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Old 07-07-2011, 01:09 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NunyaBiznas View Post
Hi Arrby,
Many of the designs / considerations you mention are ones I'm trying to incorporate, but I don't want to derail the purpose of this post vetting those thoughts - would you mind if I DMessage you instead?
Please feel free. I'd be glad to hear from you.
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Old 07-07-2011, 04:03 PM
 
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I know there's a rammed-earth home (aka earthship) up in Manitou Springs that is on the solar tour most every year, on/about 01 Oct.

Late Sept and early Oct are the dates each year for the nationwide annual solar homes tour where one can see the homes and talk to the homeowners to get the straight skinny.

Start with this link if interested.
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Old 07-07-2011, 04:15 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike from back east View Post

Start with this link if interested.
That is great! I was planing a trip out to go through the areas on my list, I can coordinate this timing with one of these tours. Perfect! Too bad it looks to be only one day
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Old 07-07-2011, 04:37 PM
 
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Wink South of at least one border

I knew a fellow in the small, and high (elevation: 8,238 feet), New Mexico town of Eagle Nest, with a house which he claimed could be heated with not much more than a match. I think he was adept at exaggeration, but his two-story home still seemed tight enough to get somewhere near his claims.

Conversely, from personal experience I know that it is entirely possible to keep a house tropical inside when outside temps are minus 20 or something. All this with single pane windows which were never designed to have much of a seal, walls which had never been acquainted with insulation, and even plumbing which should theoretically freeze. Entirely possible, and with lots of fresh airflow as well, but few would probably like to pay the utility bill.

At the risk of repeating myself again, my suggestion you head south of the (Colorado) border to visit Taos, NM. Ground zero for the Earthship home, and more or less what you may have in mind. By their very design their every aspect seeks to engender the most comfort for the least input of energy, and least impact upon our poor planet. Admittedly they are more usually of a unique and eclectic architectural aesthetic which not everyone will appreciate, but what is important is that the energy principals they embody can be translated to any other style of house, and any other type of climate.

Colorado is actually home to a number of these dwellings as well. The late actor Dennis Weaver had a lovely Earthship way up on a mountain with a magnificent view of Taos to the south; he later had that for sale, with my understanding then building another similar type of home near Ridgeway, CO.

In other words, one need not be in the high desert to make such things work. Or even in this country, as homes with similar principals can be found as far removed as often overcast and cold Germany.

Keep in mind that one might have their house insulated up the whazoo, with truly impressive R value numbers, and still not have much. All the insulation in the world will not mean much if not installed so as to prevent all possible air leaks. Even if this done, then negligent if not also considering glazing and the effect of any window. Or, if tight as a drum, insuring a proper flow of fresh air, and the equipment that insures that while not wasting the heat.

That is just the beginning, or indeed what should come later. Most houses are plopped down somewhere with scant regard to orientation or siting. With all the insulation in the world, they may still make poor use of their environment and what the sun has to offer. Earthships, being passive solar affairs, do not transgress such natural rules, and are more usually found with their northern aspect with few if any windows, and it often buried in the ground. Meanwhile the greater expanse of their southern aspect is more usually all glass, often at an angle to best maximize the rays of the sun. Great in winter, but also with roofs which tend to block the sun in summer, with vents and other provisions to keep anyone inside from quickly cooking.

There are a lot of tricks to this trade which the average homeowner in America has no clue of. Use of energy is another example. Aside from retaining it, best considered in advance how all energy will be supplied and used. If remarkably energy efficient, in the cold winters of high desert Taos some Earthship owners supplement their natural passive solar with such mundane things as propane. But it would be just as possible to extend the relatively small solar hot water collectors many have into systems which could supply enough hot water, and thus heat, to the entire home. Their electricity is more usually derived from solar.

These are good questions posed, and such a home possible, but the final product by far the most pleasant and practical if such serious architectural considerations given to it first.
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Old 07-07-2011, 06:13 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idunn View Post
At the risk of repeating myself again, my suggestion you head south of the (Colorado) border to visit Taos, NM. Ground zero for the Earthship home, and more or less what you may have in mind. By their very design their every aspect seeks to engender the most comfort for the least input of energy, and least impact upon our poor planet. Admittedly they are more usually of a unique and eclectic architectural aesthetic which not everyone will appreciate.
"Eclectic" is an understatement:


This one is known as "Angel's Nest." However, it was more of a showpiece than a home, and the owner apparently got carried away with it, losing sight of the fact that sustainable living does not involve a veritable eco-McMansion complete with a yoga studio and a hydrogen-powered stretch Hummer (no joke!) It has since gone into foreclosure, or at least that's the rumor. Either way, the home is now a empty shell with all the renewable energy technology stripped out of it.



