Nurturing a sustainable and eco-friendly community
culture is a collaborative and interactive journey.
Living Green, Advocating Greener: Actively Enhancing Our Eco-Friendly Community
Nurturing a sustainable and eco-friendly community culture is a collaborative and interactive journey. To foster this culture of eco-awareness, Vose Farm encourages resident involvement at all levels—from participating in community decisions to volunteering for the resident-led Green Committee. Through partnerships with environmental organizations such as the Peterborough Conservation Commission, Vose Farm is a place where residents are empowered to be stewards of their environment, making sustainable living a shared and celebrated aspect of community life.
Designed With the Environment
Vose Farm prioritizes energy efficiency, renewable energy, conservation and sustainability with a housing design that meets or exceeds ENERGY STAR, ASHRAE 62.1 and 62.2 certified standards. Vose Farm’s design features include:
- A ‘no fossil fuel living community’.
- A solar energy system that offers a sustainable energy source for the community.
- Energy Star kitchen appliances.
- Higher-rated insulation levels for roofs, walls and floors, lower U-factor windows, and air sealing.
- High efficiency heating and cooling systems with energy monitoring technology.
- Energy recovery ventilators, which are mechanical systems that help improve indoor air quality. They are especially beneficial in tightly sealed buildings, ensuring a constant flow of fresh air and less energy loss.
- WaterSense qualified fixtures, dishwashers, and clothes washers designed to reduce indoor water use by 20%.
- White EPDM ‘cool’ roofing material with a high solar reflectance index (SRI), which reflects solar heat and helps lower local air temperatures.
- A bioretention pond that provides multifaceted benefits and sustainable water management, including pollution filtration, flood control, groundwater recharge, and ecological enrichment.
Verifying Energy-Efficiency Ratings
A third-party HERS rating professional engineering firm, GDS Associates, which is trained and certified by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), conducted a comprehensive energy assessment of the buildings. The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) follows a rigorous process.
On-site inspections and testing to analyze the energy performance, using specialized equipment like blower doors and infrared cameras. Based on the inspection, the HERS rater assigns a HERS Index Score, which quantifies the building’s energy efficiency in comparison to standard designs and new construction. Lower scores indicate greater energy efficiency.