Help on finding solar home plans, what's important in solar homes, and examples of well designed solar homes.
Be sure to also look at the "I Did It" example homes
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Plans for Passive Solar Homes | |
Sun Plans
http://www.sunplans.com |
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Sun-Savvy Near Zero Energy Demonstration Home | ![]() This is a fairly detailed report on a display home that Sun-Savvy put together for the Parade of Homes in St George Utah. The home uses a combination of good thermal envelope, efficient heating and cooling, efficient lighting and appliances, passive solar design, plus both solar thermal and solar electric systems to produce a near zero energy use home that appears to be practical and cost effective -- full details... |
Sunlight Homes
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![]() "Sunlight Homes designs environmentally friendly custom homes specializing in updated passive solar and green concepts and has sold home component packages with super insulated, SIP panel construction across the continental US since 1975." Their designs emphasize
high insulation values, tight sealing, and high R value windows to
allow less south glazing and more freedom in layout.
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Sun Terra Homes
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Passive Solar Homes -- 91
new award-winning, energy-conserving single family home plans, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1982
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![]() It came out of a competition that HUD sponsored in 1982 for passive solar home designs. These 91 award winning plans were selected from more than 500 entries by builders, designers, and architects. This was a very active time in passive solar home design, and the plans show a high level of innovation. This is the first 30 -- rest to come as time allows. |
Affordable
"Near Zero Net Energy" Homes, L. Darrell Jones, July 2009, www.ruraldevelopmentinc.org/... (pdf) More details and plans here |
![]() The envelope is efficient enough that even in this cold climate, only a small gas space heater is needed for heating. R43 double stud walls. (Thanks to Erik for finding more details and plans on this project) |
Bale Watch
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![]() The plans to (to me) emphasize all the right things -- small efficient design, super insulation, passive solar, efficient plumbing, ... |
StrawBale.com
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![]() A very active workshop schedule. Examples of strawbale homes they have done with owners. "... welcome to my straw bale building site dedicated to anyone interested in building their own straw bale house." |
The
Green Builder
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![]() Quite a bit of interesting information on the site. |
Earth Sheltered Technology,
Inc.
www.earthshelteredtech.com/Default.htm
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![]() The company uses a poured concrete domed roof for strength to support a green roof, and for the visual effect of cathedral ceilings. |
A Guide To Building and
Planning Solar Homes -- Solar Homes for North Carolina II
A Design Competition Planbook • June 1999 Energy Division, North Carolina Department of Commerce 38 Page Guide and Plans (3.1 MB pdf) |
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Affordable Passive Solar Planbook for North Carolina Appalachian State University http://energy.appstate.edu/sites/default/files/APSplanbook.pdf The plan book you can download at this link includes design guidelines and construction details for energy efficient homes as well as quite a few plan examples -- very nicely done
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![]() I'd think about adding or making provisions for solar water heating, and, perhaps a whole house fan for summer cooling if you have cool nights. Each house has a downloadable full plan set available -- all free. |
TodaysPlans.net
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![]() The emphasis is on smaller and more efficient homes, but other energy saving DIY projects are also covered. |
Lakeland, Florida -- Side by
Side Test, Florida Solar Energy Center Comparison of energy of a home designed with many energy efficiency features to a same size conventional construction home.
