Green Initiatives in New Homes
 

I am a future resident and wonder if the Villages is using any Green Technologies when building new homes or in the Commercial Properties in general. Thanks!

Welcome to TV and TOTV.
Great idea to think ahead.
Because we were only interested in older homes (6 and 11 years) we didn't even tour anything new.
We were concerned about the ecology and the economy and were looking at roof lines, exposures, and the ability to use active and passive solar.
On the larger home in TV and a place off-site, we're delighted to see the meters run backwards most of the time with our solar installation.
We did the solar attic fans and are looking into a concept we noticed in TOTV this week - running a loop of domestic water into the attic to heat and/or pre-heat.

There are certain types of landscaping and some absorbent additives to help conserve water that seemed interesting.

Keep us posted,

L and L

Oh, forgot to mention. We can't wait to try our new solar- and wind-powered clothes dryer we got on sale at our local ACE Hardware in TV last trip down.
It should work even better than the same one we have up north - we save 100% on clothes dryer balls and the freshness is incomparable to our old gas and electric dryers.

L and L

Which Ace Hardware? And this is in place of the gas/electric dryer that came with the house?

Guess it makes sense to take things into your own hands rather than wait for someone to do it for you. Congrats on your efforts - for the environment as well as your pocketbook. Thanks!

We use the Ace hardware in the Southern Trace center - it's close enough to walk or ride the bikes (speaking of Greening!)

Yes, we use this in place of the ones that come with the house.
We actually bought two and have had the ones up ho,me for decades, and have had zero maintenance costs.
The dryer works in conjunction with help from 'MOM" whom provides the wind and sun.
MM-MMMM, nothing like the clean, fresh feel and fragrance of our garments, towels, linens, and throw rugs.

not to mention turning off the gas supply and the circuit breakers to those huge white boxes.

We still use the washing machines that came with the home - we're not the type to use the washboard!!

In October we went on the 10/10/10 eco home tour through Washington DC and were pleasantly surprised to see some way upmarket homes in prestigious, celebrity- and politician-saturated Georgetown going green.

Though we started this as a novelty, we've come to appreciate the simplicity, cost-savings, lower maintenance, and quiet of oiur projects.
L and L

Let us know!!

L and L

L and L

Just so I'm clear . . .
 

Is this dryer an outside, umbrella type opening thing with clotheslines? Or are you talking about some new invention? I've used the umbrella type before, and I can actually see that it would work quite well here, where you are allowed to use it, which probably would be in the backyard of a CYV with high walls?

One thing that is missed here from "back home" are clothes lines. We always used a retractable one and it was lovely to dry most of our items outside. Saved electricity and gas and everything smelled fresh too. I can see why they'd not want them here as some people forget and leave items on the lines and that can be tacky too. So they make a blanket rule rather than have it be a "piece-meal" sort of thing. If one lives in a CYV with the high walls...then they probably could have one without offending others.

:wave: Petiteone,

Welcome to TOTV. When are you moving to TV. Soon I hope. You'll love it.

p.s. What is your secret. For staying petite, I mean.

I will say that as an air conditioning contractor I know that TV was building homes with the newer environmentally friendly refrigerant R410a long before the federally mandated year 2010. Our home was built in 2005 and had the new refrigerant.

FRESH CLOTHES AND LINENS - mmmmmm
 

The ones we use are very portable - come in 25 and 50 foot lengths. Made in USA. Yep, a rope!
On nasty days we use indoor racks.

When we're finally in TV long enough to do laundry, we'll try to be more discreet with the outside line than back 'up here' where the pasture-facing line on the deck is not visible to anyone but us and the wildlife.

Though we'll try to stretch it where it's as out of sight as we can, Florida has such love for the mothership's ecology that it's lawmakers have made sure that treehuggers and those that like the freshest garments don't become lawbreakers.

http://www.ccfj.net/HOAFLclothesline.html

On a similar note, Big Gov says our hoa's and restrictions can't outlaw whatever it takes to receive broadcast signals over the air.
Rooftop antennae, CB and Amateur raio towers and lines, even huge satellite dishes , though thankfully they are no longer popular.

We were thoughtful and courteous enough to place our PV collectors on the side and not visible from the street - and because we're on a dead end, they're hardly visual polluters.

As far as visuals go, however, we are both finding it's taking a long time trying to get used to some of the larger birdcages that seem as if the architect was on vacation when they were designed. But the rule is that form follows function, so we're trying.

Bear with us, we know we'll get over it.

L and L