Solar panels, heat pump make Colonial energy-saver
24 JACKSON DRIVE, ACTON
Sesh Kamireddi, a mechanical and computer science engineer, carefully calculated the cost and benefit of using $28,000 in cash and tax credits to install solar panels on the roof of his southfacing Acton home in 2014, a concept he explored for environmental and economic reasons.
“The only regret I have is why didn’t I do this sooner,’' said Kamireddi, who noted that the 110-kilowatt system paid for itself in 4½ years, and his electric bill for the entire year is now about $300, while previously it was that much every month.
Fueled by the success of the solar panels, Kamireddi installed a heat pump when the original heating system needed replacing. It’s powered by electricity, and while a furnace has to supplement the system during bitterly cold weather, Kamireddi thinks he has reduced his heating/cooling costs by 20 percent.
“There is an upfront cost, but then you save money,” he said.
Ecology and cost are considerations for the home buyer, but so is the house itself.
The front door opens into a two-story foyer with a chandelier overlooking the stairwell. The oak floors and stair treads glisten with a shiny finish. To the right is a 189square-foot office with windows facing the front lawn.
To the left, and guarded by a pair of columns at its entrance, is a very comfy and sunny 202-squarefoot living room with a pair of double-hung windows in the front of the house and two separate ones on the side.
The living room flows into a formal dining room where the simplicity of the other spaces is replaced by elegance. There is dentil crown molding and raised-panel white wainscoting, as well as candle-like sconces and a central light fixture that mimics candles. The room also has four windows for an abundance of natural light.
The 282-square-foot dining room leads to a hallway — which also houses a half bath — that starts in the foyer and ends in the kitchen/family room.
Maple cabinets line the wall of the 270-square-foot kitchen, which is shaped like a “V” and has a flattened point where the cooktop sits underneath a stainless steel oven vent. The right arm of the “V” contains stacked ovens and a jumbosized stainless steel refrigerator snuggled amid cabinets. The left arm has a stainless steel dishwasher and two levels of cabinets, one of which contains a built-in plate holder. Three long, rectangular windows in a single frame interrupt the flow of cabinetry. Directly opposite the cooktop is a twotiered island with the sink, cabinets, and seating for three. The countertops are a sand-colored
granite, and the backsplash is beige ceramic tile.
Underneath a light fixture is a 162-square-foot eating area/breakfast nook surrounded by windows.
A step down from the kitchen is the 506-square-foot family room, which features a working woodburning fireplace framed by brick with a white mantel. On either side of the fireplace are doublehung windows topped with transom windows. A four-pane, clearglass slider opens to the 200square-foot back deck.
There are two ways to the second level: the main stairwell in the front hallway and a second, carpeted one in the middle of the home. This second stairwell leads up to a door that provides privacy for the owner’s suite, which is both carpeted and extensive. On the right hand as one enters the 558-squarefoot bedroom, the wall is occupied by two sets of double-hung windows, and the rear wall has a pair of windows separated by the best spot for a bed. Accommodations in the primary suite include a 74square-foot walk-in closet with a dresser and extensive shelving. At 225 square feet, the primary bath is generous in size and has features that take advantage of its dimensions. The flooring is a brown and beige checkerboard. There are two maple vanities, each with granite counters and ovalshaped porcelain inset sinks. Between them is a deep, jetted tub with room for more than one. The step-in shower is behind a clear glass door. The shower floor and backsplash are beige ceramic tile. There is a water closet.
The remaining bedrooms, and a laundry room with a sink and a light gray Corian countertop, are up another half-level.
The three other bedrooms — all carpeted — range in size from 163 to 288 square feet, and two of them are united by a bath with tile flooring, a shower/bath combination with a White Americast tile backsplash, and a maple double vanity topped with brown granite.
The other bedroom is 239 square feet and has its own ensuite bath. The full bath has a single maple vanity with a jade granite countertop, off-white ceramic tile flooring, and a white ceramic surround with a green vine border for the shower/bath combination.
The basement is unfinished. The home sits on a 0.92-acre lot.
Michelle C. Walker of Redfin in Burlington is the listing agent. As of press time, an offer had been accepted on this property.
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