This one is called "Phoenix Earthship" and is actually available for short-term rental:

Phoenix Earthship Nightly Rental - Begin Here - Earthship Biotecture (http://earthship.net/Begin-Here/Phoenix-Earthship-Nightly-Rental-dp2 - broken link)

The interior of that place looks like a greenhouse.

I've been reading about dome home kits. The aesthetics would take some getting used to, but apparently a geodesic home is far superior in terms of air circulation and surviving severe weather. I'd love to be able to simply buy a tract of land and build a home like this because like you said, many existing homes have been built with almost zero consideration for efficiency, but empty land lots near the Front Range have got to be a rare commodity. *Shrugs* The only thing that's for certain is that I'm going to graduate school in Colorado. It's too early to tell if I'll end up living there.
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Old 07-07-2011, 07:13 PM
 
7 posts, read 14,221 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idunn View Post
I knew a fellow in the small, and high (elevation: 8,238 feet), New Mexico town of Eagle Nest......
All good points, agreed that simply throwing insulation in a house may help but it is only part of the equation. Again, I don't want to derail the main purpose of this thread as I am focused on one specific aspect in this case, but I am most definitely integrating into the design:

- Air sealing as a primary concern
- Insulation as a complimentary one
- Heat Recovery Ventilation for air exchange (I have reasons vs natural ventilation)
- Solar Hot water heating
- Rain Harvesting (am aware of Colorado restrictions)
- House orientation
- Window types, importance of location, insulated shutters, etc
- Passive and active solar usage
- etc

'PassiveHaus' is a great concept across all these areas.


Back on track, if others have examples of these types of super insulated houses in Colorado, keep 'em coming! Very helpful comments thusfar, thanks!
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Old 07-07-2011, 07:18 PM
 
7 posts, read 14,221 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Antares45 View Post
I've been reading about dome home kits. The aesthetics would take some getting used to, but apparently a geodesic home is far superior in terms of air circulation and surviving severe weather.
Had looked into these, had heard similar, However I'm also trying to consider relatively local resources to draw from to simplify the construction, and domes also appear to be hard to fully utilize available square footage given a non-linear layout for the most part. Like the straw home mentioned prior, the concept and the application certainly work, but probably not for what I am looking at.

Thanks for the thought!
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Old 07-07-2011, 07:25 PM
 
122 posts, read 207,936 times
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Have you considered radiant floor heating? I think the Ancient Greeks were the first to make use of it, and I believe it is incorporated into certain home designs in Taos, NM as well.

Basically, it's just a series of hot water pipes running though the flooring of a home, effectively turning the floor into a radiator. The heat from the hot water will naturally radiate upward. It sounds far more efficient than any HVAC system for heating a home.
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Old 07-07-2011, 07:58 PM
 
7 posts, read 14,221 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Antares45 View Post
Have you considered radiant floor heating?
Its on the list, along with some others in my initial post. Has some pros, cost being a fairly large negative. But still an option, thanks!

Any other examples of Super Insulated homes out there? Would love to hear from ya!
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Old 07-07-2011, 08:08 PM
 
2,253 posts, read 6,961,726 times
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Wink Angel's Nest

Interesting info on Angel's Nest.

From the picture I didn't recognize it, although should have as I believe the aspect seen on arrival, the parking area and front entrance. I wonder if that picture taken during construction, as I recall it even taller, and know that at the very top there was a room with a pyramid of glass as a roof.

I was fortunate to visit Angel's Nest several years ago, before they closed all access to the public. A fascinating place, and something of a palace. Most Earthship homes are more modest, if some still with many square feet, and likely more energy efficient as well. But for its massive size this place still incorporated many of the best techniques available. Beautifully rendered. It would be a shame if that lost.

Outside in the large parking area they had two windmills of different design. One in particular moved as sculpture in even the lightest breeze. My understanding that the energy derived was used to make hydrogen. They did have a long stretch Hummer limousine parked out front, which seemed very incongruous. But it was converted to run solely on hydrogen, and thus as example of what was possible. At the time there was talk of creating hydrogen refueling stations the length of the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico. That may have come to no more fruition than their dreams encapsulated within that house.

If, uh, different, it really was a lovely place.
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