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The Citizen, 2007-10-18, Page 24Fourteen months and he’s still going at it. Steve Bearss is a hard worker who knows his way around building a house; and he’s always thinking, always looking for a better way, which makes one think he’ll never say his house is “finished”. Formerly a general carpenter, Bearss is now a supervisor at Royal Homes, but has saved his best work for his own home. Bearss says he has always liked open-concept homes, something that is very evident in his new home. He had exercised the open concept in 1995, when he turned a double- wide home in Blyth into a Victorian- style home, employing the same ideas with several apartment buildings he’s owned over the years. The building wasn’t the tough part this time though. Bearss and his wife Frances took up the challenge their new property laid out for them: living off-grid. The property on Hawkins Road isn’t close to any power lines, so they had no choice but to explore their off-grid options. Bearss equipped his family’s new home with enough brains to rival some humans controlling several green energy collectors, batteries, generators and distribution systems. Bearss says he learned everything he learned about renewable energy from books and the internet, finding it relatively easy to pick up considering the business he was in, but admitting it can be a little intimidating for the average person. Bearss explains several gauges showing temperatures and numbersthat would overwhelm the averagehomeowner, but it is all in a day’s living for Bearss, who says the only challenge is living within their means day-by-day. The home’s daily energy intake varies. As energy is collected by wind and sunlight, shortages or surges in one or both or neither can change the amount of energy available to them on a given day drastically. The winter will be the true test, Bearss says. He hasn’t been downfar enough in power to resort to hisback-up generator since the spring. For most day-to-day activities, the Bearss family finds they have more than enough energy. However, when they get into loads of laundry and power-consuming accessories like hair-dryers they have to monitor their power consumption. The main source of energy is a large solar-collecting panel that tracks available sunlight, positioned Continued on page 25 PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007.FFaallll HHoommee IImmpprroovveemmeenntt 22000077 PROFESSIONAL SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION Andersen is the registered trademark of Andersen Corporation. All other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. 1st Avenue, VANASTRA LOCAL CALLS IF BUSY CALL 519-482-7869 519-482-5816 EMAIL: dndglass@tcc.on.ca CALL FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE TODAY! WE DO SO MUCH MORE ■ Dashwood replacement windows - manufactured in Huron County ■ Commercial Store Fronts ■ Wide selection of vinyl and vinyl clad wood windows ■ Entrance Doors - steel or fibreglass ■ Interior wood French doors ■Garage Doors - commercial and residential ■ All Glass and Mirror work Small engine repair centre • Licensed technician on staff Small Equipment & Tool Rental • Tool Sales & Services and Safety Equipment 286 Huron Street, Clinton, Ontario 519-482-7930 FAX: 519-482-7463 Three decades of excellence1968 2007 71 ALBERT STREET, CLINTON 519-482-9505 FINE FURNITURE & Bring it all home - for less Open 6 days a week 9-5:30, Friday evenings ’til 8 pm, Saturdays closing at 5 pm HAVE YOUR OWN IDEAS MADE INTO REALITY! Strong, Flexible and Enduring Steel For your Home/Cottage/Business/Garden Visit our website at www.workingiron.ca 36854 DUNGANNON RD., DUNGANNON 519-529-3434 Decorative and Functional Ironwork Featuring Unique, Custom Made - Railings * Gates * Furniture * Garden Accessories • Agricultural • Residential • Commercial • Home Security Systems • Pole Line Services FREE ESTIMATES 519-233-3340 RR 1 BRUCEFIELD 24 hr. service Practical made beautiful Steve Bearss, a supervisor with Royal Homes, crafted every inch of his new home, from the blueprints to construction. An off-grid home, it relies largely on solar energy, solar-water heaters and wind energy. It wasn’t easy to wrap his head around, Bearss says, but now that he has it all figured out, with a little monitoring, he wouldn’t have it any other way. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Off-grid, open-concept and loving every minute of it By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen