Eco Factor: Cob home utilizes green technologies for energy self-sufficiency.
Ann and Gord Baird, the Victoria residents have allowed the traditional, European Cob homes to adorn a strictly American countryside. Working for more than one and a half years, the couple brought their multi-generational home, named the Eco-Sense Project, into existence. During the construction of the $270,000 cob house, the couple used to live in a 27-foot trailer. While Ann sold her prior home to manage finances, Gord quitted his job for working full-time on the project.
They used a mixture of water, clay, sand, straw and pumice to create two-foot thick cob walls for their dream home. The Baird home has a two-kilowatt solar array that not only powers the home but also sends surplus electricity to the grid. The home’s 2,150 interior square feet includes two kitchens, five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Where 60 solar evacuated tubes heats water for them, an efficient wood stove takes care of winter heating.
Other green features include a green roof, efficient lighting, and south facing windows for maximize passive solar gain, clothes lines and composting toilets. Drinking water comes from a well, and rainwater is collected on the roof for irrigation.
Via: USA Today
