Passive heating and cooling / Discussions

...and in any event, off grid living has been a lifetime dream. We have finalized slab-on-grade and one story living over roughly 2,500 square feet to accomodate us + visitng kids and grandkids, etc. as we age. We have a large piece of land so no issues for space and placement. We are using many passive solar design princ...

...Passive Solar Home Design If it's mid-September and you are calculating this now, does that mean you are still in the design phase or have you started building?  If so, and if you’re not a mathemagenius, AND you can wait until December 21st, then you could just do it on site by hand and not risk having made any mistake...

...passive heat gain, so you want the highest R-value windows possible to reduce heat loss.  And remember that maximising your southern exposure for passive heat gain needs to include a passive cooling strategy such as overhangs or sun shades to prevent overheating in summer or you'll be spinning your wheels and spending ...

...heating system. The house is now standing, it is the first house built of our new prefab modular kit houses available across Canada and the US. you can see a full break down of the mechanical systems, energy performance and total carbon footprint on this page here -  Zero Carbon Homes - The S1600 Prefab Eco Home is aff...

...and without one, warm air will still collect up high; and in the summer a ceiling fan is a quiet and efficient way to provide a cooling sensation. Here is a short video on ceiling fans, they are an integral part of the heating and cooling strategy of our Edelweiss demonstration house. 

...and extreme passive heating.  The house is certified LEED Platinum but also meets Passive House levels of performance (and then some), but it does go beyond what we consider to be a resonable return on investment in terms of insulation levels.  That said - in general, the answer is yes, you are better to increase your ...

...and Nothern Ontario. You may have seen this, but here is a video of our passively heated Edelweiss Demonstration house that covers the basic principles of passive heating and cooling concept and design.

...and I want to build, live in, and potentially even rent out, an Earthship; a type of passive solar earth shelter that is made of both natural and upcycled materials. My question is where do we start? Who do we ask? Who do we hire? How much money do we need? Any ideas or brainstorms are welcome. An Earthship is not an a...