GALLERY OF SOLAR HOMES

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VERTICAL GLAZING SUN ROOM
This vertical glazing two story sun room is located in Keeseville, NY where temperatures often plummet below -20F during the month of January. The one-inch thermo pane windows face Southwest. Perhaps if they faced due south the heat gain during the winter months would be a bit better, but due south is not always an option. Some people prefer the simplicity of vertical glazing. Heat losses are less than  tilted glazing losses.    During the cold, short, days of winter between the hours of 12 noon and 5PM the sun room becomes cozy enough to provide a nice playroom for the children. This simple passive solar addition brings a little light and warmth into an otherwise bleak environment.
For more information about passive solar homes go to:
www.JC-SolarHomes.com/passive_solar.htm 

Lutts, Tennessee
For the past 20 years, we have been living in a solar collector-otherwise known as a direct gain passive solar home. It is naturally well lit, thanks to many large, evenly spaced windows on the south wall. These appropriately shaded windows allow direct sunlight to reach the back of the building in winter, but allow no direct sunlight inside in summer. The light which does enter strikes the textured, brown concrete floor, slip formed stone walls, and large stone fireplace, gently warming these surfaces which absorb and store heat, moderating temperature fluctuations. Having insulation on the exterior of the building allows these thermal masses to remain at or near room temperature, absorbing heat during sunny days and radiating warmth at night. This makes interior temperatures very stable, naturally staying warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Because the floor and walls are doing double duty as thermal flywheels, temperatures also remain very even throughout the house. doug_kalmer

Passive solar home design has evolved a great deal since I built my first solar home in the early 80’s. Good contemporary passive solar design incorporates several important features. To achieve a comfortable quality living space passive solar design needs to have the proper amount of South facing window area, appropriate overhangs for seasonal control and adequate thermal mass for heat storage.

Durango Fine Homes, LLC offers simple to build, easy living and extremely effective passive solar home blueprints.  www.durangosolarhomes.com

SOLAR GREENHOUSE 
Here is a nice little solar greenhouse in Saranac NY about 40 miles south of the Canadian border. The five 4X8 one-inch thermo pane panels face south. They are tilted at an angle of 60 degrees to optimize heat collection during the coldest months of the year. The stone floor of this greenhouse is about four feet below the outside knee-wall. The back-wall was built out of  cobble stones mortared into position to provide a heat sink. Rising hot air at the apex of the solar greenhouse pushes top flaps open to heat the interior living space of the house. Lower flaps open into the greenhouse to allow cold air return.. Shortly after the sun sets the flaps close to prevent living space heat from being lost into the cooling night-time greenhouse. Besides providing additional heat to the house the greenhouse provides an excellent plant nursery.
For more information about solar greenhouses go to:
 Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect  

KALWALL SOLAR GREENHOUSE
Here is a low budget solar greenhouse entry-way addition in Skyler Falls NY about 50 miles south of the Canadian border. The 60 degree tilted glazing faces due south. The Glazing measures 16 feet at the base and is about 12 feet long. This picture was taken On January 15, 1980. The outside temperature was -20F. Notice that the snow has already melted on the upper level sun room. By 2PM I recorded a temperature of 160F inside this sunroom loft with the outside temperature still well below 0. The inverted funnel shape of a solar greenhouse has a way of  concentrating rising columns of hot air inside the greenhouse. A fan located near the apex is used to force this concentrated hot air into the living space.

HEX-A-FRAME
This is a conceptual model of a cold climate  hexagonal house joined to a square house. The side of the square house would measure 16 feet as would the side of the hexagonal attachment. The diameter of the hexagonal section would be 32 feet. The total living space of  a house like this would be about 1500 square feet not counting the 250 sq foot workshop, a 250 square foot loft solar greenhouse, a 150 square foot gym and a1000 cubic foot heat storage vault. The solar collectors would cover a surface area of 250 square feet. Heat not supplied by the sun would be supplied by a wood burning stove.
To learn more about the possibilities of hexagonal housing go to:
www.JC-SolarHomes.com/alternative_housing.htm 

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Ray Caver's solar round house www.raycotechnologies.org  is a unique approach to renewable energy construction that makes good use of thermal mass. This house is designed to be comfortable, long lasting and is resistant to  earthquakes, fires, tornados, hurricanes and... Who knows what's on the horizon?. Concrete is actually a very  affordable building material, especially considering it's strength, thermal mass properties and  longevity. All or most of it’s electrical and heating needs will be from the sun or wood heat. By starting from the ground up, the heating system, electrical, refrigeration and water needs  were all designed for minimal energy consumption and loss.  The output of individual photovoltaic panels has quadrupled in the last decade and are all available online to the public at discount prices. Energy saving light bulbs, high efficiency heating systems, smart water systems and low consumption refrigeration will cut down on the use of fossil fuels, reduce pollution and give you energy independence.  This round design uses energy conservation primarily since weather goes around it rather than pushing  constantly against it.. Only the round design can support the highly insulated, all concrete roof with the large over hang. These overhangs are  designed to let the winter sun in through the winter, and shade the sun from mid morning till late afternoon. The concrete roof ensures safety from all elements, natural or man made.  The walls are constructed using ICF's and are 10" of steel reinforced concrete and the floors are 4.5" steel reinforced concrete with radiant tubing to distribute solar heated and wood heated water. 

Strawberry Fields Solar Book Store

When the Lights go Out

Sun Dancing With Robert Redford

Earth Bound Leonardo

Bonnie Raitt, the Sunshine Lady

 Alternative Housing for the 21st Century 
 Active Solar House Plans  
Passive Solar Home Plans  
 Greenhouse Effect  
 Solar Collector Plan 
Heat Storage Vaults   
 Solar Hot Water Slide Show  
 The Alternative Energy of Choice  
Energy Independent Housing
  Gallery of Solar Homes 
 How to Build a Solar Hot Water System  
Photovoltaic Electricity Animation  
  Solar Water Heating Animation  
Our Sun and Our Future  

Five Solar Thermal Principles 
 

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