Our Finger Lakes B&B, Another World, Commits to “Green” and Made in the USA
When we embarked on our journey to construct our Finger Lakes B&B, we were avidly committed to reducing our carbon footprint and preserving an ecologically sound environment for future generations. We spent countless hours carefully researching green technologies and building products to determine which ones were best suited to meeting our sustainability and eco-friendly goals.
Without a doubt, we have succeeded in our green lodging goals, creating a unique inn, one of the greenest in the country, that belongs to a whole new world of energy-efficiency and high-performance green building.
Handmade Quilts Line the Walls at Another World Bed & Breakfast
The following are some of the most significant green initiatives and features that we integrated into the construction of Another World, in order to create an eco-friendly Canandaigua Lake B & B:
Horizontal closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling system, known as a ground source heat pump. In the winter, the system pulls heat from the ground that averages 50 to 60 degrees. It takes considerably less energy to heat air from 55 to 72 degrees than from 32 degrees or below. In the summer, the process reverses, and heat is drawn away from the inn to the ground, where it is absorbed. The antifreeze used in the closed loop is nontoxic and sugar-based. The high-efficiency geothermal heat pump also uses chlorine-free R-410A as the refrigerant: the environmentally sound, non-ozone depleting refrigerant of the future. R-410A is replacing R-22 refrigerant, commonly referred to as Freon, which was damaging to the earth's ozone layer, and which will be phased out internationally under the Montreal Protocol and in the United States under the Clean Air and Water Act of 1990. In fact, the innkeeper was instrumental in getting this legislation passed by Congress.
Energy Star certified appliances.
High R-value insulation.
Highly insulated exterior and garage doors.
Programmable thermostats and multiple-zoned system.
Low-E high-performance windows. Many face south to maximize the amount of winter sun entering the inn.
HVAC duct system sealed with low VOC mastic.
Heat pump hot water tanks that use 62% less energy than conventional hot water heaters and also serve as dehumidifiers for the basement.
Hot water holding tank connected to a geothermal system and hot water tanks. The water entering the hot water tanks is already at a higher temperature than water entering in a standard system, which further increases the efficiency of the hot water heating tanks.
Water-conserving, front-loading laundry equipment.
High-efficiency, low-flow plumbing fixtures.
Bathroom and kitchen ventilation to control interior moisture load.
LED televisions.
More energy-efficient compact florescent and LED lighting.
Eco-friendly carpet, which uses a renewable sourced fiber made from corn sugar.
Engineered wood joists that use half the wood of solid 2 x 10s and do not require the cutting of old-growth timber.
The covered front porch creates an overhang that protects the home from the elements and makes it more energy efficient.
Building materials selected are durable, low-maintenance, and long-lasting and were purchased from companies known for corporate social and environmental responsibility.
Siting of our Naples, NY, inn preserved woodlands and kept the area that was disturbed to a minimum during construction.
An erosion and sediment control plan was implemented during construction.
Gravel driveway to steer clear of impervious services.
Landscaping that uses indigenous, drought-tolerant plant species and limits conventional turf areas through the use of pasture grass and wildflowers. These initiatives reduce irrigation demand significantly.
A 220-amp charging station in the garage for the Nissan Leaf we have reserved. Expected arrival date: late summer 2012.
Planned green initiatives include installing a rotating, rack-mounted solar panel system that we hope will provide all of the inn's electricity requirements. The ultimate goal is to get our electric meter to run in reverse and to provide power to the grid.
