#Passive solar sip house windows#

Net metering allows you to sell excess energy to your local utility company.

While potentially more expensive initially, going solar can pay for itself over time.

#Passive solar sip house windows#

Two key elements of passive solar architecture are south-facing windows and thermal mass.Passive solar homes focus on efficiency first and then use solar energy to help reduce energy usage.There isn’t a strict definition for what makes a home 'solar' - it just has to use energy from the sun in some capacity.Passive solar designs use specific architectural elements, building materials and construction techniques to attract, store and distribute heat from the sun so owners can maintain a comfortable temperature inside without active heating or cooling. Solar homes generally use solar panel systems to capture sunlight and convert it to electricity, but many don’t stop there. There are lots of different ways to do this. Most home designs don’t prioritize using energy they receive from the sun, but solar homes make the most of it. Covered porches, with screens in some areas, can become sleeping porches or a second living or dining room.If you’re building a new home, it makes sense to do it in a way that employs free, renewable energy when it’s available. When oriented with the sun and prevailing winds, these outdoor spaces can be little jewels where people naturally gravitate and want to spend time. Our homes are designed to flow effortlessly from indoors to outdoor porches, patios, and decks. When your indoor spaces connect conveniently to comfortable outdoor spaces, you can significantly expand your living area. Logical flow from inside to outside is also very important. This allows you to add the floor area and windows that would be otherwise used for a useless hallway to the room, making it a more pleasant and efficient use of space. For example, rather than wall off an office or study completely, it is possible to make it a room that you walk through to get to another room. It is important to lay out a house in such a way as to create clear transitions from public to private spaces but it’s also important to do so in the most efficient way possible. Some amount of circulation space is required in a house but too much is a waste. What follows are some design strategies that make our small, energy efficient home plans comfortable and functional while feeling open and cozy:Ĭirculation spaces in a home can account for a large percentage of a home’s square footage. Deciding upon the size of your new home and how the square footage is allotted will depend on your individual needs, wants, and lifestyle. When energy efficiency, low environmental impact, and living green is valued, it's surprising how much good living you can comfortably fit in a small home plan. When space is carefully considered and valued, making every square foot count is important. It's important to realize that a small, energy efficient, well-designed home can be just as comfortable, beautiful, inviting, functional, and interesting as a big home, often even more so.

It is a departure from the contemporary American status quo where bigger is better and more is best. Values + Goals for Green Home Livingĭesigning, building, and living in a well-designed, not-so-big, custom home starts with a unique set of values, goals, and perspectives. Just how small and optimized depends on the specifics of the project, but it’s a good exercise to examine how much space you really need and optimize the design accordingly. Designing a house that is optimized for how you live just makes sense. These spaces still need to be maintained, heated and cooled and can actually detract from the comfort and livability of a home. We have all visited or lived in houses with spaces that are rarely used. It is important to recognize some of the diminishing returns when it comes to the size of a home. A smaller home costs less to build and operate and is easier to maintain.

Building smaller has many advantages, both practical and philosophical.