The Princeton Green House Tour, a collaboration between Sustainable Princeton and the Princeton Environmental Commission, takes place Saturday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A video screening and panel discussion featuring the houses on the tour precedes the event on Thursday, September 25, at 7 p.m. at Princeton Public Library.
The tours are open to ages 18 and up. Options include five homes, two accessory dwelling units, and four sustainable gardens. Each offers a chance to see how neighbors create healthier and more energy-efficient homes and environments with green building practices, such as solar panels with energy storage, rain gardens, superior insulation, and more. All tour sites are located in Princeton; addresses will be given to registered participants. There are more tour sites than there are time slots for visits, so attendees should select the sites they are most interested in seeing. Most are within a 5-10 minute walk of one another.
The homes on the tour include “SustainAbeLeigh,” a all-electric renovation done mindful of the home’s historic roots to include an air-source heat pump, solar panels, induction cooktop, sustainable building materials, and a rain garden.
Hillier house is a modern, fully electrified home featuring a green roof for energy efficiency and ecological impact. Other features of the tour include an induction cooktop, ground source heat pump, heat pump water heater, and solar panels.
“Radically radiAnt” is a high-performance retrofit featuring radiant floor heating and cooling with ground source energy and passive solar design. Sustainable building materials are also emphasized.
“Mrs. Brown’s lucky oyster bar” is an energy-efficient renovation using sustainable materials and advanced mechanical systems for comfort and efficiency.
“Cool on Cuyler” is an all-electric home that blends reclaimed materials and passive house-level airtightness. Special features include a rain garden and energy recovery ventilator (ERV).
The two accessory dwelling units (ADUs) open for tours are:
“Little Blue,” a fully electric ADU that integrates solar, composting, and rainwater features in a small footprint; and “Adorable Dempsy unit,” a compact cottage offering efficient systems and garden connectivity for aging in place.
The four gardens include:
“Green Garden, Green Roof,” a multi-functional garden space combining stormwater management, habitat support, and edible planting and green roof. View a green roof, rain garden, and edible garden.
“Pollinator Paradise,” a compact garden that nurtures native species and pollinators while producing food to maximize the impact of a small space.
“Live Streaming Yard” is a yard designed with stormwater management and native plants in mind. The owner, a local naturalist, writes a blog and helped create the Botanical Art Garden (Barden) at Herrontown Woods, with 160 native plant species.
“King of Compost’s Garden,” a garden focused on closing the loop with composting and water management. The rain garden and composting system are highlighted on the tour.
For more information or to register for tours visit www.princetongreenhousetour.com.
The owners of SustainAbeLeigh, a home on the Green House Tour, worked with Princeton’s Historic Preservation Commission to install rooftop solar panels within the Witherspoon-Jackson historic district.,
