Sustainable Green Home

OVERVIEW

BEREA KY 40403 SOLD!

This resilient/green homestead offers a more self-sufficient home/sustainable living, with a beautiful house and extensive solar energy, water catchment, and organic garden infrastructure. It features back-to-the-land capabilities and comfy living in a nicely appointed environmental home -- without sacrificing the other amenities and pleasures of life.

2,200 sqft house on 3 acres; built in 2006
3 bedrooms, 2 full baths
full brick exterior, standing-seam metal roof
5.4 kW solar electric w/ battery backup; solar hot water; passive solar design
city water plus 10,000 gal rainwater catchment with distributed pumping
8,000 sqft of organic garden beds, plus fruit/nut trees and perennials
12' x 20' garden shed; 8' x 16' greenhouse; food storage areas
alarm and camera systems; perimeter fence
low-allergen home, designed for good indoor air quality
a beautiful combination of elegant appointments and practical systems

Portfolio

SYSTEMS OVERVIEW

energy

5.4 kW of solar electric on dual-axis tracking pedestals (est. 7.0 kW equiv.); grid-tied with battery backup
passive solar design (free winter heat from the sun) with large catalytic wood stove and beautiful thermal-mass wall
geothermal (ground-connected) central heating and air conditioning
ceiling fans and whole-house fan for non-A/C cooling
high-efficiency building envelope, EnergyStar-certified
custom double-cell insulating window shades
trellised vines for summertime shading

water

city water service with private septic
dual-chamber solar composting toilet as backup system
whole-house filter plus fluoride sink filter
10,000 gallons of filtered rainwater catchment with pumps and remote hose bibs
creek adjacent; reservoir within walking distance
good average rainfall in Kentucky

GARDEN

7,500 sqft of framed garden beds
10+ years organic soil building
perennials include asparagus; strawberries; blueberries; red and yellow raspberries; blackberries; hops; flowers; medicinal and culinary herbs
over two dozen fruit and nut trees/bushes, including apple, pear, Asian pear, plum, cherry, mulberry, fig, pawpaw, almond, pecan, hazelnut
12' x 20' garden shed with shelves, workbenches, concrete floor, lights, outlets
8' x 16' greenhouse with double-wall polycarbonate and aluminum frame; lights and outlets; potting bench and built-in racks; automatic venting
side yard, perfect for chickens or goats
multiple pantries for food storage, including large climate-controlled area
canning stove outlet (220V) in garage

aMENITIES

all hardwood floors and tile
living room has vaulted ceiling, large window array
kitchen has solid-wood cherry cabinets; two sinks; porcelain countertop with full tile backsplash and granite accents; no-see electrical outlets; under-cabinet lights; bar seating
dining room sized for large table, buffet
both baths have tiled surrounds & floors
master bath has granite shower bench and sink top
low-allergen home -- very clean; no smoking or pets inside since original construction; low-VOC materials
wired for multi-room coax, ethernet, phone, stereo; satellite TV drop
LOTS of storage
all brick exterior; 50-yr standing-seam metal roof; zero-maintenance soffits
screened back porch; Trex deck
fire circle
yard includes areas of grass, gardens, paths, and trees, with great views in multiple directions

SECURITY

alarm system with window, door, motion, fire, and glass-break sensors
camera system with 7 different views
4-foot, floored crawlspace serves as severe-weather safe area; incl. phone, lights, electricity
perimeter fence for security, child safety, and animal control
additional security features

FirstFriday-May2016-07-small_1000_400_s_

COMMUNITY

The property is about seven miles from the heart of Berea--a major Kentucky cultural and sustainability center.

There is a year-round farmers' market in Berea, with another in nearby Richmond. Lexington, the largest nearby city, has a very large farmers' market, as well as a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, and a large, well run food co-op.
Berea College runs a sustainable agriculture program, training a new generation of farmers and permaculturists and featuring a well stocked farm store.
The Berea area has an excellent community of back-to-the-landers, permaculturists, and people with hands-on skills. Throughout the year, there are many skill-building workshops available.
Multiple craft festivals and music festivals happen in the area each year. During summertime, every Friday night features a free concert and social event in downtown Berea.

