The Wilsons' 'green' home

BY JEANNE WHITEHEAD

The Digby Courier

NovaNewsNow.com

Energy efficiency was a priority for Gordon and Deidre Wilson when they decided to build a year-round home on their waterfront lot near Digby. They also wanted to be able to soak in the spectacular view of the Bay of Fundy from every possible angle.

The Digby couple says they gave serious thought to wind and solar power, but the up-front costs were prohibitive. Ultimately, they opted for electric thermal heating, a system that meant they could take advantage of Nova Scotia Power’s time-of-day metering and off-peak pricing.

Wilson says it’s the next best thing to living off the grid. The system uses considerably less electricity than other methods, and off-peak pricing means additional savings.

He estimates the total annual energy costs for the couple’s 2,600 square foot single level home will be a maximum of $2,000—or an average of $167 per month, year-round.

In designing their home, the Wilsons worked with architect Harry Jost over a period of a year-and-a-half. “We would meet for an hour and he’d send us off with homework,” says Gordon.

During that year-and-a-half, the Wilsons determined that their home would be a single level three bedroom with a garage, but no basement. It would be an open concept home, with few interior walls. “There were some restrictions in terms of the footprint, because we were building it on rock, on a ledge,” says Gordon.

The home now sits back on a lane off Culloden Road, on the Bay of Fundy’s south shore. Construction began September ’07 and the couple moved in May ’08. There are still a few things waiting for completion: a second bathroom and the framing of windows and doors. “We want to make sure all of the drafts are plugged before they’re framed,” says Gordon.

The walls are poured concrete rather than standard wood construction. The benefits of concrete walls include no air spaces or studs—and fewer drafts.

Real secret? Store energy

Beneath the porcelain floor, encapsulated in the concrete foundation, hot water flows through flexible tubing. The water is heated by a small electric boiler in the home’s utility room. “The real secret to energy efficiency is to store energy,” says Gordon.

The concrete walls and floors in the Wilson home store heat in much the same way a Thermos bottle stores heat. And just as the beverage in a thermos is warm hours after it is initially heated, so is the air in the Wilson home.

In the winter, the boiler runs at night, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. That period coincides with the time when energy consumption throughout the province is ‘off-peak.’

Nova Scotia Power offers a preferred rate - 50 per cent off the standard residential rate for off-peak energy consumption — to customers like the Wilsons who have electric thermal heating systems and time-of-day meters.

The north side of the Wilsons’ home is lined with double glazed, argon-filled low E windows. From their breakfast nook, living room and bedroom, Gordon and Deidre can watch waves and whales and dolphins. In summer, many of the windows are open, and couple enjoys the bay breeze.

This winter they will continue to enjoy their view of the Bay from within the warmth and comfort of their home.

The kitchen, of course, is equipped with energy efficient appliances.

The exterior of the home is clad in cedar shingles. “We’re leaving them natural,” says Gordon. “In time they will weather and turn grey. We like that look.”

The Wilsons say their home cost more to build than a more conventional one, but those costs will be recouped by energy savings in as little as five years. And should the couple ever decide to sell, their home will also command a higher price.