“An Issue of Awareness.”

A man of many diverse talents, Pete Oxford says awareness is crucial to the lifestyle he chooses in his off-the-grid house in Cornwall. He offers with clear practical reasoning how the house he has built has led to a more sound awareness of daily activities, especially the sources of our energy. He reminds people that the technical expertise is not imperative when embarking upon plans to build such a house, simply the motivation and curiosity coupled with some hands on learning are sufficient for building this type of dream house. Furthermore, for him and for many other local Vermont residents, off-the grid houses are economically beneficial both in terms of initial costs as well as reduced or eliminated monthly fees for utilities.

“Involvement Becomes Ownership.”

Pete Oxford grew up in Brandon, Vermont on a family farm, providing him with knowledge of this area, the land, and the climate. These factors led him to return to Vermont when settling in his own house in 1980. AT that time, he bought land in Cornwall, Vermont, on which he constructed his own house wind and passive solar powered house. Of most importance were the site’s accessible groundwater and the simple discharge created by the hill. He also chose the hilltop site deliberately for its high wind power potential as well as its optimal maximum southern exposure angle. Setting the house on the north side of the field allowed the space to be as open as possible to the sun, even as it sits low during winter months in Vermont.

Beyond the siting for the wind turbine, the design of Pete’s house was also clearly in synch with alternative energy interests. His goal was to reduce the house’s energy consumption as much as possible while still creating a comfortable living space. He started with the basics of working with an elongated East/West shape, with a shorter North/South proportion, in order to maximize southern exposure. He worked to reduce the surface area to volume ratio, making more space with less surface in order to save energy. While a dome is ideal, he chose the old-fashioned New England colonial “salt-box” style for aesthetic reasons. He also reduced interior partitions, allowing more air circulation through the house, while also lowering the cost of his house. He designed the layout of the house so that the primary living spaces were located on the south side of the house, closer to the direct effects of the passive solar heating. He placed the storage spaces at the north side, which has few windows.

The wood stove is central to the entire house, providing heat as well as cooking means, while also saving energy by preheating the water that enters the gas hot water heater. The open space in the house allows the heat from the wood stove to circulate up to the second floor and allows the cooler air to sink down toward the stove area to be reheated. He has sent a helium balloon through his house to follow the air circulation, and has watched it come full circle through the tow stories of the house.

 “Poverty is the mother of invention.”

Every month, Pete Oxford spends zero dollars on utility bills. Economically speaking, Pete’s house was built for exactly the price of an average size, average costing house in 1980, which was $63,000. Today the average American home costs $100, 000. He reminds us, “you can do it with little money, if you’re smart”. His house alone, 15,000 square feet in size, cost $38,000 in 1980. The grand total of $63,000 included the wind generator and other necessary components. He offers that the well drilled for water was the largest economical complication, and in retrospect, he could have saved more money on it.

Tax breaks under the Carter administration, implemented in response to the 1970’s oil embargo and the following energy crisis, encouraged his initial thoughts for the construction of his house. These tax breaks, provided him with a $5,000 tax credit, making his financial situation more comfortable. He built his house on what he calls a poverty budget, while working in a bike store making around $8.00 an hour.

“Show people what they can do, rather than tell them what they should do.”

As Pete notes, for many people it is actually the pyschological block towards living this way that must be overcome. He was motivated to lead by example, after many years of frustration in active protesting against nuclear and centralized power. His background of working in hands-on processes added to his desire to build his own house. He chose to live an “alternative lifestyle” in order to live what he believed and strive for consistency in various parts of his life. When speaking about the decision to live this way he reminds people to incorporate their beliefs into as many parts of their life as possible. His house certainly provides one example of making a change in lifestyle in order to follow beliefs.

The experience he has exposed provides an example of someone who truly knows his place and his home, from the very roots of his energy sources to the course of the water which he releases back into the ground. Pete Oxford wanted to show people that passive solar energy works. 72% of his energy comes from passive solar. He wanted to lead by example in reducing his consumption levels, and his energy sources reflect those beliefs. But at the same time, his motivation for constructing and living in this house was practical. It was cheaper to build his house this way, and it also aligned perfectly with his personal interests. The result he has created allows local people to watch these ideas combine naturally, and quite practically.

“Make hay while the sun shines.”

His daily life is not all that different in terms of the time commitment to his house, yet it simply provides him with more awareness of the systems at work. He might spend 15-20 minutes every day checking batteries or the wind turbine. Beyond that, he simply has adjusted his daily activities to live with less consumption, but still lives comfortably through cold Vermont winters (most of the time). He simply vacuums and does laundry when it is windy, if possible. He realizes that this understanding has forced him to be more interactive with his living space, and he enjoys it.

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