My Alta house

 

This passive solar home is the first I designed, built in 1989. The goal was to use conventional building materials and methods to create as energy efficient a house as possible. Attention to detail and lots of southern windows, insulated by WindowQuilts at night, make this 2300 sq. ft. home very comfortable, well-lit and easy to heat. We burned 1 cord of wood (or the propane equivalent once we switched to a propane stove) to supplement the passive solar heating during sustained cloudy spells, typically late winter/early spring.

No central furnace is needed, and small backup heaters in the bathrooms were included to give people the option of a warmer bathroom and to help dry it out. The house stays cool in the summer and plenty warm in winter. On cold sunny days the interior reaches 80 degrees even when outside temps are below 0. Radiant heat from the sun or a woodstove feels best, far warmer than a forced air system.

We enjoyed living in this sunny, warm house until 2004. The current owners are delighted by how the passive solar design creates a well-lit, open, warm home.