Making history was not on the agenda for Judy and Michael Bos when they built their solar-powered home 40 years ago.

But amid fears of an oil shortage and an emerging trend to live "off grid," the Bos family decided that building Australia's first fully autonomous solar-powered home was the "logical way to go".

"There was a lot of talk about the energy crisis and that oil was running out," Judy Bos said.

"We thought there must be a better way. We can become completely autonomous and anything that happens in the world is not going to affect us."

Sitting on a four-hectare block in Pearcedale, on Melbourne's south-eastern fringe, the Bos house was designed to be naturally cool in summer and warm in winter.

"We went into other houses, we found that their heating was blasting away and we didn't need the heat, because the house stays the same temperature all the time," Judy Bos said.

Michael and Judy Bos at the solar-powered home they built at Pearcedale. ( ABC News: James Oaten )

Harnessing the sun's energy

The home was the product of years of planning, including two decades experimenting with solar power, before being built in 1978 after lengthy consultation with architects.

The north-facing side of the home, where the bedrooms and other living spaces were located, was 98 per cent glass to absorb warmth from the sun.

Louvres were positioned throughout the house to control the amount of sunlight let into the building.

These louvres were used to control the amount of sunlight let into the home. ( ABC News: James Oaten )

Wind turbines were used to pump water from a dam and a rainwater tank, which could store 37,000 litres.

Even the garden was meticulously planned, with trees that drop their leaves planted north of the house to act as a natural filter of sunlight.

But the star attraction was a string of solar panels that could charge a cupboard full of lead acid batteries.

Sorry, this video has expired 1980s video of the Bos house

Home became a local icon

While other homes in Australia had been off grid before, it is thought the Bos house was Australia's first home to rely entirely on solar power for its electricity needs.

"The crown fell on us," Judy Bos said.

"It was what we wanted to do, to build a purpose-built home that functioned for us."

These solar panels and the batteries they powered satisfied the home's electricity needs. ( ABC News: James Oaten )

With its unique blend of brickwork, large glass panes and exposed pipes, the Bos house soon became an icon in Pearcedale.

"It was like coming to an industrial site," neighbour Sally Bird said.

"But it was really nice to be in it."

Off the grid in the 70s and 80s

Media attention soon followed, including being featured in the 1983 ABC documentary series Breakthroughs, which called it "the first totally energy-independent modern home in the world".

Architects, students and supporters of solar power were given guided tours of the property.

"It was the first house that we knew of that was running exclusively on solar power," said Michael Harris, who used to run tours of the house in the 1980s.

"Back in the 1980s people were very interested in being self-sufficient and being off the grid, and it was very difficult to do.

"The only option you had was to have a clunky, noisy generator in the back shed."

Urban homes 'extremely vulnerable'

The Bos family thought it was just a matter of time before Australians would rely mostly on solar energy for their everyday needs.

"I think in the future the average house will have its own power supply and it'll have its own solar heating and hot water," Michael Bos predicted in the 1983 documentary.

About 7,000 home batteries were installed in Australia in 2016. ( ABC )

"You're extremely vulnerable living in the cities today connected to the grid systems. If anything happens to them there's not much you can do.

But Australia is still a fair way off Mr Bos' dream, despite the fact solar panels are now much cheaper and at least 15 times more powerful than when the Bos house was constructed.

An audit showed only 7,000 solar power batteries were installed in Australia in 2016, although auditors expect last year's figure to be slightly more than double that.

A recent University of South Australia study showed many modern homes were struggling in the heat, leading to an increasing reliance on power-hungry air-conditioning units.

'In the long run you win'

"We can produce these wonderful houses that are very energy efficient, but when you go out into the suburbs sometimes you don't see that unfortunately, which is a real pity," Mr Harris said.

Michael and Judy Bos recently sold their family home of 40 years, as maintenance on the large rural block had become too much to handle.

But the couple hope their story will inspire others to demand more energy-efficient homes.

"This is a very old-fashioned solar house," Ms Bos said.

"We had to deal with what was available at the time … but now there are all sorts of materials that can be used.

"It doesn't cost any more to put the windows in the right places and to use the right materials, and in the long run you win."