Green dreams: building an eco-home is an exercise in balancing ideals with realities.

At the table in my dining room, warmed by the sun and bright with natural light, I bend to the task of paying my bills. I owe the electric company $33 for the months of December and January combined ($13 for actual electricity used and a $20 service charge). The gas company's estimated bill for mid-December to mid-January was $143. But based on actual meter readings, it should have been $21, including a $7 flat fee. Given the fact that I live near Rochester, New York, famous for its lake effect snow and cloud coverage, this isn't too bad. I, chuckle a little when I think of all the naysayers who told me that solar power m Rochester just can't be done. "You'll be dark and cold in January," they said.

There were times during the two years that it took to design and build our solar home that I almost shared their "it can't be done" sentiment. My husband, Duane, and I learned early on that when it comes to building an earth-friendly home, weighing alternatives and harmonizing dreams with reality is quite a challenge. And while I'm thrilled with the house we built, it is a modest version of the one we originally envisioned.

Starting Out

Our quest to disconnect from the utility grid began after visiting a passive/active solar home that was part of Real Goods Trading Corporation's Independent Home Tour. Under the guidance of architect Martha Gates, we created a passive solar home -- a 2,500-square-foot dwelling that uses the sun as a heating source. Sunlight entering through south-facing windows warms thermal mass (concrete floors covered with tile, block exterior walls and a brick interior wall) which radiates heat to warm the house. Insulation (R-28 in exterior walls and R-36 in the ceiling) keeps the heat from dissipating through walls. On bright winter days, the sun alone heats the upstairs, raising indoor temperatures up to 70 degrees. The kitchen's cook stove provides warmth in the evenings and on cloudy days. Downstairs, the Russian stove, a rectangular mass of bricks and mortar, warmed by one fast, hot fire, radiates heat for half a day.

When considering resale value (we had lived in four places in the last 12 years), and building code requirements, we resigned ourselves to a utility-connected back-up heating system. We chose radiant floor heating. Water heated by a gas-fired boiler is circulated through pipes in the floors. We connected the boiler to the solar hot water system to reduce its use. Nonetheless, practical, mundane considerations shattered our original dream of being totally off the grid.

Producing Power

We turned to Doug Livingston of Real Goods for help in designing a photovoltaic (PV) electrical system. Before sizing the system, he directed us to reduce our electricity use. We opted for some energy-efficient appliances (the SunFrost refrigerator and Staaber 2000 clothes washer) and compact fluorescent lighting. We eliminated other appliances. The mixer and blender gave way to a whisk and a manual food grinder. The clock radio was replaced with a wind-up alarm clock. The dishwasher was traded for a double sink.

Despite our best efforts to minimize our energy load, it was cost-prohibitive to have a PV system that would meet our needs year round. Doug's design, which includes 18 solar panels and a battery bank for electricity storage, would get us through spring, summer and fall. We turned reluctantly to the grid for back-up during the winter.

We wanted to use many recycled and natural or healthy budding materials in the house. But when construction bids came in $35,000 over budget, we pared these back. We replaced the recycled glass tile, natural linoleum and steel kitchen cabinets (a healthy alternative to wood cabinets made with toxic glues) with more conventional materials and eliminated the recycled plastic lumber deck altogether. The alternative energy systems were left intact.

As I looked over my utility bills last January, remembering the give and take of home construction, I didn't realize that in a few short weeks I would no longer need the grid to provide supplemental electricity. But by mid-February, the solar panels were generating all the juice we needed. By March, they were generating more than we could use. We bought a microwave and a ceiling fan. An electric lawn mower and weed whacker were soon to follow.

The winter utility bills remind me that we are not off the grid yet. But then again, we're not on it very much. Although financial constraints and practical considerations curtailed the original plans, the house proves that solar power works even during the cold, cloudy winters of upstate New York. And on sunny days, when the house warms and the refrigerator runs without generating any pollution, I can't help but dream of the possibilities for a greener, cleaner Earth.