Building Sustainably into the Future

Building a sustainable home requires the process to be environmentally responsible and resource efficient from beginning to end. With sustainability in mind, Energy Vision Homes design, plan, and construct environmentally friendly homes. 

Jacobson Farm Agrihood

Amherst, New Hampshire

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Jacobson Farm is a 120 acre regenerative agrihood: a community that heals the earth.

Energy Features​​​

• Super-insulated shell:
  • High-performance doors and windows
  • 12” thick walls insulated with cellulose
  • 18” of cellulose in the attic floor
• All electric, using no fossil fuels to create day-to-day energy
• A highly efficient air source heat pump (mini-split) system is used to heat and cool the homes.
• A highly efficient air source heat pump water heater is used to provide the domestic hot water needs of the occupants.
• Energy Star dish washers, refrigerators and washing machines
• A solar electric system located on the roof or in the vegetable fields provide the renewable energy for the reduced loads.
• Passive House levels of insulation 
• Carbon storing housing uses materials such as cellulose insulation to store carbon in the shell of the home (walls and attic insulation)
• Minimal use of high and low density foams and vinyl siding. These materials are very carbon intensive and can give off toxic fumes if caught on fire.

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​Optional Features:

• Battery back-up systems 
• Rainwater and storage systems
• Pellet wood stoves (back-up heat)
• Pellet kitchen stoves (remote firing and grilling abilities)

Farming Features​​

• Carbon Storing Farming - on average, more carbon is put into the soil than is released by the soil.​
  • Minimizing tilling - reduces carbon escaping to the atmosphere.
  • Composting adds both water retention and valuable nutrients back into the soil.
  • Biochar - charcoal used as a soil amendment. Biochar is a stable solid, rich in carbon, and can endure in soil for thousands of years. Like most charcoal, biochar is made from biomass via pyrolysis (definition from Wikipedia).
  • Silvopasture - a technique of keeping trees for shade while pasturing animals. The shade is good for the animals. The trees can store carbon. Black walnut, chestnut and other trees can provide food for both animals and people. The picture below is an example of Silvopasture.
• Food is grown on site in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farming model.
  
• An effort to provide year around crops will be made with greenhouses that can use pellet wood stoves to generate heat in the coldest months.​

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