Victoria's first home to receive a 10-star energy rating allows its inhabitants to live unreliant on the electricity grid, if they use the building's features to their full potential.
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Developer Brendon Collins and Indi MP Helen Haines opened the three-bedroom townhouse, which features draught-proofing technology, double-glazed windows, and a 6.6 kilowatt solar system with a battery.
"If you run all the big power users like washing machines in the day, the battery storage runs your house at night," Mr Collins said.
"Because the house uses such little energy, it's got room to charge an electric car as well."
Mr Collins said Elmwood sought to create a development that not only supported families, but the elderly and people living with disabilities.
"This has been 12 years in the making," he said.
"In 2006, we bought land from the state government and we knew it was unique to get five hectares in the middle of the city.
"What we've done is tie things together so you get a sense of harmony and community."
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Dr Haines said the "nationally and internationally recognised housing development" had been built "with people in mind".
"Brendon describes the way people come out to meet in the village green," she said.
"One thing we've been afraid of is that notion of being looked at ... [but] we need to actually look out over our garden fence a lot more.
"That's what this community is going for.
"When we think about climate change and lowering emissions, often it seems quite complicated and hard, and we don't know where to start - this shows how to."
There are now 125 townhouses in Elmwood Living, and 10 will meet the top rating under the Victorian Government's Residential Efficiency Scoreboard.
The event at Elmwood linked into the Albury-Wodonga Sustainable Living Festival, which concluded at the weekend.
