This year’s San Diego Green Homes Tour will educate San Diegans interested in green home practices on Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20. The tour will showcase two La Jolla Shores homes: the La Jolla Modern Beach Home and the Murph Zero Project.
Over the past 10 years, the San Diego Green Building Council (SDGBC) has hosted the San Diego Green Homes Tour, celebrating the most sustainable houses throughout San Diego County.
“Our main goal for everyone who comes to the tour is to learn things but also take something away,” says member of the SDGBC and realtor at 73 Degrees Realty, Adam Pascu. “Whether it’s as simple as changing some old lightbulbs out with LED, getting an Energy Star-rated appliance, or implementing something much bigger.”
The two La Jolla homes on the tour have certainly implemented big environmental changes. The La Jolla Modern Beach Home uses LED lighting and fans instead of air conditioning, is furnished with energy efficient appliances, and uses solar panels that provide the home’s electricity.
These sustainable choices give the beach home its LEED platinum certification, which is the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
La Jolla Modern Beach Home’s homeowner, Jill Nooren, explains how meaningful it is to have her “Barbie Dream House” be an example to educate others.
“I appreciate the opportunity to provide that education for people,” says Nooren. “Even if homeowners don’t go for LEED certification, just having information on how to implement some procedures in homes can make a great impact on the environment.”
The second, sustainable La Jolla home on the tour is the Murph Zero Project. Just finished this month, the Murph Zero Project is a single-family home that is achieving LEED certification. The total electric building is so-called because it produces more energy than it consumes. Additionally, the home operates with a greywater irrigation system and is grid agnostic.
“We are very excited to showcase some of the systems, whether it’s the energy system, the water system, or the building home monitoring system,” says John Ambert, the architect of the Murph Zero Project. “We’re looking forward to educating the community as well as learning and improving on the project.”
The two sustainable homes will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second day of the tour (Sunday, Oct. 20). On that day, guests can choose to visit the two homes in addition to the tour’s other North County homes. At each home will be professionals and homeowners ready to give impromptu tours and have conversations with San Diegans interested in green home practices. To learn more about the tour and to purchase tickets for the event, visit sdgreenhomestour.org.
