This week Walker Electric and Central Maine Power (CMP) connected the Red House to the grid so power can flow from the transformer on the new utility pole through a buried conduit along the driveway, up to a mini substation, where the meters are, under the front yard to the house and into the new basement to the electrical panel. This is a giant step forward.

Our goal is to build an energy-efficient, well-insulated, geothermal heated and cooled solar-powered home that relies as little as possible on fossil fuels. One day solar energy will be flowing along these wires in the opposite direction.

But that day is months away. There is still more demolition and new construction ahead. This week the Crowell crew knocked down interior walls and ceilings on the first and second floors, taking the old farmhouse back to its original framing.

Down in the basement, the masons put the finishing touches on the brick walls.

Our contribution to the project this week (in addition to cleaning more bricks) was to make our final selections for new appliances at Agren’s Appliance in Norway. There, a 70-year-old gas range with old-fashioned charm caught my attention, but we chose a modern energy efficient induction range.