Shine House

1001 Sisters Lane
Oak Leaf, TX 75154

Tour Hours: Noon - 4pm

map
NOTE: The map is approximate. Sisters Lane is new unincorporated street (they built their own street…how cool is that?). Please see directions below.

What to do with a 10 acre tract of family land? Four sisters Connie, Jan, Elaine and Paula had a solution… create their own Green Subdivision. One year later, with the help of nationally recognized Green Builder Jim Sargent, it happened! The result is a sight to behold… Four Green homes that perfectly reflect the individual choices of each family from Traditional to Modern. And all 4 are on the tour.

These homes are designed to reduce the long-term costs of home ownership through energy conservation and quality construction. In the future, all new homes will be built to these standards. Each is green in its own unique way. Come see what a $16 monthly electric bill can look like!

 

 

Renewable energy features

Solar PV

kW  5.0
Installation Date : 2013
Installer: Harvest Solar Energy LLC  http://harvestsolar.net/

Equipment

20 Renesola 250 watt panels and Sunny Boy Inverter

Retail Electric Provider

Green Mountain Energy  http://www.greenmountain.com/

 

Green features

  • Passive Solar Design with large comfortable porches for outdoor enjoyment.
  • Wood burning stove with heat exchanger integrated with HVAC system.  Capable of heating house in event of power failure or just to take a load off the PV.
  • All-metal insulated roof.
  • Rain catchment … 1000 gallons.
  • Low water use landscape.
  • LED lighting.
  • Anderson Sargent Home http://www.andersonsargent.com/ with numerous energy saving features including natural lighting, Durisol Cement block walls, and water features to further cool the air.

 

Host Comments

We chose renewable energy because when we retire, we don’t want to choose between food and electric.

All doors have ADA compliant 3’ openings.

In The News

From the Waxahatchie Daily Light article: (Read the full article here)

"We just want to take the opportunity to invite the community out and show everyone what is possible — and how affordable it really is — to build a home that uses very little energy. We’re very passionate about what we do and with energy prices continuing to go up, it’s important for folks to know there’s cost-effective options available to them.”

Also, here is a link from an Open House they had in October 2012:
http://www.waxahachietx.com/news/ellis_county/open-house-saturday-for-sister-homes/article_fcd07318-1968-11e2-8a4a-001a4bcf887a.html

Directions

Sisters Lane is new unincorporated street (they built their own street…how cool is that?).  It’s located near the border of Ovilla and Oak Leaf TX.  If you are traveling from Dallas:

  • Take I35 to Red Oak
  • Take the Ovilla exit and turn west on FM 664.
  • Travel about 3 miles west on FM 664 to S. Westmoreland.
  • Turn South on Westmoreland (left turn after lights).
  • Drive 2.2 miles south and Sisters Lane will be on your right.

As you get close, you will see tall wind turbine on the right just beyond Sisters Lane to the south. Look for the yellow and green DFW Solar Tour signs. It's much easier than it sounds and worth the trip.