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![]() The measured energy consumption was 70% less on the house with low energy use features. A solar PV system offset and additional 22%, bringing the net energy use to near zero. The reports provide quite a bit of detail on the saving achieved by each energy efficient design feature. |
Energy
Efficient Building Technologies (EEBT)
http://www.eebt.org/index.html
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HomePlans.com -- Solar Home Plans | Some solar home plans for sale |
Adobe Builder | ![]() |
eBackroad
http://www.ebackroad.com/2building-green.html
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Dream Green Homes
http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/
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Rick Thompson -- Architect Solar Home Plans
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Kezar Homes, LLC
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Suncatcher Solar Home
Designs
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![]() They also have an interesting solar community project in the works. |
Wayne Design
Feb 19, 2013: Wayne's site may be down for a while for redesign. |
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Passive Solar Home Design Examples Some examples of passive solar designs Be sure to also look at the "I Did It" example homes |
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Resource Efficient Homes
Across America A Construction Technology Showcase www.homes-across-america.org/index.cfm
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![]() An overview of each house and its green features is provided. While the descriptions are not highly detailed, it is a good place to look at a variety of types and styles of energy efficient construction. A useful resource -- especially when looking for ideas. |
Innovative, energy efficient, cost effective Montana solar home
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A treasure trove of applied innovative ideas. |
Passive Solar Home with Heat Storage in Soil Bed Below Floor |
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A Deep Energy Retrofit
The details include a 30 page description of he design and construction process, a photo gallery, and a detailed thermal analysis spreadsheet. NEW -- After 1 Year Report... |
![]() This is the most carefully thought out energy retrofit I have seen. Gordon and Sue took a drafty 1963 brick schoolhouse with almost no insulation and converted into a home with a heating bill that is 6% of a similar size code built home in their area. Features include: R40 Larsen Truss walls, triple glazed R6 super windows, glazing revamped for passive solar heating, a new solarium, a hand crafted masonry heater, and much more. In addition to a very good thermal envelope. Like most good designs, this one is simple and robust without a lot of gadgetry. |
Riverdale
NetZero Project One of Canada's First 12 NetZero Energy Homes http://www.riverdalenetzero.ca/
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![]() Doubly impressive when you consider how challenging the Edmonton climate is. |
The
Van Geet Off-Grid Home: An Integrated Approach to Energy Savings
www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/32765.pdf (1.8 mb PDF)
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The David Allan Solar Heated and Cooled Home in Colorado...
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The house includes a number of unique features, indluding: 1) a large (66 by 22 ft) Trombe wall that has living space on both sides of it and also serves as the main structural backbone of the house, 2) an attached sunspace with a thermosyphon heat distribution system that heats the north (far) side of the house, 3) a second sunspace under the first that stores heat in eutectic salts, and 4) a solar cooling system that uses a combination of earth tubes and solar chimneys to circulate earth cooled air through the house. Quite a few unique ideas. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of measured or logged performance data -- it would be great to get some actual performance of some of the unique features. The video is long but interesting, and at the end David talks about some important improvements he would make if doing the house again. |
Cristian's
Earth Sheltered Passive Solar Home in Romania
20 pages of pictures, plans, and design & construction details...
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![]() ![]() Cristian's home also includes an extensive earth tube system, rain harvesting, solar hot water, carefully designed wood heating, and provisions for a future PV system. Its a fine design and a great story as well. |
A Passive Solar Manufactured House -- A Unique Solar Design | ![]() ![]() Records for several heating seasons are provided. |
Tracey's Passive
Solar, Bermed, ICF affordable home Details here... |
![]() It uses earth berming, passive solar design, and ICF walls to put together a very efficient home on a not very large budget. Details here... |
The Kosmer Solar House Project...
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It includes a number of unique features, such as the use of the 12 inch thick slab for storing solar heat both direct from the sun and using ducts that pick up hot air at the peak of the house and run it through the slab. The website gives a several page description of the design... |
New Hampshire Super
Insulated Home
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![]() The home uses a combination of high insulation levels, exceptional sealing, passive and active solar, and very efficient appliances to very very low energy use. |
An Illinois "Passivhaus"
http://www.thermotechfiberglass.com/EDU.pdf
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![]() Very impressive total energy use performance. There are a few things about the design that puzzle me a bit, but its very impressive in its performance. |
Home Green Home, Laurie Stone How to get articles from Home Power ...
