Nestled on top of Uniacke Hill near Baie Verte, there is a unique off-grid passive solar home. Located on an old country road, it is surrounded by open fields that allow a rolling wind to cool the home in the summertime.
It is a passive solar home because almost all of the windows are located on the southern facing side of the home, which allows for passive solar light and heat gain. Passive solar homes require significantly less energy because they harness heat through the windows on the sunniest side of the home.
Being near to the Northumberland straight, the homeowner gave consideration to the Westerly and Northerly winds, by situating the house next to tree stands that shelter it from those winds.
Passive solar heat is not the only form of free energy being harnessed by this off-grid home. The family takes care to use less energy in the wintertime by employing a passive fridge, or vented pantry, to keep food cold. The vented pantry is like a normal pantry for food storage, except that it is separated from heated living space by insulated walls, and a latching door. Open vents are installed in the exterior walls of the pantry to ensure that ambient air in the pantry is same temperature as the air outside of the home.The idea is to allow the cool winter air to circulate through the food storage space to keep the food cold. Needless to say, it does not function as well in the summertime, because the ambient air may reach exceedingly high temperatures, which cause food to spoil.
The homeowner is living a passive solar and off-grid lifestyle that reduces impacts on the environment. The homeowner believes living off-grid is a lifestyle choice. Some benefits of living off-grid include enjoying more fresh air, more exercise, and less consumption.