I would like to build a green home on the Alberta - Saskatchewan Border and I have NO idea where to start!
So I thought I would blog about this crazy idea from start to finish and hopefully along the way connect with like minded people and learn a whole lot from you (commenters and blog watchers) along the way!
Maybe together we can all make it a little bit easier and more successful to go green . . . or at least try!
Because right now where do you start?!
I've been looking into that for the last couple of years. I can bring some info to the Farmer's Market on Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking for some time about doing something like this to find collaborators for a similar project involving a building that I own in a small town.Where to start is the question on my mind too..I have a plan to retrofit and install systems..solar collection,water collection,refrigeration and heating systems..and a vision of a social venue involving art, food and music..but again don't know where to start and lack the financial resources to do it on my own. I am inspired by this move you have made and hope the discussion grows to include people with similar ambitions,interests and possible resources. I want a model of self-sufficiency in a community that can't see the possibilities right in front of them.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of starting from scratch,there are many possibilities..what are you considering as a basic plan? Do you have the land already? Is it hilly? I know the most efficienct heating system involves digging in to a hillside with a south face..for starters.
We are trying too. We are hopefully going to build this summer. We are starting with figuring out how much space we want for what activities, we don't yet know what the materials costs will be. We are researching. Right now my husband is all for ICF, but it is somewhat cost dependent. We have certain restrictions too, like we aren't allowed to build into the slope in our RM like we wanted to, and water is not easily accessible even though a lake is 100metres away...We are researching grid vs offgrid, water heat, pellet stoves- all in planning right now. I will keep watching your progress and share any brilliant discoveries if we make them.
ReplyDeleteLia
We are trying to retrofit a home built in the 50's in Northwest Saskatchewan. We are on a quarter of land which is next to a decent lake in the mixed spruce-aspen forest with 70 cleared acres.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for us to choose how low on the tech scale we want to go (why invest in technology that might not be maintainable after peak oil) but the first thing we are doing is opening up our floor plan so our home is easier to heat with our wood system.
Thank You everyone for your great comments! I am really excited to learn with and from all of you. Hopefully we can answer everyone's questions as we go.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the posts, keep it up!