Ron & Jan Bever - Charleston - NY

Single-Family Residence - January 2003

Off grid and no utility bills! Learn to take control of your life and be as independent as possible! The government is Not your friend or here to help you, help yourself!

Quick Facts

Energy Needs Met

100%

or more of electricity

Energy Needs Met

100%

or more of hot water

Net Investment

$8,000

Property

Owner:: Highland Hills Farm
Type:: Single-Family Residence
Address:: 227 Green Road North, Charleston, NY 12072
Size:: 1,700 sq ft
Energy need met:: 100% or more of electricity; 100% or more of hot water
Designations:: Zero net energy
Event Participation:: NESEA Green Buildings Open House 2012 Host; NESEA Green Buildings Open House 2013 Host

Technology

Type:: Small Wind
Installed:: January 2003
Size of System:: 1500
Purposes:: To generate electricity

Financial Details

Gross Cost of System:: $8,000
Net Cost of System:: $8,000
Own or Lease:: Cash Purchase
Additional Financial Notes:: paid for this on our own. If we can do this, others can. Our tax dollars shouldn't be going to help others who want huge systems installed! Do it yourself!

Professionals & Suppliers

Products:: Trace
Installers:: ourselves with help of friends
Financing:: none
Builders:: Owners

What You Need to Know

Description:

Solar cooling Recycled materials FSC Certified Wood Non-Toxic Products Energy Star Appliances Trace Inverter, windows were recycled,(for the barn) recycled styrofoam used to insulate foundation. 2,Southwest wind power micro turbines 400 watts. 6 , 120 watt solar panels, Infiltrator leach field, Sterling engine powered wood stove fan. 12 T- 105 batteries. Energy Star rated TV/VCR/DVD, computers Maytag refrig(Ecoconserve) Peerless-Premier propane kitchen stove, We designed and built our home using our own logs milled on-site. A log sided ranch. 2x6 framing, pole building on floating Alaskan slab. Standard fiberglass insulation, steel doors, vinyl sided windows. Partial interior walls for heat/air circulation. South side all glass w/pergola. West side sunspace. Propane kitchen stove with a small woodstove also. Living room woodstove with heating coil for hot water. Tile and wide pine board interior flooring, and wood walls. Ceiling is all wood; cathedral ceilings throughout. Metal roof.

Other Benefits:

We did it ourselves, made mistakes, but it was a very small investment for what we have. you REALLY don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home! FOOLISH!

Maintenance Requirements:

maintain battery bank. check wiring, water level of batteries

Efficiency or Sustainability Improvements:

Batt/Blanket Fiberglass Daylighting, Energy Star Appliances, Local Materials, Non-Toxic Products, Passive Solar, Rain Barrels, Recycled Materials, Sunspace, Super Insulated Walls/ Roof

My Motivation:

We bought an empty hayfield and needed to build as inexpensively as possible! Never wanted another utility bill. Be an independent as possible. Reduce fossil fuel usage.

Advice:

RESEARCH!!!!!! VISIT other places, take your time. Wish we knew more about this when we started to avoid mistakes. Would have built an underground home.

Experience with Installer:

did it ourselves, can't afford help.

Additional Notes:

Built in our hayfield, put in our own road, logged from our forest(sustainably), had logs milled on site, just a big experiment. Everyone thought we were crazy to try to live this way, jokes on them!

Open House Info:

From Thruway in Fultonville , get on 30A South. through Glen, past Sowles Country Store and up the hill, just past Sowles metal buildings, watch for Net Life helicopters, right hand side is Reed Hill Rd - at end take a left. Green Rd. North is there. 1/2 mile on left watch for sign 227 Green Rd. North. American flags mark the driveway entrance. Long gravel road will lead to our farm. Check us on mapquest. From Rt. 161 out of Sloansville or Canajoharie,watch for Green Rd. South, follow to end, farm sign on right between Carron and Polin Rd. Call if lost. (518) 922-8280 We are "Certified Naturally Grown" for maple syrup. Electric fence will be turned off during the tour. We will explain about sustainable farming. NO Pets or unsupervised children please. We are handicapped accessible. If animals bother you, this isn't the place to visit. We also do animal rescue work and have Scotch Highland cattle and other large animals here. We want to share how all this is possible for a small investment. Sugar shack in front of our house, pure maple syrup available. (yes, that is solar powered also) no pesticides used here. Animals in natural setting, wildlife habitat. raised bed gardening

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