The Rancho Deluxe Visible Green Home® Tour
This Visible Green Home® Tour showcases a collaborative of some of Michigan’s finest talent in home energy system design. This tour will highlight the smart design and implementation of a whole-site energy system with a target of Net-Zero Energy. In the process, it will create a model environment, inspiring visions of smartly designed homes under 2000 square feet that harvest and produce all the energy they need over the course of the year – and eliminate their energy bills – forever.
This mid-century modern, dubbed “Rancho Deluxe”, was constructed using energy efficient techniques ahead of their time in 1949. This project builds upon the homes original passive solar features with a new roof-mounted, grid-tied, 8.2K photovoltaic system. The design will power the home and the new studio/offices for the homeowners company, Urban Ashes, with enough power left to charge their Ford Focus EV. The plan also includes a geo-thermal heating system, smart lighting, appliance load monitoring, energy control systems, environmental comfort controls through new ventilation strategies, and the use of natural daylight in place of energy consuming light options.
The tours will be conducted every hour on the hour and though free, do require advanced registration through this web site. Please be advised that you will be visiting an actual construction site. This is the real deal. Dress warmly, avoid loose clothing, and please wear sturdy shoes. Unfortunately, restroom facilities will not be provided, so please plan accordingly. We recommend arriving early enough to find adequate parking and to check in. Looking forward to seeing you.
This mid-century modern, dubbed “Rancho Deluxe”, was constructed using energy efficient techniques ahead of their time in 1949. This project builds upon the homes original passive solar features with a new roof-mounted, grid-tied, 8.2K photovoltaic system. The design will power the home and the new studio/offices for the homeowners company, Urban Ashes, with enough power left to charge their Ford Focus EV. The plan also includes a geo-thermal heating system, smart lighting, appliance load monitoring, energy control systems, environmental comfort controls through new ventilation strategies, and the use of natural daylight in place of energy consuming light options.
The tours will be conducted every hour on the hour and though free, do require advanced registration through this web site. Please be advised that you will be visiting an actual construction site. This is the real deal. Dress warmly, avoid loose clothing, and please wear sturdy shoes. Unfortunately, restroom facilities will not be provided, so please plan accordingly. We recommend arriving early enough to find adequate parking and to check in. Looking forward to seeing you.
