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I spoke with our contractor, Aaron, a few moments ago and he shared that the "Green Machine" by TerraBuilt arrived on-site today. Aaron is working with John Morris from the company to find the right mixture of clay soil, sand and Portland cement to make the TerraBricks (CEBs). When asked why we chose to build with TerraBricks/CEBs, I would have to say there are a number of reasons this innovative technology appealed to us. Primarily it is because the thermal properties from this construction method will allow us to use much less energy and, if we want energy independence as a nation, we need to CONSERVE energy in addition to increasing our sustainable, clean, domestic energy capability such as solar and wind power. And to conserve energy while living in a home that proves to be comfortable, acoustically pleasing, and sustainable - it's a match made in heaven. While I hope to video the demo of the Green Machine on our lot this Saturday, if you can't wait, please visit http://www.terrabuilt.com for their video of TerraBrick/CEB construction.
Yes, I know it's been a long time since we posted anything. The state of the financial markets left us scrambling to find financing after the lender the mortgage broker found for us decided they were no longer going to do construction loans. So we had to start over with finding a bank. More on that later.Solar, Solar Everywhere - in Bavaria that is. Andreas and I just returned from a Christmas trip to Germany to spend the holidays with his family. One of the things that struck us on this trip was how much solar energy is being captured in Germany. Old barns, old farm houses, new houses, and commercial buildings of all sizes had solar PV panels capturing energy and/or solar water heaters. It was amazing and refreshing. Hopefully that's something we'll see in our country in the not too distant future. Hopefully Obama's commitment to green collar jobs and potential tax incentives for renewable energy options will lead to more affordable solar power in the U.S. Cost certainly is an issue for us, which is why our house will be solar ready instead of solar powered.