GALLERY

At the heart of this amazing property is a low-maintenance, energy-efficient green home that is also designed for elegance and ease of living.

The front walk is flagstone. The front steps and landing were recently updated with brick and bluestone. Seasonal trellised vines reduce the heat load imparted to the living space.

The brickwork around all windows and doors features brick accents and/or keystones. The garage is fully insulated and has 8'x8' doors with automatic openers, a work space, and loads of shelved, lighted storage.

The deck is built with no-maintenance Trex and features a screened porch.

Paths run from the house to strategic locations near the house and in the gardens.

The screened porch features a toddler-proof lower mesh and a ceiling fan.

A large, attractive, built-in bench/planter on the east side of the house provides edibles and pleasing aesthetics, and the vines reduce the summer heat.

South-side windows provide passive solar heating. South-side garden beds experience a microclimate, and a nearby planter encloses a cistern for convenient watering.

The foyer is open to the living room and features the same gorgeous 3/4-inch pre-finished solid-oak flooring that covers the floors in most of the house.

The large window array provides a nice view and delivers free sun heat on cold days. The beautiful tiled wall moderates and stores heat from the sun and wood stove, radiating it back into the house later.

The sun space collects the sun's warmth in winter, with the solid-block wall and concrete floor serving as thermal mass. The sun space is big enough to keep potted plants and early-spring starts.

The galley-style kitchen has solid-wood cherry cabinets; tiled counter and floor; and two sinks. Additional features: composite sinks, glass-top drop-in range/oven; under-cabinet lights; hidden electrical outlets.

LOCATION

Questions & Answers

Is the property organically certified? No, but no chemicals were used over the last 12 years. I am an avid composter, adding huge piles of organic matter to the beds every year. After initial installation, all beds have been managed using a strict no-till, heavy mulching regime.
Who built the house? Richard Martin Construction, Inc., a custom-craft builder with a strong interest in green living. Alas, Dick Martin is no longer with us, but the quality buildings he created live on. The "attention to detail" has likely become apparent from the above descriptions, but here are a few more points: there is top-quality Advantech sheathing under all flooring and under the roof metal (rather than metal on bare purlins); the standing seam metal roof has no exposed screws to degrade in the sun and heat; all closets are lighted and feature extra shelves; the garage is fully insulated and could easily be converted to a standalone suite.
What happens when the grid power goes out? The PV system's inverter instantly switches to battery power (or just sticks with sun power if it's shining) to continue delivering electricity to the critical circuits in the house. It's worth noting that the battery system can be charged from either the grid or the panels -- which is not true of many systems. Overall, the solar electric system in this home has the capability of providing excellent resilience during an extended outage.
What type of solar hot water system is it? It's what the pros call a Thermosiphon system. A loop of piping circulates the heated glycol solution between the roof panels and the tank. Inside the tank, a heat exchanger transfers the heat to the water. The system is so efficient that with optimized hot-water usage, one can usually leave the heating element completely off from May through October. A timer system helps optimize use of the backup element during cooler/cloudier periods.
What other energy management features are there? A whole-house fan and ceiling fans provide lower-powered central cooling on all but the hottest of summer days. Attic exhaust fans keep summer heat down in the attics and reduce heat transfer downward. Low-profile trellises are installed on the east and west sides of the house to optionally allow summer vines to grow and reduce the heat load imparted to the living space.
It almost sounds like I need to be an engineer to live in this house! Not at all; most of the systems spend the vast majority of their time on autopilot, and local experts are available for the occasional times something needs to get tweaked.
Why Berea? Berea has a nice college-town feel, and the sustainable ag program at Berea College is a centerpiece for the local food movement. There are multiple major local events each year, including music festivals, theater productions, craft fairs, and skill-building workshops. The music really gets going in summertime, with a free music concert in Beara's Old Town district every Friday night, featuring an eclectic mix of rock, funk, and folk. And of course, the hiking here at the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest is awesome. There are a few nice hiking spots within walking distance from the house, and some great trails within short driving distances, including Indian Fort Theatre and Anglin Falls. Other fav's within an hour-or-so drive include Cumberland Falls, Natural Arch, Yahoo Falls, Carter Caves, and Red River Gorge.

LOCATION

CONTACT