My cool brother-in-law Chris sent me this house to look at. You can check out Chris’s new blog here!
It’s designed by 74 year old green architect Mickey Muennig. The roof is an extension of the outdoors and is covered in wild grasses. The owners believe they’ve cut their energy consumption in half! For the past 30 years Muennig has been building green roof architecture in Big Sur, California.
Wall Street Journal Magazine: Article there written by Alastair Gordon/photos by Simon Watson
Off the Grid
House Size: 2,745 sq. feet, 3 bedrooms
Distance from Main Power Grid: 1 mile
Money Saved By Not Running Lines To Main Grid: $200,000
Solar Panels: 36 Bp silicon panels laid out on a nearby slope support house and caretaker cottage energy produced by
Solar Panels: 5.4 kilowatt-hours
Energy Storage: Lead-acid batteries (120 kwh or 2 days’ worth)
Cloudy-Day System: Propane-powered generator
Heat: Radiant heating in concrete slab floors
Water Supply: Artisian wells
Hot Water: On-demand system supplies house and hot tub
Decorative Waterfall: Turned on only for visitors (otherwise would use 2 kwh per day)
Cost of Entire System: $50,000 to install, about $12,000 per year for propane and maintenance
Owner’s Estimated Energy Cost Savings So Far: 50% of a traditional house
Sod Roof: 6–8 inches thick
Insulation Equivalent: Twice the standard requirement
Visual Impact On Landscape: Minimal from some angles
Endangered Species Protected By Site Choice: Smith’s Blue Butterfly
Number of Flora Species Planted On Roof: 20
Leaks: None yet
Read more here!
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