G.L.O.W. House
Green Lighting Our World
A hands-on energy education program where children aged 7+ explore solar power, battery storage, and clean energy homes through play-based discovery. Solar and battery together provide a complete energy solution — for your home and for society.
About the G.L.O.W. House
G.L.O.W. House is a flat-packed, 3D-printed model home that assembles in five minutes and brings every major system of a modern all-electric household to life, from solar panels and battery storage to EV charging, hot water, air conditioning and smart lighting.
Every component is connected to a live Home Energy Management System (HEMS) display showing real-time kilowatt readings. Every action has an immediate, visible consequence. Solar and battery together provide a complete energy solution for your home and for society.
The G.L.O.W. House builds climate confidence by showing that solutions exist right now. Every child is welcome. We nurture creativity, confidence, and a can-do attitude, adapting to every interest and skill level.
The Product
A flat-packed, 3D-printed model home that assembles in five minutes and brings every major system of a modern all-electric household to life. Every component connects to a live Home Energy Management System (HEMS) display showing real-time kilowatt readings.
Six All-Electric Home Systems
Solar Panels + HEMS
Live kW display. The command centre of every challenge.
Battery Storage
Store excess solar. Manage overnight and peak supply.
EV Charger + RC Car
Smart charging, V2G scenarios, cost optimisation.
Hot Water System
A home's largest load. Time-of-day optimisation.
Air Conditioning
Demand management, heatwave and comfort trade-offs.
LED Smart Lighting
Automation, dimming and efficiency compounding.
Physical Specifications
What You'll Explore
Real Solar Panels
Cover the panel with your hand and watch the power drop instantly. See the direct connection between light and energy.
Working Battery
Store sunshine for later. Run your house through the night and discover how batteries keep homes powered.
Charge an EV
Power up a real RC car using solar energy, then drive it around. Experience how EVs can run on sunshine.
Live Display
Watch numbers change in real-time as you experiment. See exactly what you're generating, using, and storing.
Try Challenges
Power through a blackout? Balance AC with solar? There's always a new puzzle to solve.
Build Skills
Develop energy know-how, problem-solving, and critical thinking that connects to real homes.
Learning Outcomes
Every challenge produces a measurable, observable result on the HEMS display — grounding abstract concepts in direct experience and immediate feedback.
10 Energy Challenges
Real-family narrative scenarios. Students physically manage the house while reading the live HEMS display. Challenges build skills progressively and also work as standalone sessions.
Morning Power Rush
7 AM: solar rising, battery at 60%. Keep grid draw below 2 kW as the family wakes up.
Energy sources · Cause & effect
Solar Power Champion
12 PM clear sky. Achieve zero grid draw for five consecutive minutes using solar alone.
Renewable energy · Data observation
Night Survival
8 PM: solar offline, battery at 80%. Power the entire evening on storage alone. Can you keep the grid at zero?
Energy storage · Strategic planning
Electric Car Race
Charge the EV from 20% to 80% at the lowest possible cost. Three charging strategies compete.
Electrification · Financial maths
Heatwave Survival
It's 38°C, AC must run. Keep grid below 1.5 kW as the battery depletes.
Demand management · Systems thinking
Birthday Party Power
3 PM: 90% solar. Run party loads and simultaneously push excess generation into the battery.
Load management · Optimisation
Blackout Emergency
Grid goes down. Battery at 55%. Prioritise loads and survive on solar and storage alone.
Grid resilience · Decision under pressure
Zero Emissions Day
24-hour simulation. Achieve zero grid draw from dawn to dusk. Every decision counts.
Carbon emissions · Extended planning
Money-Saving Marathon
Week simulation. Reduce the household electricity bill by at least 50% using smart scheduling.
Financial literacy · Data analysis
Ultimate Energy Master
Full day with weather events, surprise loads and a grid outage. All skills required.
Integrated systems · Creative problem-solving
Curriculum Alignment
Mapped to the Australian Curriculum v9.0. Deployable in a single 45-minute session or across a full term unit.
