Cape Breton Man Builds Energy-Saving Home

Cape Breton resident John Ross had a mission when he built his new home: he wanted to build a house that uses alternative energy. But he achieved much more, including a national award from the federal Department of Natural Resources for the most energy efficient home in Canada in 2004.

The Richmond County home uses less energy, produces less pollution and was no more expensive to build than any similar- sized home in the area. The 2,000 square-foot bungalow contains three bedrooms, an attached garage, as well as special modules for electricity and active solar panels for heat and hot water.

"The key to helping to preserve the environment is for people to treat the outside as if it was a favourite birthday present you received when you were young," says Mr. Ross. "Do not destroy or dirty anything that is in the air or on the ground."

Not only is he following his passion and saving energy at the same time, this homeowner is also saving money. Mr. Ross, who closely tracks his hydro and propane bills, estimates that he saves $1,500 per year compared to a similar home using an oil- fired furnace and the province's electrical grid. He says a solar water heating system alone will cut the cost of a domestic hot water bill by as much as 60 per cent.

Environment and Labour Minister Kerry Morash says Mr. Ross sets an example for others to follow not only this week, Environment Week (May 30 to June 5), but all year. "I would like to congratulate Mr. Ross on his entrpreneurial skills that help make our environment a cleaner place," the minister said. "We're always pleased to see homes being built in our province that help conserve energy and protect the environment."

The Ross home was built with high-efficiency windows on the south side, allowing the sun to pour in. Solar collectors on the roof, also facing south, heat a liquid that is pumped through tubing in the insulated floor. In the floor, a central fan forces the heat into heating ducts throughout the house, distributing heat to each room. In the summer the process is reversed to help cool the home.

Mr. Ross's life-long passion for energy grew in the early 1980s, when he was studying solar-power theory and technologies at the University of Minnesota. There he met other enthusiasts from across North America, who helped fuel his desire to promote the use of alternative energy. This summer he will lend his expertise to two more construction projects.

"The trend to move to energy-saving buildings is not going to happen overnight," says Mr. Ross. "But the new homeowner who wants to build this type of home can find good information out there. This type of home is just as easy to build as any other plan you can pick out of a glossy home-building book."