Energy-efficient cooling / Discussions

We built a small cabin with a loft. The floors and ceiling are well insulated at R-40 and R-60  We are off grid, and have a well and hand filled cistern   The problem is the walls are 4 inch hardwood (R-2?). We have a woodstove that can heat the whole place, and overheat it if your not careful. so even when we went the...

...cooling an off grid home, passive systems are always best, followed by the simple ones. By that we mean – design the home as energy efficient and air tight as possible and start with the basic principles of passive heating and cooling. That means orienting the home for solar gain in winter but ensuring sufficient shadi...