Sustainable Living

Sustainable living, as defined byWikipedia, is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and personal resources. Las Vegas Ranch Estates, with its moderate climate, 300+ days of sunshine each year, abundant water, and productive soils, support a sustainable, nature-oriented, healthy lifestyle. Here are some ideas you can apply and resources you can use for sustainable living.

Green Home Design and Building Concepts

See the following links for green home design and building concepts

• Not So Big House

• Ecological Environments

• Green Ideas

• Dream Green Homes

• Straw Bale Home Design and Construction

• Cedar Homes

• Ecosteel

Also the revised edition ofThe Renewable Energy Handbookfocuses on the unique requirements of off-grid living as well as using "green" energy for homeowners who remain connected to the electrical utility.

Zero Energy Homes and Solar Power

A Zero Energy Ready Home is a high performance home which is so energy efficient, that a renewable energy system can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption. The more than 300 days of sunshine a year at Las Vegas Ranch provides the perfect location for building zero energy home powered by solar.

Here are some useful links about designing and building a zero energy home and using solar to reduce your energy costs:

• Zero Energy Ready Home

• Zero Net Energy Homes

• HERS Index

• News and Information About Solar Energy

• Clean Power: Solar Energy

If you do use solar energy, there may be times, especially if you have a zero energy home, that you are producing more electricity than you can use. Arizona Public Service (APS), through a concept called "net-metering" allows you to move this electricity to their power grid with compensation. For more information, contactAPS.

Solar Water Heater

Solar water heaters are a very cost effective way to produce hot water for your home. Modern solar powered systems can be configured to run completely on solar energy and have no delay in hot water even when cloudy. This can save you hundreds of dollars per year on operation and maintenance costs versus a typical electric or natural gas system. Click below for more information.

• Passive Solar Water Heating System

• Solar Water Heating

Wind Energy

Las Vegas Ranch has mild and consistent wind averages of 6.4 mph making it an excellent location to install a wind powered well pump! Click the links below to learn more about wind powered energy systems.

• Understanding Domestic Wind Power

• Top Five Micro Wind Turbines

• Skystream

Energy Tax Rebates and Credits

Federal tax rebates, State tax credits, and solar and wind energy incentives are available to save money for solar water heating, photovoltaic, and wind energy system installations. Click on these links to find out more:

• Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency

• APS Renewable Energy Incentives

• Arizona Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit

• Arizona State Tax Incentives

In Arizona, "solar devices" can be sold to Arizona customers without having to charge state sales tax. See theArizona Solar Centerwebsite for more information.

Water

With the average depth to water of the wells drilled at LV Ranch at just over 100 feet (shallow by Arizona standards), installing a solar water pump, taking advantage of free power from the sun, is an attractive option. A quality solar pump system is reliable, requires no fuel, doesn’t harm the environment, can be left unattended for long periods of time, requires very little maintenance, and has no running costs.

Learn more about solar water pumping:

• Solar Well Pumps.

Particularly in the arid southwest, water is a precious resource. Conservation of water is a top priority for any sustainable building project. Low-flow fixtures and appliances, rainwater harvesting, grey water re-use, low water use (drought resistant) plants, and water-efficient irrigation systems are all ways to reduce water consumption.

• Water Conservation Tools and Resources

• Rainwater Harvesting

• Grey water systems

• Drought Tolerant-Low Water Use Plant Lists

• Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies •

Green Materials & Resources

See the following links for green materials and resources

• Green Building Resource Guide

• Used Building Materials

• Green Building Products

• Energy Efficient Building and Environmentally Sound Construction

• Berkeley Library: Environmental Design Library

Gardening

Las Vegas Ranch has an excellent climate and productive soils, perfect for gardening. It is in USDA Hardiness Zone 7b: 5F to 10F. The average first frost is between October 11 - 20, while the average last frost occurs between May 11 - 20. We average 61 - 90 days per year where the temperature exceeds 86°F.

Here are some gardening resources:

• Permanent Raised Bed Gardening

• The Urban Farm

• The Organic Garden Guy

• University of Arizona - Cooperative Extension

• University of Arizona - Master Gardener Program

There are many excellent books on organic farming. Check withAmazonor better yet, check out our excellent local bookstore:Peregrine Book Company.

Interesting Reading

Here are some books you might enjoy:

• Country Life: A Handbook for Realists and Dreamers

• Story's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self Reliance

• The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It

• Harvest: A year in the Life of an Organic Farm

• It's a Long Road to a Tomato: Tales of an Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (Not So) Simple Life