Sheri Koones - Prefabulous + Almost Off the Grid: Your Path to Building an Energy-Independent Home

For Alex and Jesse,
with the hope they will live in an environmentally healthy world

The Snowhorn House in Austin, Texas, earned LEED Platinum certification. (Photo courtesy of Casey Dunn)

I am indebted to all of the homeowners, architects, builders, manufacturers, organizations, and suppliers who graciously shared their knowledge and experience with me. Each time I write a book, these people become new friends, and this is one of the joys of writing books.

Im always amazed at the creativity and beauty of the houses I reviewand the ones I found for this book were no different. The houses included here are among the most terrific I have ever come across. The methods and materials are new, creative, remarkably energy efficient, healthy, and environmentally friendly. I learned so much while writing this book and was so inspired by the creativity exhibited.

Thank you to Joyce Deep for your kindnessyou are a joy to work with. A special thank-you to Robert Redford, my environmental hero, screen idol, and just a wonderful human being. I appreciate your encouragement and participation in this projectit means a great deal to me to have the support of such an important environmentalist who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.

Rob, Alex, and Jesse are always a great source of inspiration and encouragement as I muddle through these projects. A special thank-you to my dear son Jesse, who, while preparing to begin college, helped me with some of the research for this book.

Thank you to all of the photographers who graciously contributed their fine work.

My thanks to the National Association of Real Estate Editors, a wonderful organization that has been so supportive of my work, with two Gold Robert Bruss Book awards and numerous wonderful friendships. My gratitude to my friends, who always help me more than I can sayLucy Hedrick, Denise Marcil, Dave Wrocklage, and John Connell. Thank you to my brother and friend, Mark Warman, who is a continuous source of great support.

Abrams has been a joy to work with. Thanks to Eric Himmel for your continued support, Laura Dozier for your fine editing skill, and Darilyn Carnes for the excellent design.

The world needs to conserve energy, water, and resourcesI hope these houses will help to inspire future homeowners as much as theyve inspired me.

W hen I was a teenager working summers as a roustabout in what is now the Chevron Oil fields south of Los Angeles, I got firsthand knowledge of the consequences of offshore drilling. Over the years Ive watched the dire consequences it has had on people, wildlife, local fisherman, and other industries. In some cases residents along waterways have relocated because of the oil spills. Imported oil has created other problems, putting our country in a precarious political position.

The recent Chilean mine accident and the nuclear meltdown in Japan have proven that seeking fuel the way we have been can have dangerous and unhealthy consequences. Even clean-burning natural gas, the bridge fuel between fossil and sustainable, is highly toxic and polluting in the hydraulic fracturing process necessary to access it.

A perfect solution to this energy challenge is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. Over the years clean energy options have become more available, more technologically sophisticated, and more financially feasible. There is new technology available in solar, geothermal, and wind power, and beyond.

In 1975 when I built my own passive solar home in Utah, it was incredibly difficult to find materials and systems to achieve the efficiency and energy independence I sought. Today, these technologies have evolved and there are many options available for the construction of energy-independent homes and other buildings. The variety of systems and the prices for these systems have been reduced over the years. In addition, there are government, state, and local subsidies and tax breaks to encourage their use. Nobodys asking for perfection but even walking down this road partway will go a long way toward a better future.

Since homes use approximately 38 percent of the energy in this country, constructing more energy-efficient homes is an excellent way to reduce consumption. Prefabulous + Almost Off the Grid: Your Path to Building an Energy-Independent Home demonstrates many examples of houses that require minimal energy; some of which even give back as much energy as they use. The methods and materials used in the construction of houses in this book demonstrate how houses can be built to reduce energy and water consumption, while also being healthy and sustainable. The houses are beautiful, comfortable, and vastly reduce their footprint on the earth.

With the heavy cost we pay for energyenvironmentally, politically, and financiallythe hope is to embrace the new and reduced cost of natural energy. The houses in this book set an excellent example of the types of houses that should be built todaywith reduced energy use, healthy products, and more sustainable materials.

We need to learn from our past mistakes regarding energy consumption and embrace new ways to reduce our needs. Its time for everyone to consider more clean energy options in our lives. Prefabulous + Almost Off the Grid: Your Path to Building an Energy-Independent Home will inspire and help you do that.

Robert Redford
Environmentalist, Actor, Director

Modular manufacturer Royal Homes in Canada built this cottage on Starr Island in just seven months. Limiting the impact on the environment, energy and heated water are created from the adjoining lake through a filtration system, using solar energy. (Photo courtesy of Riverstore Photography)

I continue to be amazed at the number of houses built, even today, with neither energy-efficient design nor factory-manufactured quality. The first saves money from the initial day of occupancy while the second ensures the long-term value of the investment. Simply put, prefabrication addresses these two critical issues, offering the least complicated and most reliably scheduled path to the green home of your dreams.

The downturn in the building industry has forced everyone to revisit fundamental home-building assumptions. Whereas houses were getting bigger and bigger in the boom years of the 1970s and 80s, todays homeowners are shopping for smaller, better-designed houses that utilize space more purposefully and reduce waste of energy, water, and other resources.

When the cost of energy was lower, the political world situation less turbulent, oil spills more contained, and nuclear energy seemingly fairly safe, energy efficiency was not a major issue. Today we pay a high price for the energy we use.