| Area | Content Description | Years | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science | Physical Sciences — Energy is transferred in various ways | Yrs 3–6 | 1, 2, 5, 7 |
| Science | Physical Sciences — Energy from a variety of sources can be used | Yrs 5–8 | 1–4, 8, 9 |
| Science | Science as a Human Endeavour — Science knowledge influences design | Yrs 5–8 | All |
| Technology | Systems & Control — Design, produce and evaluate digital systems | Yrs 5–8 | 3, 6, 7, 10 |
| Technology | Digital Technologies — Data acquisition, representation and analysis | Yrs 5–8 | 1–10 |
| Mathematics | Measurement — Rates and units of measurement in real-world contexts | Yrs 5–8 | 1, 2, 6, 9 |
| Mathematics | Number — Financial mathematics, percentages and ratios | Yrs 6–8 | 4, 8, 9 |
| Mathematics | Statistics — Collect, record, analyse and present data | Yrs 5–8 | All |
| English | Literacy — Argue, justify and present evidence-based positions | Yrs 5–8 | 5, 8, 10 |
| Cross-curriculum | Sustainability — Systems thinking for sustainable futures | Yrs 3–8 | All |
| Cross-curriculum | Critical & Creative Thinking — Problem-solving and evaluation | Yrs 3–8 | All |
Physical Sciences — Energy is transferred in various ways
Physical Sciences — Energy from a variety of sources can be used
Science as a Human Endeavour — Science knowledge influences design
Systems & Control — Design, produce and evaluate digital systems
Digital Technologies — Data acquisition, representation and analysis
Measurement — Rates and units of measurement in real-world contexts
Number — Financial mathematics, percentages and ratios
Statistics — Collect, record, analyse and present data
Literacy — Argue, justify and present evidence-based positions
Sustainability — Systems thinking for sustainable futures
Critical & Creative Thinking — Problem-solving and evaluation
Digital Platform
A fully featured web-based companion accessible on any tablet or laptop with no download or account needed. A digital twin of the physical kit, extending learning in every direction.
All 10 Challenges Built In
Full narrative scenarios with scoring, time limits, leaderboards and peer comparison. Students can replay independently.
8 Achievement Badges
Solar Master · Battery Guardian · EV Champion · Zero Grid Master · Eco Warrior · Smart Scheduler · Carbon Champion · Ultimate Energy Master.
Facilitator Dashboard
Class overview, per-student scores, session completion data and one-click CSV export for assessment evidence and reporting.
Smart Meter Integration
Connect via QR code to compare the model house data with a real household's live energy data.
Educator Resources
Everything included with every kit, ready to use from day one.
Facilitator Guides
Three age-banded guides (7–9, 10–12, 13–14) with session plans, differentiation notes and extension activities.
Student Worksheets
Printable challenge data sheets for each of the 10 sessions, structured for recording live HEMS data, predictions and reflections.
Discussion Cards
Illustrated prompt cards designed to provoke evidence-based group discussion after each challenge.
Assessment Rubrics
Formative and summative rubrics aligned to Australian Curriculum v9.0 achievement standards.
Professional Learning
Optional half-day PL session covering facilitation, curriculum integration and differentiation strategies.
How It Works
Find a G.L.O.W. House Near You
From mid-2026, available at 500 libraries and community groups across Australia. Register below for updates.
Book Your Session
Venues will offer school holiday programs, workshops, and drop-in times. Check your local library's schedule.
Arrive Curious, Give It a Go
The house snaps together in 5 minutes. Then jump into challenges: solar experiments, battery tests, blackout scenarios.
Experiment & Discover
Try the challenges or explore your own questions. It's all about doing, discovering, and understanding.
Become an Energy Champion
Leave ready to talk to your family about how solar and battery create a complete energy solution — for homes and for society.
Coming to Your Community
Coming to communities across Australia, from capital cities to regional areas. A G.L.O.W. House will be near you, ready for curious minds to make the planet smile.
About Children's Discovery
Australia's leading provider of community STEAM programs since 2001. We design hands-on programs, build the hardware, distribute through libraries, train facilitators and deliver sessions to children across Australia.
AusGrid Community Grant Winner 2026
Recognised by Ausgrid — one of Australia's largest electricity distribution networks — for outstanding contribution to community energy education.
Our Philosophy: Learning Through Play
Hands beat textbooks
Children retain information when they discover it through direct experience. Every concept is encountered through physical action, not instruction.
Frustration is a feature
Real learning happens when things don't work first time. Challenges are designed to be genuinely hard and produce the satisfaction that only comes from solving real problems.
Play is serious business
Twenty-five years of evidence shows that playful, facilitated learning produces deeper conceptual understanding and longer retention than direct instruction alone.
Facilitators are the difference
Program quality comes from our people. Children's Discovery facilitators are trained professionals who know how to create the conditions for genuine discovery.
Register Your Interest
Be the first to know when G.L.O.W. Houses arrive in your area. Get in touch for updates on availability, training, and program news. Every child is welcome and we'd love to hear from you.
Get in Touch
Send us an email and we'll keep you updated on everything G.L.O.W. House, including when sessions open near you.
Email Us to Registerinfo@childrensdiscovery.org.au