Expat Interviews: Gaia’s Way Estate, Belize
Gaia’s Way Estate is a unique residential development in Belize focusing on completely eco-friendly homes. Each is setup for Living off the Grid, with low environmental impact, using rain water catchments and solar panels to provide each with its own power and water.
Viva Tropical took a deeper look at Gaia’s Way Estates sustainability success through an email interview. Here are their thoughts on going off grid and why:
Why was off grid power chosen?
Off Grid Power was chosen because it is Environmentally Friendly, Low Impact, and It is essentially the wave of the Future. Self Sustainability is the Vision of Gaia’s Way. The properties are set out as 3/4 to 1 Acre of highly fertile soil as to provide for sufficient living space, and room to have your own orchard, small garden, and a few livestock.
Were there any environmental factors like winds, shade, water, etc. that make this site unique in terms of using off grid power?
The area Gaia’s Way was established has natural terracing allowing for easier planning for home construction, and all homes are designed to collect solar power on their roofs. The idea is for all the solar generators to eventually feed into the grid, and essentially sell excess power. The main power grid is located only 300 ft. away from the Property.
Grid Power being only 300ft Away from the Property, it will be easy to Connect to the Grid to Excess Power, and in Turn earn Credits with the Power Company.
Sometimes money can be saved by using local techniques to build, were any of these techniques used in the project?
All the houses have been designed off of Ancient Mayan housing designs. Local palmetto (A Local Savannah Palm) is used for siding, making for really cool and bug resistant homes. We also use Caliche (Natural White Lime Plaster) which was also used by the Mayans for their homes, and temples.
It has a High Silica content that makes it water resistant. Caliche, being white reflects sunlight, and in turn keeps the homes cool, without the need for Insulation.
These homes are Built Green/Eco Friendly, by using recyclable materials, farmed lumber, and only using hardwoods for finishing, uniquely designed metal roofs to be able to collect rain water for home use.
The builder designer used her knowledge of Mayan construction and 40 years of experience, to design Mayan styled homes. All house designs are original to Gaia’s Way Estate.
How did you source your solar power and what brands and products were used?
We searched for the best company to provide us with the most Efficient, High Yield, Solar Panels along with an Inverter System to Convert the Power to a More Efficient AC 110V Backbone, with a Variety of Packages that deliver different outputs to provide the freedom to Maintain Luxury with Self Sustainability.
We use a Variety of Brands, but Exclusively at Gaia’s Way Estate, we would Recommend one of our Newer German CIGS Thin Film Panels, that are Highly Efficient, being able to capture more sunlight during cloudy weather than most conventional panels today.
Who is off grid living for?
Off grid living is for anyone who wants to be Self Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly, and easily live off of a fixed income.
How much power is there per dwelling? What kind of appliances are powered in this community?
Each solar system is set up for an individual needs and wants.
We recommend the use of Gas Water Heater, Gas Refrigeration, and Gas Stove/Ovens. The Natural Gas is produced here Locally in Excess.
Do you need a back up generator?
Small backup generators are recommended for Servicing of Batteries.
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