This unique red home is all about going green

Posted By SARA ROSS, THE PACKET AND TIMES

Posted 7 months ago

Three summers ago, Allen Vivian and Cathrine Smith hunkered down in a tent on 89 acres of property in Severn Township they purchased.

They camped on land off Telford Line near Cumberland Beach for several months before deciding this was the place they would build their green, dream home.

Two years ago, construction on the, 2,700-square-foot European loft-style home began.

It is being built completely off the grid, with no electrical, telephone, or cable connections coming to it. The majority of the home is run by 12 solar panels pulling 110 watts of renewable energy each into a 3.5 kilowatt system.

"You get an electric bill every month and a water bill and everything else; with this system we have no bills, zero," Vivian said, adding he does have a cell phone bill, since the home isn't connected to telephone lines.

Although the home isn't yet complete, the couple is living in it; they hope to complete the home in one year.

"When we retire, this house will be finished and it will be totally, completely, self-sufficient," Vivian said.

It costs approximately 20% more to build a home with "green" options, but over the years, as the price of energy increases, it will pay off, Vivian said.

"I don't want to retire and worry about where my next dollar is coming from to pay the heat or hydro," he said. "Now it's done, it's paid for."

The couple, who both currently work full-time, have built the majority of the house themselves, which has added to the lengthy process, he said. They had the house framed, roofed and wired by outside contractors. The rest, by choice, was up to them.

"I like to do good things myself," Vivian said.

The majority of the two-bedroom, three-bath home runs on solar energy, Allen said. During the summer however, propane is required to fuel the oven and heat the water. All three levels of the home have heated floors, he said.

In the winter, the couple use their replica 1930s wood stove, which heats 100 gallons of water in an hour. At 100 degrees Celsius, the stove can maintain the home's temperature at 20 degrees Celsius.

Although this eliminates the use of propane, a 7,200-watt gas generator is required during the less sunny days of winter.

When the sun shines continuously, the four solar batteries are fully charged, holding 1.5 kilowatts of power.

"When the batteries are fully charged you can't possibly use the power," he said. "You could have everything running, no problem."

During winter's dark days, the gas generator supplies power to the house. Their dream is to one day install a 1.5 kilowatt wind turbine on the property to collect enough renewable energy year-round to completely sustain the home, Vivian said.

"The sun only shone five full days last January, so we have to run the generator for about 30 minutes to produce power to charge the batteries for 24 hours," he said. "When we get the windmill going, we will not be dependent on fossil fuel. That's the whole idea -- to not be dependent on fossil fuel."

For Smith, who lives a completely organic lifestyle, living in an energy-efficient house was a must.

"I've always thought you don't need everything that people take from the earth and it does bother me," she said. "Nobody's looking ahead. What are we going to leave for the kids?"

The current system cost the family almost $30,000, but the lifestyle choice was a "no-brainer" for this couple, Allen said.

"For ours, it was instant payback because Ontario Hydro wanted at least that much to bring power to me," he said, adding the home is set back 1,000 feet from the road. "Then they charge me for the rest of my life, so it was a no-brainer."

The building materials, appliances and even house layout, were also designed to save energy.

"The skylights bring in so much light at night, you never need to turn a light on," Vivian said.

Under the steel roof is a titanium membrane, guaranteed to last the home's lifetime. It also provides insulation and a sound barrier, he said.

The house's red siding is also guaranteed not to fade in its lifetime, Vivian said.

"Everything in this house is built with the most modern energy efficiency," he said.

Vivian was recently inducted into the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovellers (5S Society) Ontario chapter. The society recognizes people who have freely contributed their time and talents to the growth, well-being and success of their individual industries, Vivian said.

He has been involved in the environmental industry for 37 years and currently provides water and waste water treatment products to municipalities in Ontario. He has volunteered his time to speak at many environmental- related conferences, he said.

The solitude of the home, set back in the woods on an old farm lot, gives the couple the best of both worlds, Allen said.

"We actually live in the country, but are only 16 kilometres from right downtown" Orillia, he said. "We want to have a place to relax."

When the couple retires they plan to spend quiet time painting together in the peaceful landscape outside their doors.

Cathrine plans to continue to plant her large organic garden with berry patches, an apple orchard, lettuce, potatoes, onions, cabbage and more.

"We want to grow and eat our own food and market it to other people," she said, adding she wants to add a barn closer to the house. "My ultimate dream would be to give up vehicles and just have a horse to ride."