on the wild side

Michael Mobbs
16 February 2016

On Monday 15 February ABC Radio National presenter, Ellen Fanning, spoke to Chris Dunston, Phillip Vannini and myself about going off-grid.

Phillip made the documentary, Life Off Grid, and Chris is a Director of Research at the Institute of Sustainability at the University of Technology.

Our conversation is about 25 minutes and you can hear it here.

Tagged: Off-grid

Comment
Michael Mobbs
28 January 2016

When in doubt, garden

Michael Mobbs
28 January 2016

Maria and I, Chippendale residents, rescued a citrus tree in the road verge from stink bugs today

Tagged: Streetgarden

2 Comments
Michael Mobbs
22 January 2016

When style, clothes and passion make a difference

Michael Mobbs
22 January 2016
When style, clothes and passion make a difference

As Kelsey Timmerman puts it, “step #1 is getting people to give a shit.” (Author of Where Am I Wearing? A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes.)

Tagged: Off-grid products

Comment
Michael Mobbs
17 January 2016

“Should I buy self-cleaning gutters?”

Michael Mobbs
17 January 2016

Terrific question just in about gutters from Joel in Queensland about buying gutters.

Tagged: Off-grid products

3 Comments
Michael Mobbs
14 January 2016

My role recycling bricks at Kylie's off-grid house

Michael Mobbs
14 January 2016

Four workers are recycling bricks and mortar at Kylie’s off-grid house.

Tagged: Off-grid, Recycling

Comment
Michael Mobbs
14 January 2016

Streetgarden -- so far so good

Michael Mobbs
14 January 2016

Two months since it was installed the trial Streetgarden is proving effective at feeding its tree and keeping water where it falls.

Tagged: Streetgarden

Comment
Michael Mobbs
21 December 2015

Which solar panel for me?

Michael Mobbs
21 December 2015

This question comes up every tour of Sydney's  Sustainable House, and in many conversations I have with those thinking of making their power from the sun's energy.

Comment
Michael Mobbs
3 December 2015

Sydney off-grid champion wins rain tank battle with council

Michael Mobbs
3 December 2015

It took over 15 months but Sydney off-grid champion Kylie Ahern has won her battle with Marrickville Council to have a rain tank and disconnect from Sydney Water.

Tagged: Off-grid, Rainwater, Red tape

8 Comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts
  • Efficiency 77
  • Compost 62
  • Rainwater 57
  • Food 52
  • Off-grid 47
  • Recycling 47
  • Energy 44
  • Off-grid products 44
  • Solutions 43
  • Stormwater 34
  • Streetgarden 33
  • Compost Recycling Soil coolseat 30
  • Low bills 25
  • compost 24
  • Garden design 23
  • Soil 23
  • Community 22
  • Climate 20
  • Climate action 20
  • Costs 19
  • Green energy 19
  • Red tape 19
  • Food waste 18
  • Solar 18
  • Urban Heat Island 15
  • Rate rebate 14
  • Fast track off-grid 12
  • Coolseaats 11
  • Electricity 11
  • Water 11
  • Global warming 10
  • Sewage 10
  • Biodiversity 9
  • Draingarden 9
  • Batteries 8
  • Rain 7
  • Cooling 6
  • Data 6
  • Garbage 6
  • Plastic 6
  • Village life 6
  • rain tank 6
  • Leaky drain 5
  • coolseats 5
  • Planting 4
  • Truth 4
  • Kindness 3
  • Leaky well 3
  • Climate criminal 2
  • Comp 2
Blogs by month
  • September 2014 1
  • October 2014 1
  • February 2015 1
  • May 2015 1
  • June 2015 1
  • September 2015 4
  • October 2015 2
  • November 2015 16
  • December 2015 2
  • January 2016 5
  • February 2016 6
  • March 2016 3
  • April 2016 5
  • May 2016 2
  • June 2016 4
  • July 2016 2
  • September 2016 4
  • December 2016 1
  • March 2017 1
  • April 2017 2
  • June 2017 4
  • July 2017 1
  • August 2017 2
  • September 2017 2
  • December 2017 2
  • January 2018 4
  • February 2018 2
  • March 2018 3
  • April 2018 3
  • May 2018 4
  • June 2018 2
  • July 2018 2
  • February 2019 3
  • March 2019 3
  • April 2019 6
  • June 2019 1
  • July 2019 4
  • August 2019 1
  • September 2019 3
  • October 2019 3
  • November 2019 5
  • December 2019 3
  • January 2020 2
  • February 2020 3
  • March 2020 8
  • April 2020 1
  • May 2020 1
  • June 2020 5
  • July 2020 4
  • August 2020 3
  • September 2020 1
  • October 2020 2
  • November 2020 3
  • December 2020 2
  • January 2021 3
  • February 2021 1
  • March 2021 1
  • April 2021 1
  • May 2021 1
  • July 2021 6
  • September 2021 1
  • October 2021 2
  • November 2021 4
  • December 2021 2
  • February 2022 4
  • March 2022 6
  • April 2022 3
  • June 2022 4
  • July 2022 1
  • August 2022 4
  • September 2022 6
  • October 2022 5
  • November 2022 1
  • December 2022 4
  • January 2023 3
  • February 2023 3
  • March 2023 6
  • April 2023 2
  • May 2023 5
  • June 2023 3
  • July 2023 2
  • August 2023 4
  • September 2023 1
  • October 2023 2
  • November 2023 3
  • December 2023 3
  • February 2024 6
  • March 2024 2
  • April 2024 1
  • May 2024 2
  • June 2024 2
  • July 2024 1
  • August 2024 3
  • September 2024 2
  • October 2024 1
  • November 2024 5
  • December 2024 1
  • February 2025 3
  • March 2025 3
  • April 2025 2
  • May 2025 2
  • June 2025 2
  • August 2025 3
  • September 2025 2
  • October 2025 1
  • December 2025 3

Use this site to find and follow off-grid projects

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Periscope or get my free newsletter with how-to-do it info

Sign up for Michael's newsletter

Thank you! You'll be hearing from Michael soon.

Back to Top
Sustainable House, 58 Myrtle St, Chippendale, NSW, 2008, Australia

Powered by Squarespace