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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Possibly armed suicidal subject closes Grandview Avenue IRS scammer uses spoofed agency number to appear legitimate Talent will tax recreational marijuana Will 'GMO effect' shape election? Emergency services Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Possibly armed suicidal subject closes Grandview Avenue IRS scammer uses spoofed agency number to appear legitimate Emergency services Man charged with felony after offering bribe during Shady Cove arrest Suspicious propane tank at motel leads to three drug-related arrests Politics and Elections Will 'GMO effect' shape election? Dotterrer-Bates Senate race goes negative? 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IRS scammer uses spoofed agency number to appear legitimate ... Talent will tax recreational marijuana ... Possibly armed suicidal subject closes Grandview Avenue ... IRS scammer uses spoofed agency number to appear legitimate ... Talent will tax recreational marijuana ... ENERGY SAVINGS Green home helps keep life simple By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 29, 2014 @ 6:14 pm Updated Sep 30, 2014 at 4:45 PM By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 29, 2014 @ 6:14 pm Updated Sep 30, 2014 at 4:45 PM Green and Solar Tour --> Starts at and returns to Ashland Civic Center, 1175 E Main St. Travel to four homes via bus. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. Break for lunch at Grizzly Peak Winery (preorder online... » Read more X Green and Solar Tour Starts at and returns to Ashland Civic Center, 1175 E Main St. Travel to four homes via bus. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. Break for lunch at Grizzly Peak Winery (preorder online at greensolartours.com/lunch, $5-6). Tickets are $10. Pre-register online at www.ashland.or.us/register or call the Nature Center at 541-488-6606. » Social News For Jason Eaton, building an affordable, energy-stingy home is not so much a matter of cramming it with solar devices as it is just keeping things small, simple and beautiful to live in. Such is the home on Faith Street he and his wife, Kelly Eaton, built for his aunt, Faye Garland, who exclaims, “I can’t use enough good words for this house. This was my vision of what I wanted to live in and they put it together perfectly.” It will be a highlight of Ashland’s annual Green & Solar Tour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. Tickets are $10; the tour starts at the Ashland Civic Center, 1175 E. Main St. The compact 1,242-square-foot, single-level home was built this year and, says Fred Gant of Southern Oregon Green Rating Services, it’s a “sustainable, multi-generational home that can be passed to younger family members ... super energy and water efficient, low maintenance, senior accessible and yet comfortable and beautiful.” The family wanted a house that’s more modern and different that the traditional-looking neighborhood and could be built on the last lot in the subdivision, says Jason Eaton. With twin shed roofs, it stands out as stylish and is surrounded by landscape, done by Kelly Eaton, that is drought-resistant, low-maintenance and invites a feeling of unity between indoors and out, she notes. “We wanted clean lines, energy efficiency and an easy-to-run irrigation system,” she says. “It feels big inside because it’s connected with the outside through double doors and without steps.” Areas of what appears to grass aren’t really grass, which is water-hungry and takes lots of energy to maintain. Goodbye lawnmower and gasoline — rather, it’s a combination of herbs and a type of grass that stop growing under 2 inches. And, instead of bark dust, which blows around and needs new applications, they used “one and done” gravel. The home has tinted concrete floor throughout, serving as a thermal mass, storing heat from south windows in winter and keeping it cool in summer. It’s rampless and stepless at entries. Emphasis is on simple living -- not a lot of “stuff” in your face. There are no HVAC ducts in the house. Three high-mounted, ductless heat pumps do the job and, says Jason, are “incredibly efficient and cheap to run.” Garland has an “office,” but it’s really a large closet in the kitchenette area, with folding doors that open to a desk. When doors are closed, it disappears and the chair becomes part of the dining area. “There is NO wasted space,” crows Garland. “With thoughtful design, size can be reduced without sacrificing comfort.” Smaller size, of course, means less energy to heat and cool it, as well as fewer materials to build it. There are minimal closets, so occupants are encouraged to put “stuff” in the garage, where you don’t have to bother heating and cooling. The house is well-insulated and has an inch of foam on walls, eliminating pesky little gaps, called “thermal breaks.” The kitchen is modest and open, with composite stone counters. Showers are wheelchair accessible. Other homes on the popular tour are: A super-small, tight personal home for local green builder Steve Asher on family land off Elkader Street, with great use of space and outbuildings that don't need to be heated. A "modular design" on Scenic Avenue for new Ashland architect Bret Crawford. It's super-green, efficient and sited nicely on a tough lot. An innovative custom passive solar strawbale home on the east side, close to Grizzly Peak Winery. It has a "convective loop" floor that allows passively heated air to be guided down through the cores of aligned underslab building blocks that create tubes to form the loop. It has photovoltaic solar panels, views, a south orientation and is finely detailed. John Duffie id the design and Matt Bostwick was the builder. An exquisite design with detailed straw/clay walls, an earth floor and earthen plaster and many other natural building and green features. It's the home of EcoNest owners Robert and Paula LaPorte. The tour includes instructions on how to be more energy and water efficient. Those on the tour also have the chance to view double walls; straw bale walls; rainscreen walls; use of reclaimed building materials; ducts in conditioned space; ductless heat pumps; variable refrigerant flow heat pumps; heat recovery ventilation; solar electric and solar water heating systems; heat pump water heaters; tankless water heaters; low-water-use fixtures and irrigation; and Energy Star, Earth Advantage and LEED certifications, according to city of Ashland’s web page on the event. Participants will travel in buses. They can bring their own lunch or order it at Grizzly Peak Winery. The tour ends at 3 p.m. Space is limited. Pre-register online at www.ashland.or.us/register or call the North Mountain Park Nature Center, 541-488-6606. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Email him at [email protected]. Correction: By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 29, 2014 @ 6:14 pm Updated Sep 30, 2014 at 4:45 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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