Edgewater Home Called Greenest, Most Energy Efficient in Chicago

Chicago - One Chicagoan's home could just make you green with envy; It's been named the greenest, most energy efficient house in the city.

Jacek Helenowski pays nothing to heat his home in Edgewater in the winter, and he keeps it cool for free in the summer thanks to the wind turbine and solar panels on the roof.

Everything from his ceiling to his kitchen countertops is recycled.

He said it has been a labor of love for more than a decade.

“It used to be that calling something green was an insult,” he said. “Now it’s something positive. Times have changed”

Overall, Helenwoski estimates the energy efficient project cost him quite a lot of green indeed -- more than $1 million in all.