Two Acre Wood celebrates steps toward a carbon-neutral future
From solar panels to heat pumps to electric cars, this co-housing community is taking solutions to the climate crisis seriously
Residents of Two Acre Wood, the co-housing complex on Robinson Road, gave a Climate Solutions Tour of their community on Sunday, July 30.
The community has 14 homes, and 35 to 40 people live there. Promoting sustainability is part of the development’s founding vision. Out of Two-Acre Wood’s 14 homes, six have solar (as do the common house and carports), four have heat pump hot water heaters, and three have electric induction stoves. Members of the community own eight electric cars between them.
On the tour, we wandered from house to house, looking at various eco-amenities, including the community’s extensive and luxuriant gardens. We peered into utility rooms at heat pump water heaters and watched how fast it was to boil water on an induction range. (Really fast!)
One household, belonging to Damien Luce and Maggie Fleming Luce, has taken their commitment to sustainability a step farther. They are now producing 50% more energy than they use.
Luce has a 1,300-square-foot house with a 9-kilowatt, 24-panel solar system on the roof. Three adults and two children live there.
“I was really committed to getting off of fossil gas for a house. Once our house went 100% electric, I had PG&E take out our gas meter,” Luce said, noting that household electrification (and getting off natural gas) is important because it means that you can run your appliances from electricity created by solar energy. In addition, natural gas is a potent greenhouse gas.
“After Ross installed our solar panels last June, the house has been 100% electric. I just got the final numbers…and it looks as though in the past 12 months, this house has produced about 150% of the energy that we have used.”
It took quite a lot of technology to get there: In addition to having an extensive solar array, he has a heat pump hot water heater, a mini-split heater/air cooler, an induction stove, and special water saving faucets.
In addition to eliminating his utility bills, Luce said he gets paid about $700 a year for the energy he puts back into the grid.
“This is very, very possible,” he said, noting that this was the message he hoped people would take home from the tour.
Mazel tov! Does Two Acre Wood have a web site?
We are so proud to have accomplished all this climate change fighting technology and there is much more to come!