Source: NYTimes.com

The solar panels — 3,852 of them — shimmered above 10 acres of Jimmy Carter’s soil where peanuts and soybeans used to grow. The panels moved almost imperceptibly with the sun. And they could power more than half of this small town, from which Mr. Carter rose from obscurity to the presidency.

Nearly 38 years after Mr. Carter installed solar panels at the White House, only to see them removed during Ronald Reagan’s administration, the former president is leasing part of his family’s farmland for a project that is both cutting edge and homespun. It is, Mr. Carter and energy experts said, a small-scale effort that could hold lessons for other pockets of pastoral America in an age of climate change and political rancor.

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A furniture maker, brewer, engineer, designer, and builder, John McDermott is a man of many talents. John, who moved to Asheville from Charlotte in 1994, cofounded Highland Brewing Company. After several years with Highland, John decided to switch gears and enter our region’s craft scene with his furniture making business called bola design.

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by John McDermott

Building a green or sustainable home is becoming a common practice in Western North Carolina.  Taking the home to the level of net zero energy is now within reach for many green building projects.   Having a net zero energy (NZE) home means that the total amount of energy used per year is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy (RE) created on site.  This RE can be generated by wind, solar, geothermal and/or hydro systems. In our region, passive solar, photovoltaic and solar thermal panels are the most popular choices due to excellent solar availability and affordability.  Thus, solar energy as a basis for creating a NZE home will be the focus of this article. [Read more…]

TEXT BY PAUL CLARK CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT PHOTOS BY BILL SANDERS WSANDERS@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM

John McDermott, a furniture maker, has created Green Acres, an eco-community in Merrills Cove in southeast Asheville.

The sexiest thing about John McDermott’s energy-efficient home might be its concrete floors, not so much for their heat-trapping qualities — though that’s the goal — but because they’re beautiful.

Mottled in a vaguely marbleized way, top-coated and looking slightly wet (they aren’t), they have the unexpected quality of putting you at ease in John’s sparse and spacious house. Easy to clean and as smooth as polished glass, they’re unpretentious, inexpensive and thermally gifted. Which is exactly the point.

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Self-guided fundraising event includes Buncombe houses

Written by Asheville Citizen-Times Staff Writers

HENDERSONVILLE — The Environmental and Conservation Organization’s sixth annual Green Home Tour will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today.

The six tour sites are evenly divided between Henderson and Buncombe counties.

This year’s self-guided driving tour includes several new builds with intriguing design features, efficient cooling and heating units in new housing and existing homes with innovative upgrades by the owners.

Tickets are on sale 9-10 a.m. today at the ECO office, 611 N. Church St., Hendersonville (cash or check only), and at the Hendersonville and Asheville Visitor Centers. Tickets are $15, or $12 each for two or more adults carpooling. Call 692-0385 to learn more. [ … ]

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By Jacob Biba
BlueRidgeNow.com Times-News correspondent

Having worked as an engineer in the past, and now making his living in his studio as a woodworker and furniture maker, John McDermott took his skills and technical knowledge from both fields and applied them to energy efficiency when designing his Merrills Cove home in southern Buncombe County.

McDermott wasn’t merely interested in energy efficiency and innovative design, however. He aimed to combine comfort with conservation and create a home that would stand the test of time without constant attention.

“What I’m shooting for is low maintenance,” McDermott said.

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