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![]() A very good article describing a Colorado home that is not only very energy efficient, but is constructed with a strong emphasis on green and local materials, and within a budget. |
Habitat
For Humanity Energy Efficient Solar Home -- Denver
Denver Habitat Home (600K pdf) http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/36102.pdf
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Habitat For Humanity Zero
Energy Demonstration Home in Denver
Description of home: Energy use report:
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![]() Added features include double stud R40 walls, R60 ceiling insulation with raised heel trusses, R30 floors, enhancements to solar water heating system, more attention to air tightness, more attention to glazing, and a PV system increased from 1.8 KW to 4 KW. The 2nd link shows that the natural gas uses for space heating and backup water heating is more than offset by the PV array generating excess electricity which is sent back to the grid -- so, net energy use is less than zero. It would be nice to see how well each of the energy saving/generating features pay on their own. |
The
Energy Efficient House
Solar Today Magazine Richard Crume |
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A High-Performance Spec
House, Christopher Briley, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, Issue 179, May 2006 How to get articles from Fine Homebuilding ...
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Zero Energy, Infinite
Appeal, Nathan Good, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, Issue 177, March 2006 How to get articles from Fine Homebuilding ...
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MK
Lotus -- Modular efficient and sustainable home
From Inhabitat.com
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![]() Emphasizes use of sustainable materials, water conservation and water reuse, and natural lighting. The PV system is said to provide both AC and heating (in a mild climate). |
Energy Saving Details, Kip park, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, Issue 92, Jan 1995 How to get articles from Fine Homebuilding ...
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![]() Lots of interesting energy efficiency construction details. Double R46 walls with excellent air sealing, R11 windows, grey water heat recovery, and a unique HRV system. |
ECO House, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
http://www.inhabitat.com/2005/12/23/ecohouse-brazil/
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![]() The article was posted by Sarah -- thank you Sarah!
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Tavernier
House, William Hoffman www.hoffmanarchitecture.com/... |
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Bio-Solar House in Thailand Jan Krikke, Architecture Week
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From the Architecture Week
article: ![]() |
Straw Bale, Solar Home in
the City, Catherine Wanek Mother Earth News Mother Earth News Bonus Issue -- Summer 06 |
![]() The article does not provide a great deal of detail, but study plans are available for modest price. |
BalComb Sunspace Home
Recent Solar Today Article featuring Balcomb House...
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![]() ![]() A well know solar passive design with an integrated sunspace. Built in 1976. 89% solar heated in the 7000 deg-day New Mexico climate. The links to the left provide fairly detailed information on the home. |
Low Thermal Mass
Sunspaces All the details on Low Thermal Mass Sunspace advantages, performance, design and examples... |
![]() At the same time they provide added living space that is good for a wide variety of activities. The sunspaces can also add to the aesthetic appeal and value of the home. The new section on low thermal mass sunspaces provides design and performance data, heat output and efficiency tests, and several detailed examples of low thermal mass sunspaces that work well. |
Cliff House
Cliff house by Norman Saunders (pdf)
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The Best-Insulated
House in the World?, Detailed description from Rob Dumont... Other articles on the home: A talk comparing this home and others... |
The article provides a lot of good detail on the design and performance of the house. |
Future Building Technology, Juergen Korn http://www.city.whitehorse.yk.ca ... (pdf)
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![]() Several examples described, and a little bit of construction detail. |
Solar Heated Home Using An
Attached Greenhouse and Woodburning Stove
David Mears The Paper (pdf)
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![]() Seems like an interesting concept. Report includes test data on a real house.
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Rob Roy’s Earthwood Home Rob Roy has done several articles for Mother
Earth News -- search their site for Rob Roy Note: Rob Roy has a good new book out on building earth sheltered
homes -- listed here:
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![]() An interesting and detailed article on building a round house that is earth sheltered, and passive solar. Quite a bit of construction detail. The house is 1100 sqft and cost $27,000 to build. |
Tirehouse II – A small development company is inspired after reading about Michael Reynolds “earthships”. Tim Rhodes
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![]() Interesting article on developing a company to build earthship
(rammed earth in tires) homes. |
Passive Annual Heat Storage John Hait Finding Mother Earth News articles...
