2. Little Portion Green
Northwest Ohio’s first
passive solar strawbale house
on the campus of St. Francis
Tiffin, Ohio
Architect – Joe Ferut, Elyria, Ohio
Natural Building Consultant – Mark Hoberecht, Strongsville, Ohio

3. Sisters Janet and Jane
moved into the house in
December of 2012.
The house is a project of
the Franciscan Earth
Literacy Center and will
continue to be used as a
demonstration and
educational tool for
alternative energy and
green building.
It was built with the aid of
generous donors and
committed volunteers.

5. Sister Jane experienced first hand the devastation of
mountaintop removal mining while living in West Virginia. This
served as a motivation to build a house that gets it’s electricity
from the wind and the sun and not fossil fuels from coal.

6. Worldwide coal supplies 40% of all
electricity, but accounts for over 70% of the
carbon dioxide emissions of the electrical
sector.

9.  Passive solar design
 Large windows are facing south
 Low e, triple pane windows
 ERV system – Energy Recovery Ventilation
 Hybrid electric heat pump water heater
 Mini ductless split heating & cooling
 LED lighting
 Recycled materials: insulation (straw, millcell),
counter-tops, roof, clay tiles
 low flow toilets
 Most up to date energy efficient appliances
 Natural interior finish – earth plaster (clay,
sand)
 Permaculture landscaping

11. ERV System – ENERGY RECOVERY VENTILATION
Because the house is
rated at R-70, it is a
very tight envelope.
The ERV is the energy
recovery process of
exchanging the energy
contained in normally
exhausted air and using
it to treat the incoming
outdoor air. In the
summer, the system
precools and dehumidi-
fies and in the winter it
preheats and
The ERV system improves indoor air quality and humidifies.
reduces energy cost. Humidity is maintained at an
appealing 40% to 50%.

12. This small but mighty system is basically a heat pump. It works
great for very efficient homes. There are no ducts so there
is not a lost of energy commonly associated with ductwork.
The compressor/condenser is outside.

13. Loewen windows – manufactured in Canada,
sold in Toledo, Ohio
Heat Smart T.XT
•Triple glazed,
• two layers of low e coatings
•two ½” air spaces with argon gas
Touch the windows in winter – warm as the house

14. The latest in water heaters
an electric heat pump water heater
A compressor and evaporator is integrated into the water heater.
The evaporator draws in ambient heat from the surrounding air using two
variable speed fans. Electric coils wrap the tank all the way to the bottom to
transfer this heat into the tank and heat the water.
An electronic back-lit LCD display at eye level lets you adjust temperature
settings easily.
Reduces water heating operating cost up to 62% saving up to $320 per year

15. Millcell is manufactured in Germany.
Little Portion Green is the first project in North
America to use this product. We have 26”
under the concrete slab.

16.  footer

18.  special framing of
the windows will
allow a clay and
straw mix (cobb) to
be applied inside the
framing.
 This guarantees air
tight insulation as
well as the beauty of
rounded edges
around the
windows.

22. The first 2 coats
consist of
2 pts. sand and
1 pt. clay
The finish coat
consists of
2 pts. clay and
1 pt. sand with a
colorant added.

29. Stain glass & cut glass
windows
All natural wind
chime

30. Clay relief with grapevine
The niche with St. Francis and
our mascot, the inchworm

32.  National Machinery Foundation
 Sisters of St. Francis, Tiffin
 OSS Solid Waste District
 Greater Fostoria Community Foundation
 Kneeskern Family Foundation
 David & Gail Steinmetz Tithing Fund
 Arthur Friemoth Estate
 Republic Lumber
 Clouse Construction –
 Andy Schroeder County Electric
 Tim Bell – Maple Grove Stone Co.
 Briedenbach House Painting
 Michael & Cathy Carr
 Juanita Fenton
 Crystal Traditions
 Ewald Furniture
 Gordon Design Gallery
 Louie & Millie Lee
 Mike Langenderfer- The Countertop Shop
 Lowes of Tiffin
 Precision Continuous Gutters
 Connie Sauter
 .

33.  Seneca Tile
 Tony Anese Masonry
 Steve Shaferly
 Curt Smith
 Richard S. Swartz
 Whirlpool of Clyde
 White Family Fund of the Tiffin Charitable Trust
 Tiffin Deluxe
 Estate of Alice Hay
 Estate of Catherine Omlor
 Tiffin Deluxe

34.  John Baer  George Marsh
 Alivia Brown  Tim Meeker
 Brandon Brause  Sr. Barbara Jean Miller
 Jay Budde  Joe Moore
 John Cochrane, Jr.  Lenny Perna
 Carol Coffman  Merre Phillips
 Kevin Creamer  Donna Reimer
 Barb Dantuona  Ron Ruffing
 Mark DeBarbrie  Sr. Paulette Schroeder
 Melissa Demoss  Ken Schroth
 Tom Gerschutz  Ron Shank
 Milt Gibson  Joe Snyder
 J.D. Griffiths  Dave & Gail Steinmetz
 Sr. Janet Hay  David Swartz
 Don Kin  Mike Ubri
 Vince Kirchner  Steve Ubri
 Gugu Malusalila  Sean Walker

35. Jim Long – stained glass window
Aiden Sully – 2 brilliant cut glass windows
Sr. Jane Omlor – grapevine clay relief
Mike Reimer – finish carpentry
Gratitude for all those who participated in
the two strawbale workshops
Thanks to St. John’s Jesuit High School
Heidelberg University
Bowling Green State University
Bridges Community Academiy

36. Mike
Reimer
Mike Brown
Sister Jane Omlor

37.  Little Portion Green is open for tours
 After Easter, 2013, Sunday Brunch
plus a tour will be available by
reservation
 Volunteers are needed for landscaping
in the spring & summer of 2013
 Call Sister Jane at 567-207-5393 for
more information