Net Zero Projects

Off Grid Home | Peoria

Set deep within 100 acres of virgin woods, this home for a young couple mixes a desire to have a minimal impact on the environment while maintaining a higher standard of living. Positioning the house at the northern edge of a large prairie grass field gives the illusion that the house is located on a ‘beach.’ One can easily imagine that the blowing prairie grass as fluid waves. A large south facing deck fronts onto the ‘shore,’ with a dock jutting out into the prairie grass, complete with a ships ladder for access into the field. A lake was created on site to provide on site fishing for food.

No power, gas, water, waste, phone or cable lines connect to the structure. Power is provided by a hybrid system consisting of a large, fixed photovoltaic grid coupled with a wind generator. Power is stored in a large battery bank.

Space conditioning is accomplished through a symbiotic combination of tight building shell, passive solar heat gain, solar hydronic panels running heated water through the radiant floor system, properly sized and positioned overhangs for cooling, and natural ventilation. As a back up for winter heating, a large mass ‘Finnish counterflow’ fireplace provides space heat and domestic hot water while also housing a baking oven.

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