Perched high, this solar-powered home on 52.6 acres showcases Vermont’s natural beauty - The Boston Globe

What the report says

The Boston Globe featured a contemporary solar-oriented home for sale at 167 Ward Hill Road in Tunbridge, Vermont, listed at $595,000. The 2017-built property has 1,484 square feet, three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, private water and sewer, and reported 2026 taxes of $5,981. The listing is held by Mary Paino of Coldwell Banker Lifestyles in Quechee.

According to the Globe, owner Christopher M. Young designed the house for privacy, efficiency and passive solar gain on a clearing about 1,500 feet above the First Branch of the White River. The house sits on 52.6 largely wooded acres, much of it sugar maple, with land rising to a high point offering broad mountain views across Vermont and New Hampshire. The property is reached by way of the historic Cilley Covered Bridge, and its trails connect with Vermont’s trail network.

The home’s design includes a trapezoid form, east-southeast orientation, white ceilings to reflect light, large windows and sliders, green shiplap siding and white trim. Heat comes from solar gain and a Woodstock Soapstone wood-fired stove, while ceiling fans and cross breezes help with cooling. The Globe reported a 24-panel solar array paired with 12 deep-cycle batteries, generating 6.38 kilowatts, with insulation rated R-28 in the interior and R-42 in the roof.

Interior details include elm kitchen counters harvested from nearby woods, reclaimed barn wood from a 200-year-old Tunbridge barn, murals by Katie J. Roberts, a clawfoot tub in the primary bath, a lower-level laundry room and an unfinished poured-concrete basement. A matching studio outbuilding is also on the property. The Globe reported the Youngs are selling to build another off-grid homestead.