When some think of sustainable house designs, erroneous visions of cold, clinical looking structures may come to mind. These stereotypical ideas of what a green home should look like have been thrown out the window, as seen with a couple more recent constructions.
Homes that have their own reliable energy source are no longer purely utilitarian in appearance. In fact, they can be just as charming and cozy as any other house out there – only better because they also promote a more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly lifestyle.
The Edmonton Journal spotlighted a home owned by Sam Wong that is the perfect mixture of modern amenities and conventional style. Despite the expansiveness of this luxurious, 3,500 square foot structure, it is shockingly a net-zero house. Fueled by geothermal energy, this Canadian home is able to heat itself effortlessly, which saves Wong a significant amount in energy expenses.
Most notably, the features enabling this construction to operate at no cost to the owner or the environment are practically invisible to the naked eye. For example, the solar panels atop the roof are concealed by strategic architectural lines like those created by the gables.
This quaint yet innovative structure does not stand alone. According to The Frederick News-Post, the home belonging to Mollye MacLeod and David Silberstein is yet another prime case where design has not been comprised for the sake of sustainability.
These homeowners pulled out all the stops to make sure that their ranch would be easy on the environment and on their wallets for years to come. The house is outfitted with everything an energy efficient home could ask for, including 18 rooftop solar panels, a geothermal heating and cooling system and a wind turbine.
“We wanted self sustainability. We wanted it partly for ourselves and partly as a demonstration to show what’s possible because we’re going to need it in the future,” Silberstein told the news source.
With these reliable energy source, the couple will surely be benefiting from their home for the long run.
