This old home has become a new age “green house”. Incorporating power saving appliances, solar panels and home grown foods, this home is a step ahead. The residents truly enjoy their eco-friendly lifestyle and encourage visitors to try to incorporate something they learn there into their own lives.
The mission of the Eco House is “to demonstrate affordable green technology and sustainable living in order to inform, engage, and inspire both residents and visitors. The Ohio Eco House is not just a place-it is a dynamic educational experience which promotes critical thinking and tangible actions towards sustainability.”
The residents are chosen by application and are required to do an independent study about energy conservation while residing in the Eco House. They also participate in weekly meetings to discuss the progress of the program. Financial support comes from the residents. Office of Sustainability coordinator Sonia Marcus said, “Bills for the Eco House utilities, repairs, equipment, etc. are paid from the rent money students pay to live there. No other funding is provided.”
One of the most outstanding things you may notice about the Eco House is the large solar panels outside the house. These solar panels provide 70% of the electricity the house uses. The solar power panels provide the power it would take to light 40 60-watt light bulbs for one hour. The solar panels are extremely durable and can withstand weather conditions such as snow and hail. “The solar panels are expected to last 40-50 years" (Young). The residents rotate them twice a year, to ensure maximum power generation.
Another unusual thing about the Eco House is how it is heated. In the basement of the Eco House you will find a biomass furnace which runs on wood pellets, corn kernels and other biomass material. A full load for the furnace can keep the house heated for two weeks. This furnace is especially eco friendly because it is considered carbon neutral since the carbon emitted equals that which the corn or trees use naturally.
One thing that I learned while visiting the Eco House was an unusual way to reduce utility bills. Residents of the Eco House shrink wrap the windows. “The material comes in a big sheet and we just cut it down for how much we need. It reduces draft from older windows and also helps keep in your air conditioning” (Young).
Outside, next to the house, is a garden where the students grow some of their own food. They grow “seasonal crops such as potatoes, corn, kale and tomatoes" (Young). When the residents need more than they can grow on their own, they prefer to buy locally from the Athens’ Farmers Market which supports local farms.
Near the garden there are also bins built for heap composting. The residents throw food scraps from fruits, vegetables, egg shells, etc. into the compost heap and let them decompose over a few months. This composting process helps save nearly 90% of the food waste from the house from going into a landfill. Another way the residents compost might surprise you. There is a system of multiple plastic bins stacked together which makes a home for worms which produce compost faster than the heap composting.
When it comes down to it the Eco House is, above all things, a home. Luckily for the rest of us the residents of the Eco House are so passionate about this project and what it has done for their lifestyle that they are very willing to open their home to the public. Every quarter the Eco House hosts open houses and pot luck dinners in an effort to get other students and community members involved. The Eco House is a truly unique place and experiencing it might give you something to bring back to your life that will help you “go green!”
Appendix of interview questions:
-How old is the house and what was it used for prior to becoming the Eco House?
-When did the first students move in?
-What is the mission statement of the Eco House?
-How are the students chosen to live in the Eco House?
-What is the life span on the solar panels? Do you have any problems with them in adverse weather?
-What kind of crops can you grow in the garden?
*I took notes during my tour, so some of the information came from that and not the direct interview*
Sources:
Office of Sustianability . Ohio Eco House. 2009. .
Ohio University . Everyday Is "Earth Day" at Ohio's EcoHouse. 2009. .
Rose, Graylyn. Eco-House's Fourth Year Residents Shift Focus to Educating Others. 30 Oct. 2008. .
Young, Danny. Personal interview. 21 Feb. 2009.
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