The cabin is 100% Self Sustainable providing its own gas through a methane generator, electricity through solar and wind power, water through rain cacthment and food through hydroponics.
The wide open arches take advantage of the constant refreshing mountain breeze & the incredible 360º view of the mystical desert landscape.
Arched rooms and light colored walls give a relaxed, artistic, high-end resort feel that’s virtually non-existent in today’s architecture.
Located around the 180 acres of The Ranch are 12 rustic campsites, 6 are accessible by road & 1 w/ RV hookups (septic, water & WIFI internet), Indian ruins, natural arches and caves.
The Cabin sits on a Cliff, Overlooking a Seasonal River & small Waterfall. High in the Chihuahuan Desert in the Sierra Madre Mountains within the heart of Big Bend, the great bend of the Rio Grande River.
The home runs 100% on Solar and Wind Power. Provided by clean FREE Renewable electricity NOT polluting, Global Warming causing petroleum products.
Each traditional wall plug supplies 110v & 12v electricity provided by 36 photovoltaic solar panels & a silent wind turbine, stored in a 6 deep cycle maintenance free battery bank.
This utility car is great for cruising around The Ranch or hauling supplies. And the fuel is FREE. It’s 48 volt system is powered 100% by the sun with a 24 volt photovoltaic panel on the roof.
A nice Breeze is always prevalent in the Big Bend Region, so during the evenings or cloudy days the 500w Wind Turbine takes over with Power distribution.
Antelope aka Prong Horn is another animal that calls AguaLuna Ranch its home. You’ll see them (again from the deck) grazing and sometimes lying in the sun with the goats near the goat house.
Bobcat, Ring-tailed Cat, Wolf, Coyote, Black Bear & wild Donkeys. Mule Deer, Duck, Quail, Dove, Javelins, Texas Big Horn Rams, Mountain Sheep, Aoudads, Antelope.
Desert flats give way to yawning canyons, lofty peaks & the winding Rio Grande River. At an elevation of 3700’, The Ranch is situated deep within this desert mountain country.
The cabin can last for 2 weeks at full use without any sun or wind, which is rare as whenever there’s no sun, there’s usually a storm with wind and vise versa.
60x120 Barn with (10) 20x 20 livestock bays or (20) 10x20 parking spots + (4) 10x20 RV parking spots, and (1) 20x80 center storage and workshop area.
The Cabin is located in the middle of a 180ac Self-Sufficient Off the Grid Homestead (included) in West Texas, with the nearest neighbor being a 30min drive away.
Great Tractor for construction, maintaining, projects or general ranch work and road maintenance. It’s currently parked behind the barn and is sold with The Ranch.
The deck folds completely open revealing a hidden swimming pool. Sit and bath in the warm water overlooking the cliff and seasonal river below.
Also included: 3 level 8x8 Chicken House w/ 16 egg laying boxes, a 20x20 Goat House, 600x300 Coral, 6 Honey Bee Boxes w/ 16 hive plates, providing honey and wax, 12x12 Outside Bar w/ Grill.
Aoudads originally from North Africa were brought to The Ranch during the 1900’s for Exotic Hunting. Now there are literally tons seen climbing the cliffs around the Cabin or sipping the river.
The Ranch is Great for Hunting or just viewing. Usually, the animals can be seen from the deck and are only dangerous to those who attempt to feed, handle or molest them.
Enjoy fresher, cleaner water then you’ve ever tasted in your life, provided by the in 9000gl home rain cathment & purification system.
The exterior doors are also arched, constructed from old recycled shipping pallets, yet oversized for greater air movement with a corrugated metal skin.
The Cabin is made 100% from CERTIFIED Recycled / Reclaimed Materials yet with a resort feeling; finished in Adobe.
The interior doors are arched, constructed from old recycled shipping pallets, which make a gorgeous fun yet rustic living space.
