“Artist Ezio Cusi’s house is a work of art —and also built smart. The timber-framed house with light clay walls is made with mostly local natural materials.
passive solar
My Passive Solar Tiny House
“An introduction to the passive solar design features of my strawbale tiny house. This 450 sq ft house uses south facing windows to heat itself during winter, supplementing heat provided by a wood stove. Roman-style thermal curtains on all windows help to conserve heat. A cantilevered second floor and overhangs keep the sun out during warmer times of the year. This is one of many passive solar strawbale houses at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage.”
Jake vs the Earthship part 8
“The back mass wall is up to the 7th course of bags and another course of foam insulation is about to start. In the video I show how the geotextile is woven through the mass wall making it monolithic. This is an invention by Howard Switzer (the Architect on this project) and he calls it “continuous buttress earthbag walls”. This design eliminates the need for poured concrete buttresses and battering the walls (leaning them back) and allows for a cleaner looking straight walled interior. We have had 300% the normal rainfall this summer in TN and this has resulted in much less progess than was anticipated.
Cheap and Easy Solar Heater
“The unit takes one person two days to construct, one day to install, and costs under $100. The temperature inside the unit easily reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a 50-degree day, and can be blown into the house using a fan that pulls less electricity than a light bulb.”
Thermal Banking Greenhouse Design
“Steven Schwen of Earthen Path Organic Farm (Lake City, Minnesota) has built an innovative greenhouse that allows him to extend his growing season while reducing energy costs. SARE’s Farmer-Rancher Grants program provided critical assistance for Schwen in the beginning phases of his project.”
OHOME Passive Solar Studies
“A visual description of passive solar design of the OHOME. Sun penetrates during the heating season, but is rejected during the cooling season, optimizing passive solar heating and cooling.