The Food Forest in the backyard contains fruit trees such as espalier apple, asian pear, cherry, plum, avocado, almond, loquat, pear, nectarine, orange, prune, apricot, and strawberry guava. The backyard also features perennials such as several varieties of berries, grapes, chayote, strawberries, and sun chokes. Mushrooms such as Oyster, Turkey tails, Shiitake, and several wild varieties can be found.
Native & Mediterranean Climate Plants in the front yard are drought tolerant plants that require little irrigation and maintenance. Many of the plants are edible, medicinal, or attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies. Maintaining a conventional lawn requires thousands of gallons of water a year, and often requires polluting chemicals, mowers and blowers, and extra time and energy.
Mulch includes materials such as wood chips, leaves, and straw. When applied to bare soil, mulch protects the ground from erosion, builds soil fertility, helps suppress weeds, and minimizes water loss due to evaporation.
Drip Irrigation systems apply water more accurately (right at plant roots) and more slowly (gallons per hour, not the typical gallons per minute of overhead sprinklers). This slow application is ideal for plants and prevents water from over-spraying and running off on sidewalks and gutters.
Greywater Irrigation System
Greywater is the wash water that drains from the shower, bathroom sink, and washing machine. The greywater from EcoHouse flows through a system that captures and filters the water using a constructed wetland. It reduces the amount of freshwater needed in the garden, as well as the load on the sewer system. Under our current state greywater code, a permit is not necessary for a single source, such as a laundry greywater system. Bathroom systems are becoming easier to get permitted and built.
A Constructed Wetland is made of gravel and wetland plants with deep, woven root systems that filter water from the bathroom sink, shower, and laundry so that it may be used to irrigate the garden. EcoHouse greywater irrigates the fruit trees.
Photovoltaic Panels convert the sun’s energy into electricity. As a “net metered” system, EcoHouse feeds excess electricity to the utility grid when it’s sunny and draws power from the grid when needed. The system is sized to meet the house’s needs and includes a small battery backup for power outages and low voltage landscape lighting.
A Solar Water Heating System is perched on the roof. The thermal solar panels pre-heat water, which is then stored in an 80-gallon insulated tank.
Energy Star Appliances, such as the refrigerator, washing machine, and furnace, cut down on energy usage, as do compact fluorescent bulbs and a clothesline for drying clothes when the weather allows.
Insulation keeps buildings warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The attic at EcoHouse is sprayed with cellulose insulation made from recycled newspapers with non-toxic borates added for fire and rot resistance.
Weatherization is the process of protecting a structure from outside elements by making the seals around openings airtight. It decreases energy costs and protects buildings from possible water, wind, sun, and insect damage. Weatherstripping, caulking, and replacing old windows with energy efficient alternatives can help weatherize a structure.
The Garden Shed demonstrates alternative materials that can improve energy performance in a home. The strawbale wall is made from rapidly renewable agricultural waste products and has an insulation value of R-30, more than twice the code requirements. The rammed earth wall is made from abundantly available soils and acts as a trombe wall, which means that it passively warms the building by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. The process works both ways: the thermal mass in the rammed earth wall can also cool a house in the summer. The other wall is made from recycled wood framing with straw-clay insulation, and the exterior is finished with natural stuccos, sprayed earth, and fiber-cement wall panels.
An On-Demand Tankless Water Heater provides EcoHouse with hot water when the solar water heater is not sufficient. Tankless water heaters save hundreds of dollars in unnecessary heating costs. It is mounted on the exterior wall to maximize interior space and heats water right when you need it.
Dual-flush Toilets or high-efficiency toilets are one of the easiest ways to lower your water use. The dual-flush toilet at EcoHouse uses only 0.8 gallons for light flushes and 1.28 gallons per full flush. In comparison, many older toilets use 3.5 gallons or more.
The High Efficiency Front-Loading Washing Machine uses about 37% less energy and 50% less water than a regular washing machine.
Faucet Aerators reduce the amount of tap water used by mixing incoming water with air. The pressure is maintained while the faucet flow is reduced – from 2.5 gallons per minute down to 1 gallon per minute at the taps.
The Low Flow Showerhead at EcoHouse releases only 2 gallons of water per minute while delivering a satisfying shower. By contrast, less efficient showerheads can release as much as 3 to 5 gallons per minute.
Kitchen Countertops are made from bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, and edged with “Angico” wood, which is sustainably harvested.
Salvaged Materials can be found throughout the house. The bathroom sink and kitchen cabinets were salvaged from Urban Ore, and the kitchen floor is made of wood salvaged from a demolished house.
Recycled Materials can be found in the bathroom, where the tiles surrounding the tub are made from recycled windshields, and in the garden, where pathway bender board and benches are made from recycled plastic two-liter bottles. The insulation in the attic is made from recycled newspapers.
Native & Mediterranean Climate Plants in the front yard are drought tolerant plants that require little irrigation and maintenance. Many of the plants are edible, medicinal, or attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies. Maintaining a conventional lawn requires thousands of gallons of water a year, and often requires polluting chemicals, mowers and blowers, and extra time and energy.
Drip Irrigation systems apply water more accurately (right at plant roots) and more slowly (gallons per hour, not the typical gallons per minute of overhead sprinklers). This slow application is ideal for plants and prevents water from over-spraying and running off on sidewalks and gutters.
The Rainwater Harvesting System includes a 1100-Gallon Cistern that captures rainwater from the north slope of the roof for summer garden irrigation. With a permit, it can be plumbed to supply water for toilet flushing or the washing machine. Rains replenish the cistern throughout the winter.
Berms & Basins divert the rainwater that falls on the south slope of the roof away from the house’s foundation. This recharges the groundwater and offsets the demand for irrigation. The berms are the mounds of earth, while the basins are the drainage areas between them.
