Passive solar / Discussions

...passive solar design principles: south facing windows in every room, limited north facing windows + concrete floors (+ radiant floor heating - (with a heat pump?)) for thermal mass + adequate eve overhang for summer sun protection. We will have solar PV + a back-up generator, since Vancouver Island weather will not off...

Will I get the benefit of thermal mass with a foundation where the inside of the foundation stem walls are insulated and the rest of the horizontal part of the foundation is foam insulation mon on the bottom followed by 4" of AB topped with 5" of concrete? From what you describe above, no, your stem walls will not offe...

...passive solar, I would start here – How to build a passive solar home DIY video series. That covers everything from southern orientation, shading, insulation, how to make a house airtight etc.   

...passive solar -- etc.  Thanks so much for your ideas.  Sure glad I found your site - appreciated - Building a house ready to withstand the climate crisis we already experiencing is a very sensible decision and we can help, but it’s not an easy one to answer right here except to point you in the right direction. Here is...

...passive house in Boston on a tight budget? Local builders here are too expensive.  Thank you You can find local builders near Boston for a passive house in the directory here, but some of our prefab kit houses are Passive House ready, and they are usually more affordable than site-built houses, so that is a potential o...

...passive solar home.  To accurately calculate the price per square foot for home construction you need to know local market rates and building material cost. Labor rates vary wildly by location, products not as much, but depending on local availability and market fluctuations that can also be a variable. Find green buil...

...passive solar house with wood wondows.  Some of the windows are fogged between the panes.  I don't know if I need replacement complete windows, or if I should try to just replace the glass in the problem windows.  I have had some trim work done over the years.  All the commercials I see talk about UV ray protection.  W...

...passive solar home design video series, there are some tips in there that may also help.  You can also take a look at these articles: Passive solar home design Is it spelled insolation or insulation? Understanding the terms  Are skylights a good idea?

...Solar panels – Whether you will save money with solar panels depends on your local utility costs as well as the cost of installing solar panels in your region. Here are the top questions to ask a solar contractor before signing a contract. Geothermal heating/cooling – We love it as a concept and its great for larger bu...

...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 house, and designing a home for passive solar heat collection will keep your energy costs at a minimum and also help it stay warm in the event of power failures. When you suggest a basement, my first thought would be to avoid that and stay above grade. Building a basement is typically a more expensive way to bu...

...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 all you heat savings on AC in the summer. That is all explained here in our  Passive solar home design video series.  

...solar air panels that is new at this point. We expect to see about 60-70 % of the heat load but we won't know for sure until the winter of 2020 - 2021 when they are in full operation. I imagine you saw the installation video of the slab on grade kit here as well as the radiant tubing. 

...passive solar orientated house with double walls or Larson truss (either would have dense pack cellulose) on a slab foundation with radiant in floor heat.  I saw a post with a chart showing code built, better insulated and super insulated.  The chart showed monthly payments (mortgage and untilities) and the better insu...

...Passive solar home design basics All you need to know about Passive House How to build a greenhouse in a cold climate

...solar air heated floor,  it’s not fully ‘passive’ as it requires a solar air heating panel, but that only requires a fan which can be run that off a very small PV panel. As for: Vapour barrier: Check with your municipal building inspector, for a higher humidity environement they may have requirements beyond the standar...

...passive solar basics – How to build a passive solar home The short story is, that if the sun is coming in your window you are getting some passive heat, simple as that. The main design ‘feature’ of passive solar heat collection is having a house oriented to the south for good insolation (What is insolation, and how doe...

...solariums, so its starting to bothering me if this kind of solution will be good in case of air conditioning and if this have a chance to act both as a place to grow plants and extension of some rooms. (kind of like its working in earthips). I am wondering if for better comfort I should separate some fuctions. Thank y...