The 2500sqft roof catches 1500 gallons/ inch of rain. This is enough for a family of 4 with animals and garden to live off for 6 months without rain, which is unlikely.
A typical toilet in an average sized home uses 10950 gallons per year. Your compost toilet uses 0, and makes 5 gallons of plant fertilizer a month
Daytime temps average 65° in winter. Spring & autumn temps in the 70’s & 80’s. Summer brings storms which produce intense, nourishing cloudbursts.
Take a nice relaxing hot bubble bath in an old fashion, gorgeous indoor/outdoor wood bathtub, while gazing out over The Ranch or evening Stars.
The Ranch is home to an incredible variety of wild things, most can be enjoyed without worry.
The house has been completely rebuilt using qualified reclaimed and recycled materials, thereby saving trees, resources AND our landfills. The use of Renewable Energy and Green Building practices and adaptations has been incorporated throughout the home in order to not only help the environment, but provide you with a healthier home to live in as well.
These features are discussed in the following sections only to provide you with information you may need in order to help you make an informed decision regarding your purchase and to hopefully learn a little more about what it is to be Green.
The listed Savings are only approximations in themselves and do not reflect the whole, based on the average local electricity, gas and water of a typical family home for Alpine Texas and does not take into account individual lifestyles, nor do the calculations factor in the financial savings from improved health and reduced environmental impact.
A 4 foot 360° rap-around overhang has been incorporated in order to provide shade and protection from the summer sun on all sides of the home, while decreasing the need for air-conditioning. However, a 9° pitch and north to south facing inclination on the front side, was chosen to allow total sunlight into the large living room window during the winter, thereby warming the home naturally eliminating the need for additional heating or cooling. The extra square footage also aids in additional rain water collection if so desired.
Savings
Electrical: 6000 kWh/yr
Gas: 6 million BTUs/yr
Financial: $1014/yr
Environmental: 1.92 tons of CO2/yr
Local indigenous, deciduous trees have been planted on the west and south facing sides of the property to directly shade the home and lower air conditioning costs/use on warm days, but allow sunlight and warmth in during cold ones when they drop theyre leaves.
Electrical: 1000 kWh/yr
Financial: $150/yr
Environmental: .262 tons of CO2/yr
A white Elastomeric Cool Roof has been added to reflect the suns radiation instead of allowing it
to enter the home as heat, thereby substantially reducing the cooling load, adding additional R-Value and providing several direct benefits to the home, owner, occupants and environment:
• Increased occupant comfort, especially during hot summer months.
• Reduced air conditioning use, resulting in energy savings typically of 30-80%.
• Decreased roof maintenance costs due to longer roof life.
•Reduced green house gases by conserving air conditioning therefore emitting less CO2. This in turn also cools neighboring homes worldwide, this is equivalent to offsetting 24 gigatons of CO2 or $600 billion in savings from CO2 emissions reduction.
• Cool roofs, through mitigation of the urban heat island effect in turn improve air quality and reduce smog, eliminating related health issues, including asthma.
• Because cool roofs reduce ac use during, stress on the energy grid during hot summer months is reduced. This helps avoid blackouts or brownouts, saving money by saving energy when it is at its most expensive!
Financial: $900/yr
Environmental: 1.572 tons of CO2/yr
All 60 watt incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with Energy Efficient 15 watt Compact Florescent (CFL) bulbs that provide the same luminosity as a 60w bulb for a fraction of the energy use and heat production. An incandescent light bulb is just a heater that glows bright when it gets really hot! 90% of the energy used by an incandescent bulb is transformed into heat and only 10% of it is turned into light. CFLs lose only 10% as heat and use 90% less energy, resulting in HUGE savings!
Electrical: 199.5 kWh/yr
Financial: $29.92/yr
Environmental: .05 tons of CO2/yr
The old water guzzling, energy sucking washer and dryer has been replaced with new Energy Efficient, Energy Star rated spacesaver stackable unite units. The Front-end-loader washer and the Circular-air dryer save water and electricity. (Note: dryers are still an extremely large waste of energy; we always suggest line drying clothes whenever possible.)
