What would be your environmentally friendly dream house?

I'm posting here because I thought this would be the best forum for the environmentally "friendly" house that I have dreamed of for years.

In my dreams, it sits on about 20-30 acres, and has a barn, silo, and some cultivation (i.e. feed for the cows and horses) as well as trees that I could harvest and replant for a renewable fuel source. It would be away from the city, but not in the "backwoods."

The house itself would be very open with lots of glass. Why? Because then natural light can be used primarily during the day for lighting, rather than electric. It would have skylights, as well. The glass would be triple paned for insulation, and the walls/ceilings in the home would have great insulation as well.

I would have three fireplaces - one in the master bedroom, both for heat as well as looks; in the living room, for the same reason. And in the den, as well. The kitchen would have a fireplace for cooking (rather different than a regular fireplace).

It would be powered by both solar and wind. Both free, both renewable, and when the sun isn't handy (i.e. during rain or snow), wind usually is. I also have my own artisan well. I would be offgrid completely, with a solar water heater as well, and enough power generated to power up my electric farm equipment and cars. And if I had a surplus of power, I'd sell it back to the power company (I have a friend who has this already - no power bill, and "credit" with the power company should she ever need it...)

I would have my own compost pile, and farm my own veggies fertilizing with the waste from the animals as well as the compost. I'd have a firepit outside that would handle the rest of the waste generated, and a septic tank (prevents use of city plumbing, all on electric and if you look at your bill, somewhat expensive). For that which I couldn't burn, I'd bring into town for recycling.

So that's what I'd have in my dream house. Am I likely to get it? Probably not...but I can get some of it, at least. And some states even subsidize some of the upgrades and installation costs!

What about you? What's your dream house, and is it environmentally friendly?

Regards-
Aimless

This is it.

DUH

This house is awesome! Although they didnt take my idea for a euthinasia chaimber for jehovas witnesses.

The house would be made of wood -- the most environmentally friendly building material there is.

The shingles for the roof would be recycled rubber from tires, very effective.

7A

Well, for me, it would be more of a floor of a multistory building.

The building would be 70% self sufficient.


It would have the following:

-Underground hydroponics areas with removable roofs so that
they got sun when it was nice out, but could be closed during
storms. Each person would have an equal sized plot to grow
what they like, for free.

-Large solar collection systems built into the building, that
produced all it's normal power needs.

-Computer monitored temperature controls.

-Large polarizing windows.


I'm sure there are some other things, but I can't think of them.

I wonder if one could harness sunlight through a series of mirrors and possibly lenses to use as light throughout a house. It would be pretty neat, even if not very useful.

The Solatube, Skylight 2.0

My dream house would be completely off the grid for electricity and nearly off the grid for water. Gas is a problem, but I guess with enough 40% efficient solar panels that were just developed, I could transition over to electric heating.

But instead of describing what I want, because I myself don't know completely as of yet, I'm going to describe how I plan to get there on a modest 2500 CND a year budget.

Here are the facts right now.

1. We are using all EnergyStar complaint appliances and electronics.

2. We eat 50% of our meat organic and 100% of the meat we eat is raised within 100 km of where we live.

3. 74% of our fruits are organic and within 100 km of us.(this is an exact number not an estimate like the others)

4. 92% of our vegatables comes from local organic sources.(this is an exact number not an estimate like the others)

5. 60% of all products overall come from sustainable sources and was produced within 100 km.

6. Father Telecommutes to work. He refuses to track how much money he is saving that way, but overall he is a driver out of necessity. Usually likes to walk and bike and stuff. Mother same way. ME, I tele-school, mooch rides and take public transit which is all electric except for the rare time I take a Bus.

7. Transitioning over to Compact Fluorescents in all rooms except the bed rooms and bath rooms. Reason being is we cannot find a dimmable Compact Fluorescent at the store with the converter built in(those are separate and expensive and not worth it).

8. Both computers are on power bars(and all the periphs too) that I turn off at night and both computers have LCD monitors and such.

As I said my family's plan is to invest 2500 CND$ a year for the express purpose of taking our house off the grid, room by room. Here is a year by year plan we've drawn up.

2007: 2 Batteries(Sealed Agm,400$), Inverter(600$), Combiner(150$), 2 120W panels(1200$),as many LED lights this system can power 24 hours during the shortest day of the year=2350ish

Goal of 2007: Get all the lighting on the second floor off the grid. Perhaps augment it with the Solatube.

2008: 500$ worth of batteries, 1500 dollars worth of solar. 200 worth of LEDs. Delegate the rest to 2010.

Goal of 2008: Get the remainder of the house lighting off the grid.

2009: Replace all Cathode Ray Tube displays in the house with LCD or better. Delegate the remainder to 2010.

Goal of 2009: Get all displays, computer or TV, Off the grid.

2010: ??? This plan is ever evolving with the changing technology and design landscape.

[edit on 2-1-2007 by sardion2000]