A good friend’s daughter (we’ll call her “Molly”) has dropped more than a few hints that her favorite playthings, a group of small wooden dolls aptly named the Doll Family, need some new digs. As Molly's birthday is coming up, the search is on for a new place for the Dolls to call home.

As the real estate agent for this new home purchase, I was tasked with scoping out the possibilities. And as someone with an interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy, I had my own agenda as to the features that the Dolls' new home should possess. What better opportunity to start teaching Molly (and the Doll family) about saving energy? Interestingly, a number of dollhouses on the market incorporate renewable energy:

• The Emerson House from Brinca Dada will no doubt speak to the modern aesthetic your little one craves. The dollhouse boasts clean lines, solar-powered recessed lighting, and plenty of windows for maximum solar heat gain. And with two fireplaces, the dollhouse provides the perfect opportunity to teach your kids about closing the flue to prevent heat loss up the chimney.
• The Bamboo Sunshine dollhouse from Hape International takes things a step further. It also boasts working solar panels that can be used to run LED lights throughout the house. But its add-ons include a garden full of (what else?) bamboo and a greenhouse that can be used to grow real plants..
• Not to be outdone, the Plan Toys Green Dollhouse incorporates passive solar design and non-working solar panels as well as a vertical axis wind turbine, recycle bins, and a rain barrel for saving water. Similarly, Wonderworld’s Eco House has many of the same features, plus a bicycle to save gas on the Doll family’s commute to work.
• For parents whose children aren’t satisfied with moving the their dolls into a prefab home, the Thames and Kosmos Power House gives you the opportunity to build the Doll family’s renewable energy dream home from the ground up. The kit includes everything you need to build a model home from scratch, complete with working solar panels, a wind turbine, a desalination system, a hot water tank, a solar oven (perfect for cooking teeny tiny free-range chickens) and 15 other building projects.

Molly and I have a date to explore the Doll family’s real estate options this weekend. I have a feeling the Power House won’t make the short list (the Dolls aren’t really into DIY), but I’ll be interested to see which home the Dolls end up calling their own. And, even better, I know that whichever one Molly chooses, conservation and renewable energy will naturally be part of her play.

Image: Wonderworld

Amy Foster Parish is on staff with the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. In her spare time, she enjoys researching the latest in renewable and efficient dollhouse living.