Factory-built integrated solar homes - A progress report

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:416173

Rawlings, L K

Over the past fifteen years, hundreds of people across the US have built for themselves highly advanced residences which integrated passive solar architecture; photovoltaic power systems; high-efficiency lights, appliances, and HVAC (heating, ventilating, and cooling) equipment; high-level insulation and airtight construction; and other renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies. Such a home can be referred to as an {open_quotes}integrated solar home{close_quotes}. As the essential technologies have improved in performance, price, and availability, the performance of such homes has steadily advanced to the point where they could provide amenities at more-or-less normal US standards of luxury, yet require as little as 5% to 10% of the level of fossil fuel or biomass use that are required in an average US home. However, the resources required to build such a home, both in terms of the time and dedication needed for research, design, and construction of the homes, and in terms of the additional cost of the renewable energy/energy efficient features, have prevented such construction from moving beyond a tiny handful of highly motivated homeowners and into the mainstream of residential construction. This paper has design summaries of six different houses.

• Research Organization: Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 416173
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511214--; ON: DE96011051
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
DESIGN
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES
PREFABRICATED BUILDINGS
SOLAR ARCHITECTURE