GOING GREEN: This home on Birch Avenue is open again this year for the Princeton Green House Tour. An example of sustainable living, it is one of six included on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free but reservations for time slots are necessary.

By Anne Levin

Last year’s Princeton Green House Tour was such a success that the planners of the event, the Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) and the nonprofit Sustainable Princeton, are back with round two. On Saturday, September 28, the public can step inside six homes — two more than last year — to see examples of sustainable living.

“The response was tremendous, which is why at the end of the day we were all exhausted,” said Lisa Marcus Levine, the vice chair of the PEC. “But we said, ‘Let’s do it again.’”

Tourgoers can learn about what Sustainable Princeton Executive Director Christine Symington calls “the nerdy stuff,” like insulation and utilities, as well as aesthetics and materials. Each of the properties, five of which are within walking distance of each other, has been dubbed for the tour.

“Bloomin’ on Birch” was custom-built to meet the most stringent environmental standards. “Hello Sunshine, Goodbye Gas” features a geothermal heat pump and a rooftop solar array with backup lithium-phosphate batteries. “Radically Radiant” is a retrofit-in-progress named for its radiant heating/cooling floor. “The O.G. (Original Green) Home,” the one that inspired the tour, shows how a local homeowner built a sustainable home designed for aging in place using LEED building principles.

Also open are “SustainAbeLeigh HISTORIC,” a whole-house renovation within a historic district featuring numerous sustainable materials, and “Leedin’ on Linden,” one of the only LEED-for-homes platinum-certified houses in Princeton, designed by local architect Kirsten Thoft.

“After last year’s tour, we got several requests for contacts of contractors and architects,” said Symington. “A lot of people were very interested in talking to professionals. That’s why we have included a list for informational purposes of these professionals that folks can use.”

Princeton Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, who serves as liaison to the PEC, said in a press release, “Tourgoers will get a chance to learn about solar installations, heat pumps, high-efficiency building design, recycled and natural building materials, sustainable stormwater management, aging in place, and so much more. Each home showcases a different aspect of sustainable home design and demonstrates how these forward-thinking designs play a role in making our community more sustainable and more resilient to the effects of climate change.”

Last year’s event included four videos that were shown at Princeton Public Library on the same day of the tour. It’s a little different this year. “We decided it was a pretty big day, so we’ve scheduled three videos to be shown on October 19 at 10 a.m.,” said Symington. “And because people are really curious, we are going to have a panel discussion with a couple of the hosts and experts in green building.”

Making a home sustainable is a more accessible undertaking than it was in the past. The tour is designed to emphasize that.

“These houses are beautiful,” said Levine. “You might think there aren’t a lot of choices, and 10 to 15 years ago that might have been the case. But it’s not out of reach anymore. It’s not just for rich people. Also, you don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to change all of your windows; you can change some. There are more affordable options.”

Another goal of the tour is to make people comfortable with green building installations. “When your HVAC system breaks, for example, you have to make a decision right away,” said Symington. “The more people learn about these things ahead of time and plan for that rather than having to make a decision when something breaks, the better it is.”

Admission to the tour is free. Tickets are first come, first served, and limited to 15 participants per time slot. Participants must be over 18 to enter the homes. To reserve a slot, visit princetongreenhousetour.com or visit the Sustainable Princeton office at 1 Monument Drive. Walking, biking, and carpooling are highly encouraged to reduce traffic around the homes.

“People want to know what they can do with their own homes to address climate change as well as make them more comfortable,” said Symington. “We’re very grateful that we have homeowners willing to share their experiences about implementing these techniques. It’s really been great for the team putting this together. It’s an example of a great collaborative effort.”