Some pictures of an Earth Tube installation:
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![]() An article describing a scheme for passive solar heat storage on an annual basis. The scheme uses a large "bubble" of dirt around the house that has a good thermal connection with the walls of the living area, but is isolated from the surrounding dirt by insulation and waterproofing. Over time the temperature of the dirt bubble can be brought up to a comfortable temperature that varies only a few degrees over the year. More information and a book on this scheme is available here: Here is a review of John Hait's Passive Annual Storage book by by Nick Pine. |
PAHS Example in Virginia http://paccs.fugadeideas.org/tom/index.shtml
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![]() Much more window area than the Hait home above. |
Building Tide Sun Cottage Angus W. Macdonald, M. Arch. Finding Mother Earth News articles... This is the first in a 5 part series -- you can find the other 4 parts by searching Mother Earth for "Angus Macdonald"
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![]() Five part series about building a solar cabin. Designed by architect Angus Macdonald. |
Mother’s $10 per square foot (or less!)
Earth-Sheltered House, Mother Earth News Finding Mother Earth News articles... This is the first of a four part series -- all are available on the MEN site.
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![]() An interesting round, earth sheltered, low energy requirement home built by Mother Earth News. Incorporates a number of concepts in the construction, low water use, and mini-hydro electric generation that MEN had been working on over time. |
Monolithic Dome Homes
Monolithic Dome Institute www.monolithic.com/gallery/homes/index.html
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Dreamhill Dome Project
www.dreamhillresearch.com/dome/index.htm
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![]() Lots of detailed pictures on construction to date. Fairly detailed plans for the dome. |
Build A Water-Wall Home David Bainbridge Finding
Mother Earth News articles...
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![]() Passive solar houses that incorporate water containers for thermal storage. |
The $15,000 Solar Arcade Architect Angus Wyman Finding Mother Earth News articles...
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![]() A small (800 sqft) earth sheltered, passive solar home using high quality construction. |
Cornell Solar Decathlon
House Video Tour
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![]() A fairly complete description of the features that make the house energy efficient and earth friendly. |
Solar John in Wyoming with Automatic Solar Shutters | ![]() |
Zero (or near zero) Energy Homes | |
Massachusetts Zero Energy Challenge Winning Home | ![]() It uses a combination of a very good thermal envelope, solar passive and active heating, solar water heating, and a PV powered heat pump to achieve this performance. All the details... |
A
Net-Zero-Erngy House for $125 a Square Foot, Eric Thomas, GreenBuildingAdvisor.com $125/sf Net Zero home... |
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Zero Energy Home Armory
Park Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, NAHB Research Center, Inc
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![]() Lots of detailed design information. Should be very helpful in planning a hot climate ZEH or low energy home. |
The CLAM
Passive House www.clam-ptreyes.org/clam-homes/passive-house |
![]() Many innovative techniques were used to provide high insulation levels and very good air sealing without incurring high costs. The video at the link provides quite a lot of detail on how the house was constructed -- it is well worth watching -- many good details. The 4 solar thermal collectors on the roof are designed to satisfy nearly all of the homes space and water heating needs. |
Florida Zero Energy Test
House
Florida Solar Energy Center The Report (pdf)
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![]() Net energy use was only about 18% of a control house built to current codes. Pretty good detail on how much energy each feature saved. My 2 cents would be that the passive cooling, high efficiency AC, and efficient appliances contributed 67% the of the savings, while adding little to the cost of the house. The 4KW PV rig contributed the other 33% of the savings, and probably cost about $40,000. |
Extreme Efficiency -- How
Low Can You Go?
Larry Schlussler, PhD Full article on Larry's website...
