Sustainability to the max: Student-run OHIO ecohouse

On Dairy Lane, only a short drive from campus, sits a brick house that is over 100 years old. At the time it was built, the house may have been intended to be a quiet, secluded home among lofty trees (which it still is). But now, the home is serving a purpose that would probably surprise its original builders: It is a fully sustainable household run with the hopes of exemplifying the future of environmental stability.

The overhaul began in 2004, when a group of Ohio University students and faculty and Athens community members came together with the goal to build a home that would illustrate solutions to wasteful energy practices. The group approached the Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee at OU and wrote a proposal indicating the need for education about green living, especially in Ohio. As indicated by the Ecohouse, Ohio is “often ranked in the top three states of the country for releasing the highest amount of environmental toxins into the air and water.” The university supported the project as an aspect of “Vision Ohio,” a document outlining OU’s top academic priorities.

A university-owned house was chosen and the renovations began in August 2005. The first improvement installed was a solar electric array–the flat black panels can be seen tilted toward the sun in the side yard. It has already offset over 6,514 pounds of greenhouse gases. According to the EPA, about 9,000 pounds of greenhouse gases are emitted per person in the average US household.

Nathan Jud, a senior Plant Biology student and Ecohouse resident, said that the project is meant to illustrate that one house “is a part of a bigger system.” Nathan was one of the several students who helped launch the project. Two junior undergrads, Hallie Morris and Tyler Dawson, currently share the space with Jud. The residents conduct research committees and write proposals for all changes made to the house. So far, this has ranged from energy-saving appliances to a solar-heated water system to improved installation made of shredded newspaper. There is even an alternative fueling station functioning out of the Ecohouse, with a greasel filtration system that recycles grease (from restaurants, for example) to power cars.

But these considerable changes are not the only ways that the Ecohouse demonstrates how we can effectively conserve energy and live a more sustainable lifestyle. The house also engages in composting, maintains a vegetable garden, and uses non-toxic household cleaners. These are the easiest ways for homes that may not be able to make the large initial investment required for new appliances and solar-energy to adopt green living. Jud mentioned that another simple way to conserve household energy is by using compact florescent light bulbs, which can significantly decrease electric bills (usually by around $10).

The Ecohouse not only serves as a demonstration home, but also provides community outreach and education, which Jud said is one of the most important aspects of the project. The amount of research involved in purchasing an energy-efficient appliance is often confusing, not to mention time-consuming, for new sustainability-seeking consumers. Jud and his roommates hope that by doing the research for the Ecohouse, they will be able to decrease this burden by providing the relevant information. The house is also a social outlet, hosting monthly tours, potlucks and workshops.

In a little over a year, the Ecohouse has become one of the most positive examples of OU’s mission to initiate solutions to national challenges. With a greywater treatment system, a solar greenhouse, and a nature trail in the works for future improvements, the Ecohouse exemplifies sustainability to the max. •