Your chance to see five houses with five different energy systems in one location!

What You Need to Know

Description:

Bio Fuel Locally harvested wood flooring trim; Low/no-VOC Sherwin Williams paints and finishes; Windows: Pella or Serious Windows, low -e, argon-filled and double-glazed-some are R7 or R9; Hardi-plank siding; IKO Cambridge 50-year shingle roof; Local Ashfield Stone countertops;Mitsubishi air-to-air heat pump in one house; solar-thermal heating in two houses;ground-source heat pumps (geothermal) in one house; Wood stove for back-up heat.; COP between 2.5 and 3; ERV ventilation systems; Planned community-wide PV and microhydro system Four homes of an 18-unit cluster development on 14 acres of 112-acre property; Southern orientation for passive-solar homes and maximum solar gain; Small compact house with 1,350- to 1,650 sq-ft conditioned space; Upper floor is Universal Design/ADA-compliant for young families and aging in place ; Dense-packed blown-in super-insulated and air-sealed shell; R-45 foot-thick walls, R-55 ceiling ; North walls have fewer windows than south-facing walls; Edible forest gardens; Root cellar; Extensive nature trails planned; Preservation of existing habitat and meadows; Community garden & orchards; turkey and chicken tractor; bees; field crops in the planning stages; community bread oven.

Efficiency or Sustainability Improvements:

Daylighting, Earth sheltered, Energy Star Appliances, Energy Star rated, Local Materials, Masonry stove, Non-Toxic Products, Radiant floor heating, Rain Barrels, Recycled Materials, Sunspace, Super Insulated Walls/ Roof

Additional Notes:

Civil Engineer: Charles Labatt, Guntlow & Associates; Developer: Bill Cole; Energy Consultant: Marc Rosenbaum, Energysmiths; Energy Monitoring: Robb Aldrich, Steven Winter Associates; Air-to-Air Heating-System Design: Dan Lewis, Kohler & Lewis, Robb Aldrich; Solar-Thermal Heating System Design: Donavin Gratz, Northeast Solar; Ground-Source Heat Pump Design: TerraClime, Inc.; Kitchen Design: Nora Antil, Classic Kitchens

Open House Info:

From the Greenfield rotary go 3.6 miles on Rt. 2 West and look for two green signs saying "To Rt. 112 North Colrain." There is a yellow Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters on the left and Strawberry Fields, an antique store, on the right. Take a right at the second green sign onto the Colrain/Shelburne Road. Go 5.1 miles, at the end descending a very long, steep hill. At the intersection with a white-steepled brick church on your right, go left on Rt. 112 (South Main Road) through the village of Colrain. Go almost a mile and after the firehouse look sharp for a very small sign just around a bend: Foundry Village Road. Go right. Foundry Village Road winds around almost a mile past a cemetery on your left and at a small red barn sheltering a dusty maroon Volvo becomes Adamsville Road, so bear right, staying on Adamsville. (There is a small Adamsville Road sign on the left, but ignore it.) Go 2.6 miles on Adamsville Road and look for the sign on the right for Ed Clark Road. Go PAST Ed Clark Road 1.2 miles and look for the next road on your right: Stetson Brothers Road. At the first dirt road on your right, turn right into Katywil.

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