Energy Monitoring Saves on Bills in this Naturally Green Home

Not every green home requires a bounty of solar panels or other systems to produce clean energy. Conserving energy is the cleanest energy of all. That’s what this 2,500-square-foot vacation home in northern Vermont accomplishes with some serious energy monitoring—while celebrating its habitat by bringing nature indoors. Green construction materials and the addition of a sophisticated energy monitoring and management system help save on energy bills. Even better, the home never compromises the family’s convenience or its love of today’s digital technologies. There’s a home theater capable of 3D video and a whole-house audio system with in-ceiling speakers that syncs music on digital devices with Apple TV boxes for easy streaming of their favorite music. Modest Beginnings Homeowners Tim and Nancy Howes liked visiting Tim’s mother’s lakeside retreat in northern Vermont so much, they bought her neighbor’s cottage several years ago. But they couldn’t stay in the uninsulated structure more than a couple of months of the year, so they drew up plans for a new house. The architects designed a cottage with modern Adirondack look, Nancy came up with ideas to bring in stones and trees and hired artists for the murals. Local materials were used in the construction, […]