Sunearth house efficiency monitored

Journal Article · · Earth Shelter Digest and Energy Report; (United States)

OSTI ID:5491284

A passive solar heated house near the Rocky Mountains utilizes concrete construction, water filled drums, 1 ft of earth on the roof, and beadwalls. The 1,820 ft/sup 2/ house has received 100% of its heating during two severely cold periods from the passive components. The house was constructed with 8-inch thick concrete walls, south wall steel columns, slab on grade, R-40 insulation in the roof, R-20 in the walls above grade, and R-11 in the walls below grade. The 315 ft/sup 2/ of south facing windows are double or triple glazed, polystyrene beads are blown between the panes to retain the heat. In addition to the thermal mass of the building construction, 55-gal water-filled drums painted flat black store heat from sunlight entering through the south windows and skylights. Ninety sensors located around the building have indicated that the temperature fluctuates less than 4 degrees within any 24 hr period.

• OSTI ID: 5491284
• Journal Information: Earth Shelter Digest and Energy Report; (United States), Journal Name: Earth Shelter Digest and Energy Report; (United States) Vol. 1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
BEAD WALLS
BUILDING MATERIALS
BUILDINGS
CONCRETES
EARTH-COVERED BUILDINGS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
HEAT GAIN
HEAT STORAGE
HEATING
HEATING SYSTEMS
HOUSES
MATERIALS
MONITORING
OPENINGS
PASSIVE SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SPACE HEATING
STORAGE
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMAL INSULATION
THERMAL MASS
WALLS
WINDOWS