July 27, 2006

ABOVE: Risa Buck and Pam Lott built this pond with the help of Wilderness Charter School students. BELOW: Passive solar design, solar panels and a wind generator make clean, independent energy.

Owners of passive solar, off-grid home in Ashland share their secrets

Story and photos by Melissa Schweisguth
Tidings Correspondent

Passive Solar

During the weekend’s triple-digit heat, Risa Buck and Pam Lott’s house was cool and comfortable – with only a 12-volt ceiling fan and no air conditioning. This almost energy-free cooling is possible through the home’s passive solar design, which uses simple building features to put the sun to work most effectively. Most windows are located on the home’s southern side, the sunniest location. In the winter, these windows invite the sun to warm the home. During warm seasons, shades are closed in the morning to keep out hotter external air, and opened at night to let cool air flow in. The north side holds most of the roof space and is sheltered by an “earth berm,” a large mound of dirt that prevents winter heat loss and maintains cooler summer temperatures. The floor is a “thermal mass” made of concrete, which functions like the earth berm.

Off the Grid

The home is the first in Ashland to be “off the grid” – meaning that it doesn’t connect to the City’s electrical line at all. All electrical appliances draw their power from rooftop solar panels hooked to batteries that store excess power. A small wind generator serves as a back up in winter when sunshine is less plentiful. Buck keeps daily logs of the battery levels, which represent the current balance of the home’s energy bank account” as Buck describes it. Several other appliances run on propane.

Conscious conservation, along with passive solar design, has been central in rendering city power unnecessary. Buck noted that the home’s 360-watt system “would not meet the needs of many households in Ashland.” As a comparison, the pair just installed a system seven times this size to power a rental home and a strawbale studio on the property. (This second 2.38 kWh system is grid connected.) Conservation measures include using compact fluorescent bulbs, turning off lights when not needed and heating in the winter with an ultra-efficient and clean burning masonry stove that keeps the home toasty for 24 hours after a quick 90-minute fire.

Sustainable Urban Homestead

The home, built 11 years ago, manifests Buck’s deep commitment to living in an ecologically sustainable way. The property also features a 3,000-gallon rainwater catchment tank, an 8,000 to 12,000-gallon rainwater-fed pond, extensive use of reclaimed materials and a beautiful landscape filled with fruit trees, vegetables and drought tolerant plants. “It’s evolved from a home into a sustainbable urban homestead,” Buck reflects.

This has been a hands-on project from the beginning for Buck, with Lott becoming involved a few years ago. Lott, whose signature as a landscape designer is visible throughout, calls it “a labor of love.” Buck and Lott are quick to state that the results of their efforts are more than worth the investment. Lott also notes that “once the systems are in place, they take care of themselves. The amount of work

Sharing the Secrets

“We want people to know that you can do this,” Buck says. With this motivation, the pair will give a free presentation in Ashland on July 27th at 7:30 pm at Pioneer Hall. They will highlight feature of their sustainable urban homestead through a multimedia talk, sharing the wonder and practical lessons gained along the way. A question and answer session will follow, offering advice and a head start to those interested in increasing sustainability in existing or new homes.