Going green could be good for your pocket. At least that’s what an ambitious developer in Somerset has proved. Nick Sandy has proved to be a visionary and truly transformed a detached property into an environmentalist’s dream. It is not an easy job; it takes time and a lot of money. Nick had the vision and the patience and most importantly the finance to see the project through successfully. He spent 18 months and over £1million in order to transform a drab looking home built in the 1960s into s futuristic eco-friendly home where even James Bond would feel comfortable and very much at home. All kinds of modern technologies have been used to make it a house which is not only comfortable and luxurious but which helps minimize the impact on our environment. The lighting system features motion sensors that activate the lights when you walk into a room. There are pumping systems installed that pump fresh air into a room every two hours through fans.
Innovative and Green Technology
The Technology used is the state of the art and innovative. The transformed home boasts of many other technologies. It has a heat recovery system, solar panels on the roof and even a rain water harvester underneath the back garden to make it one of the most energy efficient homes in the area. Before the green makeover the bills for gas and electricity used to add up to £3,500 just to run the house. With the help of the new and efficient technology the bills have now gone down to £1,000 a year. Mr. Sandy said that it was his way of showing to the people how easily this could be done. He feels that he is not an environmentalist but green with a small ’g’. He believes that every one of us should be aware of the dangers facing our environment and what we can do to minimize the adverse impact. All of us can do it if we become more conscious about the environment.
An Example that All of Us Can Follow
The house, when Mr. Sandy bought it had two single and two double bedrooms. He has now made it a five double bedroom house. He spent £10,000 for solar panels. The panels generate electricity and also manage the water supply. He installed motion sensors in every room of the house. They not only flick the lights on when someone walks in but also manage the heating in the room reducing and increasing it on its own. Nick insulated all the walls in the home and also installed a rain water harvester underneath his lawn. The water thus harvested is used to supply the toilets and washing machine. The heat recovery system has literally made the atmosphere in the house much better. It takes in stale air from the property’s bathrooms and turns it into fresh air. The fresh air is pumped back into the house every two hours. The way technology has been used to make the house efficient and green has been noticed by government officials as well. Fiona Gruber, from the Department of Energy and Climate Change visited the house to see for herself the energy saving features of the house. She hopes to spread the word about its feasibility so that others can emulate it. Mr. Sandy, in the mean time has put the eco-home on the market for £2.5 million.
