I was going to wait a while to post this, but a very nosy newspaper is doing an article on our home, so I thought I’d put it up it here since the news is going to get out anyway.

I own a carbon net zero home, one of the first LEED certified homes built in the USA.

This basically means that the home is ultra-green and generates substantially more power than it uses — and the extra is returned to the grid. There is enough excess power generated, over time, that the house actually negates the carbon it took to build it.

Solar panels and geothermal wells provide power, hot water, and heating.  The house was also built to last 100 years with minimal upkeep (repairs and cheap construction = carbon waste) using sustainable methods, including recycled and locally sourced brick, countertops, roof shingles, and lumber.  The wall insulation is R45 and the roof is R75. Lighting is largely color-balanced LED, which is super-low energy and the lightbulbs last 15 years each.  A grey water system recycles some of the water used by the home.

There’s an electric car charging port in the garage.  But I’m not buying an electric car until there’s something scarily badass out there.   Maybe Tesla or Nissan will give me one of their new cars when they come out and I can have Tilt paint all over it.

We’re working on a plan to green Kidrobot (slow going when you make things in China, in plastic! but we’re figuring out the best approach), and this house is my personal and rather violent kick in that direction.

I’ll post more information as time goes on.

PS:  To give credit where it’s due, the house was built and designed by Bruce Oreck, now the President Obama’s hardcore “green” ambassador to Finland.