Electrical: 400 kWh/yr
Water: 12,000 gal./yr
Financial: $96/yr
Environmental: .1 tons of CO2/yr
The old energy inefficient refrigerator has been replaced with a new Energy Efficient, Energy Star rated unit.
Electrical: 1400 kWh/yr
Financial: $210/yr
Environmental: .35 tons of CO2/yr
The gas stove has been replaced with a new high efficiency, electric unit, in turn preventing the burning of any harmful petroleum products in the home and planet.
Gas: 23.7 million BTUs/yr
Financial: $887.3/yr
Environmental: 1.38 tons of CO2/yr
Solar Powered hanging lights Eco-Friendly additions to the new natural xeriscape landscaping.
Electrical: 320 kWh/yr
Financial: $48/yr
Environmental: .08 tons of CO2/yr
On-Demand Tankless Water Heaters, also known as In-Line or Point-of-Use water heaters are the cutting edge in gas, electricity AND water saving it items. Gone are the days of waiting for hot water to reach the faucet or wasting money heating unused water unnecessarily. If we all used tankless water heaters, collectively we could...
• Keep 91 Million to ns of Carbon Dioxide out of the atmosphere every year
• Reduce the number of tank water heaters (which cant be recycled) going to landfills.
• Decrease our countrys dependence on non-renewable resources like Natural Gas
Gas: 146 million BTUs/yr
Financial: $2774/yr
Environmental: 8.541tons of CO2/yr
Low Flow Faucets and water conservation devices are a must in all New Green Homes, so weve installed them in every sink, shower and even the toilet!
Water; 39,000 gal./yr
Financial: $417/yr
Water wasting front and rear lawns have been replaced with locally harvested rock. Say goodbye to that gas guzzling, CO2 spitting lawnmower. The lighter colored rock thats been chosen also reflects and prevents a large percentage of the suns radiation from entering the home during the summer providing further cooling. As the suns angle drops in the sky during the winter, that same light and heat is reflected directly into and warming the home.
Water; 2,918,630 gal./yr
Financial: $8755.89/yr
Additional insulation has also been added in the ceiling and walls as well as a much needed air tight home envelope, bringing the combined R-Value to 40. Again saving you tons in additional air-conditioning and heating costs.
Gas: 15 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 1933 kWh/yr
Financial: $574.95/yr
Environmental: 1.37 tons of CO2/yr
The home has been built using adobe inside and out. Adobe or Earth Plaster is a completely natural building material with no manmade or chemical additives. In fact Adobe actually increases the homes R-Value as well as Thermal Mass, not to mention it's a healthier medium to live in, allowing fresh air in naturally at 50 cycles per day.
Gas: 1.5 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 1000 kWh
Financial: $435/yr
Environmental: 0.34 tons of CO2/yr
The original south facing windows were replaced with Low-E, double paned, argon filled, radiation blocking, tinted, reflective windows, once again preventing unwanted cold and heat from escaping or entering the home and money from flying out the window, literally. The full louver action opens 100% instead of halfway in most windows, allowing twice as much air to circulate through the home, unhindered.
Gas: 7.5 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 7600 kWh/yr
Financial: $1282.5/yr
Environmental: 10.92 tons of CO2/yr
Custom made environmentally friendly solid pine doors have been made using Sustainable Forest Harvested Lumber and installed throughout not only for security, better insulation and appeal, but performance and ecological impact as well.
Gas: 2.5 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 2000 kWh/yr
Financial: $347.5/yr
Environmental: 0.66 tons of CO2/yr
The living room ceiling was vaulted to allow a space overhead for accumulated heat to build up, removing it and cooling the living areas during the summer. By also incorporating ceiling fans we can tap into that heat reserve whenever needed during the colder winter months, thereby heating the home as well.
