

Expert Eco Chats 2025
Brought to you by the Nillumbik Shire Council Community Fund
Sunday 1 June 2:00pm-4:05pm
Edendale Farm, 30 Gastons Rd, Eltham
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Expert Eco Chats 2025 delivered another wonderful experience helping the Nillumbik community on its sustainable home journey. ​See below for the experts who helped householders this year.
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Mark van Haandel - MVH Constructions
MVH Constructions founder Mark van Haandel is passionate about building homes that not only look fantastic but perform equally as well. Mark believes the Passive House standard of building is a solution that provides not only a home that is energy efficient, but also a home that is a healthy environment for its occupants.

Romney Bishop - 10 Star Ratings
Romney is an accredited Residential Efficiency Scorecard assessor and has been advising householders on how to improve their home’s comfort and reduce energy and water bills for over 15 years. Romney can help with new home designs as well as upgrading existing homes and has a passion for finding solutions to difficult problems.

Chris Johnson - EcoMad
Chris is a sustainability consultant and energy efficiency auditor.
As an accredited scorecard assessor, he specialises in energy efficiency for the built environment including energy audits, building plan reviews and product supply and/or install for draught sealing, insulation, and hot water systems.
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Simone Schenkel - Reimagined Habitat
Simone studied architecture in Germany, the home of the PassivHaus movement. She uses the passion, experience and knowledge gained from her upbringing and studies in Germany to create spaces that are affordable, healthy, thermally comfortable, energy efficient and resilient for future generations. She is on a mission to make energy efficient spaces a staple in the Australian landscape, without it costing the earth!

Certified Passive House Designer; ​ ​Australian Passive House Association reimaginedhabitat.com.au
Dan Milne - Living Systems
Dan supports people to design and evolve their own habitat.
Drawing on ecology and permaculture, Dan comes to this conversation from a whole-systems perspective combining simple, appropriate technology, efficient and passive systems and behavioural approaches.

Ask me about : garden design, water management
livingsystems.com.au
Ben Russell - Goodbye Gas
Ben is a leader in home electrification. Driven by a vision for a cleaner future, Ben founded Goodbye Gas to make the energy transition seamless for homeowners. Goodbye Gas offers a customer-first service that handles every step of electrification, replacing outdated gas appliances with efficient electric alternatives.

Ask me about : induction cooktops, heat-pump water heaters and energy efficient air conditioning systems
Lucy Williams - LWA Architects
Lucy Williams Architect is a small architecture studio based in Eltham/Wurundjeri Country. We specialise in creating bespoke solutions to our clients’ briefs and see every project as an opportunity to explore how good design can improve the built environment for both people and the planet. Lucy is passionate about sustainable design and designs by the ethos that 'less is more'.

Bryce Gaton - EV Choice
Expert on electric vehicles since 2008 and owner/driver since 2012.
Currently working as EV transition consultant to government, business and the public.
EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne.
Formula SAE race team.

Contributor for The Driven; Renew Economy; and Renew Magazine. evchoice.com.au
Lucinda Flynn - Going Green Solutions
An Accreditated Scorecard Assessor, Lucinda helps you understand how homes use energy, and what to do to reduce energy use and be more comfortable - insulation (ceiling, wall, underfloor), windows (double glazing, secondary glazing, cheap glazing improvements, frames, coverings and shading), draught proofing and more!

Home energy efficiency assessor, presenter & trainer.
All Electric Homes - Trent Jones
Trent has been working in the electrical industry for over 18 years and now built up a talented team of 35 plumbers, refrigeration mechanics and electricians.
Trent’s core mission is to decarbonise and electrify homes. From advice in planning and costings, project management and execution - there is no item that cannot be electrified.

Benn Simpson - Green Edge Technologies
Green Edge Technolgies design and install solar systems to suit all budgets. With extensive experience designing solutions that improve your home’s energy efficiency, reduce electricity bills, guarantee a return-on-investment and in harmony with the aesthetic of your home.
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Find the Best Residential Solar Power Products & Panels Systems (greenedgetech.com.au)
Pat Tale - Total Solar Solutions
Pat is a proud Nillumbik resident and passionate renewable energy and electrification expert, with over 10 years industry experience. Pat is an expert in whole-home electrification and can help you with advice, designs and pricing on wide variety of upgrades including solar, batteries, EV charging, heating/cooling, heat pump hot water and more.​