Also as HP article: Home Power Magazine Issue 112, April/May 2006 |
This is an excellent
article by Larry Schlussler, the owner of Sun Frost. ![]() The design also emphasizes some areas that don't get a lot of attention such as water conservation, composting toilets, and efficient cooking. . |
This home and the one
just below are a pair -- near identical homes -- one with some
extra features to make it net zero energy
Habitat For Humanity Energy Efficient Solar Home -- Denver Denver Habitat Home (600K pdf) |
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Habitat For Humanity Zero
Energy Demonstration Home in Denver
Description of home: Energy use report:
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![]() Added features include double stud R40 walls, R60 ceiling insulation with raised heel trusses, R30 floors, enhancements to solar water heating system, more attention to air tightness, more attention to glazing, and a PV system increased from 1.8 KW to 4 KW. The 2nd link shows that the natural gas uses for space heating and backup water heating is more than offset by the PV array generating excess electricity which is sent back to the grid -- so, net energy use is less than zero. It would be nice to see how well each of the energy saving/generating features pay on their own. |
Sun-Savvy Near Zero Energy Demonstration Home | ![]() This is a fairly detailed report on a display home that Sun-Savvy put together for the Parade of Homes in St George Utah. The home uses a combination of good thermal envelope, efficient heating and cooling, efficient lighting and appliances, passive solar design, plus both solar thermal and solar electric systems to produce a near zero energy use home that appears to be practical and cost effective -- full details... |
Zero Energy Prefab Home by
Michelle Kaufmann
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![]() Hopefully more detail on the design and actual performance numbers will be published later. |
Zero Energy Home Built by
Appalachian State University
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![]() Built by students and staff from the Appalachian State University ... more |
A Cold-Climate Case Study for Affordable Zero Energy Homes, P. Norton and C. Christensen, Building America Study Home www.eere.energy.gov/ ... (pdf) |
![]() The design attempts to achieve net zero source energy use in an affordable package that is easy for home owners to live with. It seems to me that the project gets wrapped around the "zero energy" axle a bit, but there are many things to like in the design. |
Power House, Bill Heigis, Hobie Guion Fine Homebuilding issue 203, summer 2009 |
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RuralZED - The Zero Carbon House Is Ready
Detailed Description:
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![]() Many interesting features including prefab construction, flexible layouts, a base design for the near term that is affordable and yet can be upgraded over time to the full zero carbon requirement. The houses are planned to fit into eco villages rather than thinking solely in terms of single family, detached designs. The website is in work, but the "Full Brochure" pdf gives a pretty detailed rundown on the whole concept. |
First UK
Zero-Emission Home Unveiled
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6735715.stm
Another article with good refs at bottom: Another article: |
![]() This is one of the early cuts at such a home. It will be interesting to see the designs that come out of this requirement. |
Austin Program For Zero
Energy Homes by 2015
www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2007/zeh_program.htm
Note the links to four reports that provide detail on the program |
![]() "Zero Energy Capable" means that energy use is sufficiently low
that it could be completely offset by local generation -- e.g. a
solar electric generation system. |
State of Michigan's Zero
Energy Home Competition Christina Snyder 2002 Competition (pdf) 2004 Competition (pdf)
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Near Zero Energy Homes
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/btc/news.shtm
ASHRAE paper on Near Zero Energy Homes: |
![]() In looking at the merits of these homes, one might want to weigh the cost vs benefit of the insulation/passive design and the PV installation separately, and decide on each separately. Some aspects of the home described in the ASHRAE paper puzzle me. |
BedZED --
Beddington Zero Energy Development
http://www.peabody.org.uk/pages/GetPage.aspx?id=179
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BedZED is a zero energy development of about 100 "condos" in the London area. A combination or super-insulation, passive solar, integrated photovoltaic generation, allows the development to be carbon neutral. In addition, an emphasis is placed on efficient transportation via car sharing and other means. These homes appear to be very well lighted and pleasant spaces. |
Multi Family Buildings | |
Sunny Woods -- Zurich,
Switzerland
Home Energy Magazine Article (pdf)
International Energy Agency Article:
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![]() Passive solar, R50 low thermal bridging walls, R70 roof, vacuum insulation in critical areas, large roof PV installation, solar thermal panels integrated in facade, and a very thoughtful overall design. |
Small Homes
One of the best ways to reduce energy consumption in homes is to make them smaller. |
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Design Challenge: Help ClubRust work out a simple and cheap way to solar heat homes for low income families in norther Mexico... |
They are looking for a way to solar heat and insulate these homes on a tight budget.
