Voluntown of couple home wins Connecticut zero energy challenge

Voluntown - John Simonds, combine the Sun's energy with the heat of the Earth for the perfect system makes his 2,800 square foot House.

"These two are like peanut butter and chocolate." You go well together, "Simonds, said referring to the solar cells on a hill above his driveway, which generate electricity and the geothermal energy system, connected using ambient heat from the Earth by Wells in the side yard to a cellar system."

"We know that the pessimists are wrong," he continued, he sit in the living room of the beautifully designed Cape with his wife Delaine and her son Ben window shares, bathed, with light through the access roads, in 60 hectares of forest and meadows looking for. "It works."

Life for 35 years in North Stonington, the couple in the year decided to create a new energy-efficient House this 60-acre former farm property, which they had since 1985 owned 2009. It was a project, she wanted long, he said, undertake, for the benefits of saving money on energy costs, as well as the satisfaction of not burning of fossil fuels and contribute to climate change or add environmental damage by oil, extraction of coal and gas. Simonds say they spent $120 to $130 per square meter of apartment and the monthly energy costs $142.38, which is your lease payment for the two solar power panels build now.

"This is our heating costs, our summer cooling Bill, our power, our hot water - everything," he said. "We have no oil tank, we have no gas oven." "We have no electric bill."

Due to the success in establishing a low-cost and efficient energy home, the Simonds were recently the nationwide winner of Connecticut zero energy challenge.

The annual competition, sponsored by the Connecticut energy efficiency fund, Connecticut light & power and United illuminating Awards $10,000 to the owners of the House with the best general energy efficiency, design, natural materials and renewable energy built. Together with the solar panels and geothermal energy system of the Simonds includes top also energy-saving devices, lighting and insulation, among other features. CL & P was the House for energy efficiency as well as for its applicability and affordability, according to a press release.

"We are not rich people," said Simonds, added that the cost of the energy systems of rebates and tax credits were compensated. "I'm stone Mason by profession and my wife is a nurse." "If we can do it, anyone can do it."

On Saturday, the non-profit group of PACE (people's action for clean energy), and the clean energy finance and investment authority, is the State Chapter of the Sierra Club, North Stonington land Alliance tours the Simonds House sponsor.

Simonds, said that he and his wife hope that presents from their home, others inspire houses will be for the construction or retrofitting energy efficient.

"All it took was a decision on our part for renewable energy", he said.