Sep 1, 2007 5:18 pm US/Central
Project Energy: An Energy Independent Home
by Pat Kessler
(WCCO)
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Otto's house, on the rolling hills near the St. Croix River, is like very few others. It's a 'green' house, a model of energy efficiency.
CBS
Paying attention to how we use energy is more important than ever these days. One of the state's top officials isn't just talking the talk. Minnesota State Auditor Rebecca Otto and her family built a home that is energy independent.
It's a classic Cape Cod home, done right. It's made of cedar shake and stone boulder with a windmill by the horse barn. It beholds country style and tradition.
But this particular house, on the rolling hills near the St. Croix River, is like very few others. It's a 'green' house, a model of energy efficiency.
"We thought, you know, we wanted to build a house that anybody could live in. We have got to take that step where anybody could say 'I'd love to live here,'" Otto said.
The two story 3,700 square foot home is energy independent. The 128 foot windmill generates 80 percent of all the electric power the Otto's need.
"I had a bill for $1.54 last month," Otto said with a laugh.
Inside, there's a two story stone fireplace which is extremely efficient. Otto says one fire can heat the entire home on the coldest Minnesota winter day.
The house itself is partly built in a hillside where the temperature is a constant 55 degrees.
The north facing windows are high and small. Facing south, a two story sun room and a wide open floor plan helps distribute heat to the rest of the house.
"So when you have snow, it actually radiates it. On a sunny day it can be 20 below outside, and our house can be 80. And not because we have the heat going," Otto said.
The Otto's started building their eco-friendly dream home 13 years ago. Long before going 'green' was politically popular.
Otto and husband Shawn made an early career out of buying, restoring, and selling old buildings. Part of their house includes recycled wood.
Nothing in their house was left to chance. When the Otto's started to research energy efficient homes there wasn't a lot of material with which to work. That's when the Otto's figured they could do it themselves.
Shawn got busy. He selected a sunny southern exposure. Designing the home, he experimented with materials. They built it from the ground up, with their own hands.
"It was a really gratifying experience. It really got us in touch with a sense of home, and our place. Dedicating a portion of your life to doing that really plants you," Shawn said.
The Otto's say it's hard to calculate the cost of their green house, in part because it's an ongoing process. They know average homeowners can't place an electric generating windmill in their backyards. But they think the state should offer energy tax breaks.
They believe homeowners can do a lot with conservation or paying close attention to construction or remodeling materials.
"The more we do it and people can see it, and see that it doesn't look strange. It can be very beautiful, the more people can do it," Rebecca said.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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