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Big Steps in Building:
Change our Building Codes from Relative to Absolute, Lloyd Alter, Treehugger www.treehugger.com/files/2007/08/big_steps_in_bu_2.php
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![]() With all the improvements in building codes since 1970, does the average house of today use more or less energy than the average house of 1970? |
"A
Tiny Home To Call Your Own"
Patricia Foreman and Andy Lee Available at Amazon.com and other places |
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The
Small House Book, Jay Shafer, 2009 200 pages Book is available from the usual places.
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![]() Some of the homes Jay builds are works of art -- very nicely done. The homes range in size from about 80 sqft up to about 800 sqft -- some are on wheels. |
Northwestern
Tiny House Project Full details on the Northwestern Tiny Home... |
![]() It is well insulated and uses just a very small wood burner for heating. Its also on wheels, so if you want a change in scene, you can just move. The website actually provides a lot of construction and design detail -- thank you NW team for that! Just a wealth of very nice ideas in this house. |
Tiny Houses: or How to Get
Away From It All, Lester Walker
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![]() Amazon.com provides excerpts and table of contents as well as reviews. |
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The house pictures sections provides a lot of detail on the design, and the video on the same page goes through a lot of the design features and rationale -- very nicely done. There is also a blog. Some of the pictues in the blog show some of the construction. The house is, of course, very energy efficient not only because its small, but because its well insulated and sealed. The home is built on a 5th wheel trailer, and can be moved from site to site. Plans are available. |
Tumbleweed Tiny House
Company
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses.htm
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![]() All of them contain all the essentials. Most can be transported on the highway -- if you don't like the neighbors, you can just move. Jay sells plans as well as completed homes. |
The World of the Microhouse Rev. Bill Kaysing Finding Mother Earth News articles...
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![]() Quite an interesting article on building very small (as in 100 sqft) and very cheap (as in $1000). The article provides quite a bit of construction detail and quite a lot on the philosophy and benefits of living small. |
The Compact House Book, Edited by Don Metz
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![]() Entries are from a variety of climates and settings. The best 33 of the over 400 entries are presented in the book. The book is out of print, but widely available from the usual used book places. 192 pages, 1983 |
Rough Home Building David S. Warren Finding Mother Earth News articles...
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![]() Nice article on building a small cabin/house by hand. Not so much a solar home, but a solar home could be done in this way. |
The $15,000 Solar Arcade Architect Angus Wyman Finding Mother Earth News articles...
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![]() A small (800 sqft) earth sheltered, passive solar home using high quality construction. |
http://www.solargon-structures.com/
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![]() 20 ft and 30 ft models available. R28 walls, R42 ceilings,
glazing arranged for good passive gain, and operable skylight for
ventilation. |
Off-Grid Living http://www.judyofthewoods.net/off/homestead.html
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![]() Judy provides lots of good information on simple building and living. |
The Solar Trailer Home for Owner-Builders Caroline Wareham A “Thermal Envelope” Trailer |
![]() Quite an interesting concept that completely surrounds a trailer with a large sunspace. The trailer provides ready made plumbing, kitchen etc. while the sunspace provides expanding living space and heat |
The ECO-CABIN
www.theweebsite.com/ecocabin/thebook.htm
Starplates -- a similar scheme
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![]() "This shape was chosen for a dwelling because of its simplicity of design, economy, case of construction, great structural strength and maximum utilization of a minimal amount of materials. It has an advantage over 'pure' domes in that placement of windows, doors, and skylights is more conventional. Owing to its simplicity, most of the major components (foundation, floor, and struts) may be prefabricated. " The web sit provides detailed instructions on how to build one. Some thought could be given to incorporating some solar passive heating/cooling features. |
The Snail Shell System
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![]() I think I would need a window. |