Gas: 5 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 3000 kWh/yr
Financial: $450 95/yr
Environmental: 1.07 tons of CO2/yr
The home is not outfitted with any manmade heating or air-conditioning devices. The reason isnt as much for an efficiency reasons as for a necessity reasons. Because the home has been designed so efficiently, implementing natural heating and cooling resources wherever possible (as shown above), there just isnt much need for additional manmade heating or cooling. As ACs amount to 80% of your electric bill, expect enormous monthly savings.
Gas: 50 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 12000 kWh/yr
Financial: $2750/yr
Environmental: 6.06 tons of CO2/yr
As you can see, the home is entirely electric running on 100% by Solar, Water and Wind Power provided by Green Mountain Electric. Again not only are all of your energy needs being provided by clean electricity rather then burning polluting, Global Warming causing petroleum products, but that electricity comes completely from Renewable Energy.
Gas: 439.4 million BTUs/yr
Electrical: 15760 kWh/yr
Financial: $8705.4/yr
Environmental: 29.82 tons of CO2/yr
The old bacteria and germ harvesting carpet was removed and replaced with easy upkeep Antique hardwood floors, which were reclaimed and refurbished using recycled wood, saving even more trees, impacting the planet less, while adding a historical element to your home that can actually be seen in the grain itself.
Only 0-VOC and non-Lead based paints were used in this home, creating a healthier, Toxin Free living space.
A Green Home just isnt Green without Recycling and keeping our waste products from the landfill. Gardeners have long understood the importance of composting. It provides a cheap way to convert kitchen scraps and garden waste into food for microorganisms. They, in turn, can be dumped directly on plants and trees around the home, enriching the soil with healthy nutrients which function as fertilizer.
Locally harvested light colored gravel, rock and stone were applied to the front and back yards for Xeriscaping landscaping, reducing radiation and heat gain, while conserving water. No more watering or mowing grass lawns.
The home also comes with Phone, Digital TV and DSL Broadband Wireless WIFI Internet at speeds up to 6Mbps. Just because you home is Green, doesnt mean you have to live in the dark ages.
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the full info Packet
The above changes to your New Green Home have resulted in an annual reduction of 64.414 Tons of Greenhouse Gases equivalent to not driving a car for 3,899 days that’s (10 1/2 years!!!), a cut in your annual electric, water and gas bill of 15,760 kWh, 2,969,630 gallons and 439.4 million BTUs, resulting in a combined annual savings of $17,614.29 which will stay in YOUR wallet this year.
So what’s next? Well now that you have taken your first step in Environmental Awareness and becoming Green and will have almost $20 grand extra in your pocket at the end of the year, Why not keep going?
As a New Owner of a Green Home you may be eligible for certain rebates, tax breaks, financing and incentives such as the Solar Energy System Credit or the Wind Energy Systems Credit, breaks for 30% off the cost of purchasing Home Wind Turbines, Solar Water Heaters and / or Photovoltaic Solar Panels, please go to www.energytaxincentives.org or www.dsireusa.org to learn more. You can even sell your excess energy back to the grid with Green Mountain’s Renewable Rewards Buy-Back Program…
“By installing solar arrays or other renewable energy generation facilities at their homes and connecting them to the power grid, Green Mountain customers can receive credit for any excess energy that their qualifying facility exports to the electricity grid through the Renewable Rewards buy-back program.”
Green Mountain Energy, Alpine Texas
EEM’s (Energy Efficient Mortgages) may be another option help with finance the purchase of your new Green Home…
An Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a mortgage that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the mortgage itself. EEMs give borrowers the opportunity to finance cost-effective, energy-saving measures as part of a single mortgage and stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans thereby allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger loan amount and a better, more energy-efficient home.
EnergyStar.gov
If you are interested in owning this New Green Home, feel free to Contact Us or Mtn. View Properties by Clicking HERE.
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