Abundance EcoVillage

A model off-grid village with uncompromising focus on quality, dedication to clean, renewable resource management & elegant modern living.

Village Overview

Set just outside the charming Midwest town of Fairfield, Iowa, Abundance EcoVillage is surrounded by sunny cornfields and picturesque farms. Located on 15 acres, the EcoVillage is a living example of the phrase “beyond sustainability.“ The Abundance EcoVillage features cutting-edge sustainable technology, and is one of the first developments of its kind in the United States. Below is a brief description of a few key sustainable features of the village. For detailed information, visit www.abundanceecovillage.com

Energy

Abundance EcoVillage harnesses energy from both wind and solar to power each home with clean, reliable energy. The village has two wind turbines, totaling 13 KW of electrical generation, and 7 KW photovoltaic array for collecting energy. Both technologies generate DC, (direct current). This is transferred to a storage battery and inverter, which transfers the current to AC (alternating current). Abundance EcoVillage is also connected to the power grid through Access Energy. The village battery system is designed to store 3 days worth of excess power. If there is a power failure beyond the battery storage capacity, the village seamlessly transition to grid electricity. The clean, renewable energy system not only powers the daily usage of residents, but powers any new construction within the village as well.

Aquatic Systems

The Abundance EcoVillage harnesses rainwater to source extraordinarily pure, fresh water to each home. Two grades of purified, pressurized water are delivered to each home: Grade 1 water reaches all of the taps inside the home for use in the washing machine, dishwasher, and sinks. Each house collects rainwater off the roof and carries it underground to two cisterns. Grade 2, non potable water serves the toilets and the outside taps for watering the yard and gardens. This water is collected from the pond and goes through a gravel bed filtration system. A constructed wetland serves to manage sewage waste onsite. Effluent waste is managed through vertical flow wetlands, a sustainable and highly effective way of treating water.

Permaculture

The Abundance EcoVillage celebrates regionalism in landscape design. The village landscape is carefully crafted from indigenous plant species, in addition to medicinal and edible species, which greatly enhance the live of the residents. A walk through the village trail system is a gastronomic experience in itself: seasonal strawberries, raspberries, hardy sweet cherries, asian pears, apples, persimmons, kolimita kiwis, and quince are a small sampling of the varieties you may encounter. The overall site design features many special nooks for enjoying outdoor living, including walking trails, outdoor arbor with fire pit, greenhouses, and a swimming pond with sand beach. Gardening is encouraged, but not required at Abundance EcoVillage. Residents are invited to garden either within their private lots, or in community gardens.

High Performance House Design

The Abundance EcoVillage homes are designed with superior energy performance in mind. Special construction details allow the homes to perform at an 80% reduction energy loads as compared to other homes of similar size in the Midwest. Design techniques including passive solar design have been utilized to achieve this dramatic energy reduction. Passive solar design is the art of balancing the entire house, working with the sun’s energy to provide maximum climate control in any season. In the EcoVillage homes, window placement, overhang length, and flooring material help regulate the internal house temperature. To assist in reduction of interior temperature regulation, the EcoVillage homes are constructed with a superior method of framing: 10 inch walls on a double stud frame. This super-insulated frame provides twice the insulation value of an average home, while remarkably solid structure. Additional features of the homes include integrated solar hot water systems and Earth Air Tubes geothermal heating and cooling.

KCCI Two Part Abundance EcoVillage Feature

KCCI stops by the Abundance EcoVillage to experience first hand how the village works. Interview features Troy Van Beek and Amy Greenfield of Ideal Energy

KCCI visits the Abundance EcoVillage and shares tips on how to implement money-saving sustainable practices into everyday life.