The master plan for the Green Path Commons neighborhood shows the layout of existing homes (9 N. Belgium Lane, 17 N. Belgium Lane, and 350 Emma Road) as well as proposed houses (21 N. Belgium Lane, 340 Emma Road, 342 Emma Road, and 354 Emma Road). The common area is also shown, including a garden, fire pit and pavilion.
home because no concrete is used in the foundation. Instead, many tons of local gravel are used to make a strong base for the home (consider the way gravel supports train tracks; trains can weigh 20,000 tons). We emphasize the use of wood because employing wood sequesters carbon, keeping it from becoming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. For parking, driveways, and roads, we use gravel and asphalt to reduce the carbon footprint of Green Path Commons. It is very difficult to assess a home’s carbon footprint. Realistically, all we can do is make every decision with the goal of reducing the carbon footprint. We support a federal price on carbon (fossil fuels) as proposed in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that has been introduced in Congress. A properly implemented price on carbon will simplify efforts to reduce residential carbon footprints because carbon will be reflected in the price of carbon-intensive materials like concrete. It will also give homebuyers more cash to spend on solar panels and energy efficient upgrades. In the near future, residential electric-vehicle charging will become common. We are excited about the possibility of building homes at Green Path Commons that have vehicle charging capacity provided by solar. The economics of solar charg-
ing is difficult because the amount of energy needed for vehicle charging will depend on the number of miles traveled. Furthermore, if the house is sold to someone without an electric car, there needs to be a way for them to utilize the excess capacity. Electric cars are becoming more common; Duke should change its interconnect structure to buy back excess solar power. Green builders should be pushing for change on renewable-energy policy with the utilities and government at the local, state, and national levels. Green builders have a responsibility to lead the movement to lifestyles that do not depend on fossil fuels. Net-zero homes influence behavior, and inspire owners to apply the net-zero approach to transportation and other lifestyle choices. As “Climate City,� Asheville should be at the forefront of this movement. Don Nicholson is retired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he was a theoretical physicist for thirty years. He continues to work in that field as a research professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. In 2015, he and his son, Donald, formed Nicholson and Sun, a residential building company dedicated to climate solutions. Connect with Don at nicholsonandsun.com.
GREENBUILDING DIRECTORY 2019-20
Amazing Views Lots financed by owner
Call Bernie 828-230-0755
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