Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
**Learn from experiences:** We completed a comprehensive energy reduction retrofit on our previous home, which provided valuable insights into energy-efficient concepts. This experience allowed us to connect with local sustainable living enthusiasts and contractors, ultimately contributing to the design of our new home.
**Plan ahead!** We ordered an electric vehicle to be part of the solution rather than the problem, and we waited over two years for delivery. In the fall of 2022, we decided to build a retirement home and placed an order for solar shingles without having a finalized building site or home plan, allowing us to secure our place in the queue.
**Location, location, location:** We identified three sites in Lanesboro with optimal south-facing solar potential, purchased the best option, and strategically positioned the house for maximum solar gain. We designed a home mindful of winter solar production features, including a two-pitched roof and no southern penetrations. We also negotiated to install solar shingles only on the south-facing surfaces rather than the entire house. Our home includes a passive design, highly insulated walls and ceilings, battery storage, European-style access windows that open in and up, and an air-to-water heat pump system providing in-floor heating and cooling. Additionally, we manage potential runoff onsite with a large rain garden.
**Work with a willing team:** Our builders and contractors showed enthusiasm for integrating cutting-edge technologies. The electrical contractor was eager to handle the installation of solar shingles, battery systems, and energy management panels, while the HVAC professionals were keen on implementing the air-to-water heat pump along with the heating and cooling system.
Continuing Education Units (CEUS) submitted 1 hour in*
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
• Building Performance Institute (BPI) NonWholeHouse
• Submitted for American Institute of Architects - AIA (HSW)**
• Certified Green Professional (NARI & CGP)
• GHI Certified GreenHome Professional (CGHP) Pillar(s): Energy, Health, Materials, Water, Place
• American Institute of Building Designers (AIBD)
• Building Science Institute (BSI) Verifier,
• Passive House Consultant US (CPHC),
• Society of American Registered Architects (SARA)
**State Architect / Builder License may be applicable
Lessons Learned
1. **Understand** that optimizing your home's design for health, such as using an efficient air handling system, can significantly improve indoor air quality and overall well-being.
2. **Analyze** the safety of construction choices by incorporating features like hurricane tiedowns to ensure that your home withstands severe weather conditions.
3. **Introduce** sustainable practices to enhance welfare, such as creating a pollinator prairie and utilizing raised garden beds, which promote ecological health and provide fresh produce.
4. **Articulate** the importance of planning ahead, as seen in securing solar shingles before finalizing home plans, to ensure seamless integration of energy-efficient solutions in your new living space.
This project is part of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour. Check out more GHI residential projects on this tour(map.nationalsolartour.org/host-admin).
Need CEUS?
Take the Quiz here:
greenhomeinstitute.thinkific.com/courses/tour-all-electric-solar-shingle-amish-built-forever-home
Speakers
Joe, founding director of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, Lanesboro, MN
eaglebluffmn.org
Mary, The Dry Store, food drying and author
**Learn from experiences:** We completed a comprehensive energy reduction retrofit on our previous home, which provided valuable insights into energy-efficient concepts. This experience allowed us to connect with local sustainable living enthusiasts and contractors, ultimately contributing to the design of our new home.
**Plan ahead!** We ordered an electric vehicle to be part of the solution rather than the problem, and we waited over two years for delivery. In the fall of 2022, we decided to build a retirement home and placed an order for solar shingles without having a finalized building site or home plan, allowing us to secure our place in the queue.
**Location, location, location:** We identified three sites in Lanesboro with optimal south-facing solar potential, purchased the best option, and strategically positioned the house for maximum solar gain. We designed a home mindful of winter solar production features, including a two-pitched roof and no southern penetrations. We also negotiated to install solar shingles only on the south-facing surfaces rather than the entire house. Our home includes a passive design, highly insulated walls and ceilings, battery storage, European-style access windows that open in and up, and an air-to-water heat pump system providing in-floor heating and cooling. Additionally, we manage potential runoff onsite with a large rain garden.
**Work with a willing team:** Our builders and contractors showed enthusiasm for integrating cutting-edge technologies. The electrical contractor was eager to handle the installation of solar shingles, battery systems, and energy management panels, while the HVAC professionals were keen on implementing the air-to-water heat pump along with the heating and cooling system.
Continuing Education Units (CEUS) submitted 1 hour in*
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
• Building Performance Institute (BPI) NonWholeHouse
• Submitted for American Institute of Architects - AIA (HSW)**
• Certified Green Professional (NARI & CGP)
• GHI Certified GreenHome Professional (CGHP) Pillar(s): Energy, Health, Materials, Water, Place
• American Institute of Building Designers (AIBD)
• Building Science Institute (BSI) Verifier,
• Passive House Consultant US (CPHC),
• Society of American Registered Architects (SARA)
**State Architect / Builder License may be applicable
Lessons Learned
1. **Understand** that optimizing your home's design for health, such as using an efficient air handling system, can significantly improve indoor air quality and overall well-being.
2. **Analyze** the safety of construction choices by incorporating features like hurricane tiedowns to ensure that your home withstands severe weather conditions.
3. **Introduce** sustainable practices to enhance welfare, such as creating a pollinator prairie and utilizing raised garden beds, which promote ecological health and provide fresh produce.
4. **Articulate** the importance of planning ahead, as seen in securing solar shingles before finalizing home plans, to ensure seamless integration of energy-efficient solutions in your new living space.
This project is part of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour. Check out more GHI residential projects on this tour(map.nationalsolartour.org/host-admin).
Need CEUS?
Take the Quiz here:
greenhomeinstitute.thinkific.com/courses/tour-all-electric-solar-shingle-amish-built-forever-home
Speakers
Joe, founding director of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, Lanesboro, MN
eaglebluffmn.org
Mary, The Dry Store, food drying and author
