Green Building in Western Massachusetts

The Garage will mirror the main entrance when complete

The rock wall ties the front and side entrance together as well as acting as a retaining wall for tons of geothermal insulation.

The hay is implemental in minimizing erosion until natural vegetation and gardens are planted

The Front of the house after a big rain. The water staining will be eliminated with a coat of masonry sealer and a coat of paint.

The Southwestern exposure is ideal for natural solar heat

The Open Ended Dome is now entirely covered with Earth

The view from the back of the home

The spectacular Foothills in Huntington Mass

This is Leo Boucher, the hardest working man on the planet!

The home is now subterranean and as a result requires very little supplemental heat.The natural process is called passive annual heat storage(PAHS) The home heats the earth around it in the warmer months and acts as a heater when the weather turns cold. The tons upon tons of earth also act as an insulator to help the home maintain an average temperature of 55 degrees year round. With the implementation of other alternative power generators such as solar and wind power, this home will eventually become a zero or near zero energy habitat. The Stonebrook Group will be using the solar and wind power generators and geothermal heat pumps on projects in the near future and as a result many home owners will experience the advantages of going green, such as:

• Tax credits
• Tax incentives
• Considerable saving on home heating and electricity
• A significantly healthier interior environment
• Reduction of their personal carbon footprint
• Grant initiatives

And so much more.

The Stonebrook Group in association with Stonebrook Woodworking in Monson Mass, has begun to manufacture all the built-in units. The wood being used is a product of local sustainable harvesting practices which means that for every tree harvested, at least one tree is planted in it’s place. Sustainability is the key to maintaining our only planet. Plant a tree today! It really feels good.

The exterior stucco finishes are being done by John Pezzetta of Pezzetta Stone. John will also be installing the interior finish with a process called gunite. This application is usually reserved for pools, however John will be implementing the process as we move closer to the finish.

You can view more of Johns work at

http://pezzettastone.com

or you can contact Pezzetta Stone at

Phone: (413) 204-5506

e-mail: pezzettastone@comcast.net

Any question regarding this project in Huntington Massachusetts can be directed to

stonebrookgroup@gmail.com

or you can reach us at

(413) 204-1536

As fuel costs soar, many home builders and homeowners are considering home heat pumps as an alternative to conventional heating and cooling systems.

Heat pumps extract both heat and cold from the exterior air and ground. The system effectively increases efficiency and can potentially lower costs significantly in the long run.

In an in-ground system, refrigerant runs through tubes to the outdoors, the fluid is either warmed or cooled by the earth and cycled into a blower which is ducted into selected rooms.

The other option is the air to air system which uses the atmosphere as it’s source to exhaust heat or capture it.

It uses the same tubing system in which the refrigerant is warmed and cycled through the blower unit. The system is in essence an air conditioner in the warm months and with the simple flip of a switch you can reverse the air flow with the seasons and suppliment your heat.

This system improves air quality and efficiency and is something everyone should consider when building a green home.

It’s easy and cost efficient to install a heat pump into your new or existing home. In the long run it will save you thousands in your home heating and electric costs.

Discover how to install your own Geothermal Heat Pump System by Click Here!

For more information contact

Brian

stonebrookgroup@gmail.com

We would like to thank all the recent subscibers to our newsletter. If you re not yet subscribed you can do so on this page. Upcoming articles include SIP’s and renewable resources as well as a Stonebrook Group first where we will document our venture into dome building. Watch step by step as we finish Western massachusetts newest open-ended dome. This ones going to be cool.

• What I did on my Christmas vacation - Well, it’s not over yet (thankfully), so this should really be in present tense. What is perhaps most important, to me, is what I didn’t do this year — which is stumble through the long, hectic, progression of travel, last-minute …

• New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and … - … implement low-interest loan programs and grant programs to help working families purchase energy-efficient appliances, make energy-efficient home improvements, or install solar panels, small wind turbines, and geothermal heat pumps. …

• Carrier heat pumps are energy efficient. … - Carrier Heat Pumps ¿ Carrier¿s … Heat pumps come with a manufacturers warranty and professional technicians to help assist customers. Narrowing your choices down to the best sites isn’t always as easy as it could be. …