I have a gas-sipping, low-polluting Toyota Prius. Now if only I could park it in my very own green home.
I dream of owning a house not painted a tender shade of forest, celadon or emerald, but one constructed and equipped to be energy efficient, and healthier for the occupants, also. Thoughts of having a home with a solar-panel-covered roof, energy-efficient air conditioning and a stormwater collection system that supplies water for the lawn just sets my heart a-flutter.
OK, so this stuff is not blazingly exciting to some. I could have worse obsessions. The home of my dreams is HGTV’s first Green Dream Home.
Situated on a quarter-acre lot in Hilton Head, S.C., some of the low-country cottage’s many environmentally friendly features include:
- a water-conserving rain-sensor-controlled system that irrigates the landscape’s drought-tolerant and native plants,
- permeable concrete pavers on the patios, sidewalk and a double-ribbon driveway that harvest and filter rainwater,
- tankless water heaters that only heat water when needed,
- tons of insulation in the walls and attic to lower heating and cooling costs,
- and a neighborhood filled with scenic parks — and situated close to shops, restaurants and offices — to encourage walking.
I plan to enter the giveaway every day through May 9. The last day of the contest happens to be my birthday.
Who knows? This could be the year my home turns folks green with envy. I can dream, can’t I? The good news for the many folks who won’t win the house, is that some of the Green Home’s features can be purchased for an existing home at minimal expense. I already have a high-efficiency AC/heating system and heat-reflecting film on the windows.
But a green home in South Carolina’s low country — that’s something worth dreaming about. At the risk of producing competition for my future house, err, the Green Home, here’s the site: HGTV
