A Vacation Farmhouse In Vermont Inspires A Renewable Energy Travelogue

A writer staying at a Vermont farmhouse this summer found the property largely run on electricity, offering a real-world look at what a home energy upgrade can look like. The house uses solar water heaters, which use rooftop collectors to warm water using the sun's heat rather than pulling power from the grid. A barn roof holds 16 solar panels installed back in 2014, which have produced about 50,000 kWh over their first decade. That works out to roughly half of what an average US home uses in electricity annually, based on 2022 federal data, so the panels cover a solid share of the farm's needs without covering everything. The property also has an EV charger, letting guests plug in overnight the way they would at home.

The farmhouse isn't fully off fossil fuels, though. Mowing the fields still relies on diesel equipment, and the house keeps a propane hookup and baseboard heaters as backup alongside two wood stoves. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation has funding of $5,909,575 available to help replace diesel-powered vehicles and certain off-road equipment with electric alternatives, which could eventually help farms like this one electrify equipment such as mowers.

The bigger point for homeowners: full electrification rarely happens all at once. This farm shows a gradual approach, layering in solar water heating, rooftop panels, and EV charging over years while keeping backup heat sources for reliability. It's a useful reminder that partial progress, made in stages, still adds up to real savings and lower emissions.