I’m fascinated with home energy efficiency & resourcefulness.  I want to wrap my mind around the pros and cons of green living roofs, radiant floor heating, & grey water systems.  And because I have no plans of building a new house, how feasible & cost-effective are these for an existing home?

So, for a little research, I went to the Museum of Science & Industry’s Smart Home.  I was disappointed that we weren’t allowed to photograph while inside the home, only outside (because of some inventions & artwork).  But besides that, the house was amazing to visit and completely worth the $10 admission.

I liked:  the solar shades within the windows to keep the solar energy out, duel flush toilets, countertops made with recycled glass, a portable fireplace that runs on denatured alcohol, a gray water system to move used sink water to the toilet, open floor plan for air flow, and of course the rain barrels, green roof, & composter.

And since they renovate the home every winter, I hope to revisit it sometime to see the new technologies.