Touring a Green Home: My Eye-Opening Experience

Touring a Green Home 🌿

By Chiara Luey

Have you ever wondered what a real eco-friendly house looks like? I have! So when I got the chance to visit a super-sustainable home through Acterra’s Green@Home Tour, I was so excited.

I thought I’d see a bunch of fancy gadgets that were hard to use. But instead, everything looked normal—just smarter! I learned that living “green” doesn’t mean giving things up. It actually makes life better.

💡 Cool Ways the House Saves Energy

Inside the home, I saw so many amazing upgrades:

• The induction stove cooked food really fast and didn’t make the air smoky.

• The heat pump kept the rooms warm in winter and cool in summer—without loud noises or big energy bills!

These changes didn’t make life harder—they made it easier and healthier.

☀️ Solar Power = Freedom

The roof had 31 solar panels that made enough electricity to power the whole house! There was even a battery that stored energy for later.

When the power goes out, the lights and fridge still work. How cool is that? It’s like having your own mini power plant!

🚗 Electric Cars at Home

The family’s driveway had two electric cars: a VW ID.4 and a Honda Clarity, both plugged into chargers right by the house.

I used to think only new, fancy homes could charge electric cars. But this house was built almost 100 years ago—and it worked perfectly! It showed me that any home can go electric.

🌸 A Yard That Helps the Planet

Instead of a big lawn that needs a lot of water, the yard had mulch and native plants.
There were smart sprinklers that turned off when it rained and greywater from the laundry that watered the garden.

That means less wasted water and happier plants! 🌻

🏡 The Tiny House Out Back

The family also built a small extra house called an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). It had super-strong insulation, a tiny heat pump, and fresh air vents that recycled warm or cool air.

It was cozy, quiet, and didn’t waste energy.

🔌 Small Things That Make a Big Difference

I noticed even little ideas that helped:

• An anti-rodent sound device under the car hood

• Outdoor plugs for electric garden tools

• No gas-powered leaf blowers!

They weren’t big, expensive changes—just smart ones that made life easier and cleaner.

🌍 My Takeaway

When I left, I realized something important:

Living sustainably isn’t about giving up comfort—it’s about upgrading it.

Everything I saw was doable for regular people. It made me believe that every home can help the planet, one small change at a time.

If you ever get to go on an Acterra Green@Home Tour, do it! You’ll learn how tiny switches—like using clean energy or saving water—can make a huge difference.