2008 SUNDAY HOMES.

Home A - Shady Side, Maryland

Features: pv, passive solar, low emissiviy windows, superinsulation, solar hot watercomposting toilet, solar cooker, wood cooking stove, Sun Frost refrigerator, pellet stove backup

This Shady Side home is an ongoing experiment in living lightly or sustainably on the earth. It is intended to have no negative impact on the earth making it possible for the owners to live close to and learn from nature. The owners have installed additional insulation, low emissivity windows, and they have a wood pellet stove, a solar cooker, nesting osprey, an organic vegetable garden, composting bins, a composting toilet, passive solar heating and cooling, photovoltaic power, and a wood cooking stove. More important than the parts is the way they are integrated into a whole and the management practices which make it all work to create significant energy savings. The owner and designer of the home, has 30 years of experience in solar design, is happy to talk to others regarding their own solar plans, and will make his library available to visitors on the day of the tour.

Home B - Harwood, Maryland

Features: pv, solar water pumps, community supported agriculture

Being at the end of the utility line, quality of service from the grid for these homeowners has been unsatisfactory, and prompted them to install a 2.4 kW PV system consisting of 120 W Kyocera ground-mounted panels, and Advanced Energy Multimode inverter, and a bank of batteries for backup power. This is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) working farm which is adjacent to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The farm utilizes solar energy to power several water pumps.

Home C - Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Features: pv, solar water heating, geothermal heating/cooling

This 80-year old country house was retrofit with strawbales for energy efficiency and aesthetic change. New windows and a continuous EPS insulated roof were installed. The toilet was replaced with a composting model. An addition to the house has a rubble trench, local stone and recycled brick foundation, timber frame sawn from surplus trees, 14’ north strawbale wall attached to an internal pole frame, adobe stucco, light-clay infill in South and East walls that allows timbers to remain exposed inside and out, infill kept in place with home made wooden lath, lath covered with adobe plaster, white-washed walls, recycled materials, hand-made tiles, and clay slip finishes. Outdoor earth baking oven.

Home D - Hyattsville, Maryland

Features: passive solar, double insulated windows, low-flow plumbing fixtures, low-voltage lighting

New second floor addition features Passive Solar design with optimized south roof overhangs for maximum winter solar heat gain and minimum summer solar gain. Natural ventilation, insulated windows, Advanced framing system with 2x6 exterior wall framing set 24 inches apart; dual-zoned high efficiency heating; flourescent lighting, low flow plumbing fixtures.

Home E - Takoma Park, Maryland

Features: pv, solar hot water, daylighting, insulated panels, corn pellet stove, energy efficient appliances, recycled/salvaged building materials, dual-flush toilets, green roof, rain garden, low-voltage lighting

Energy conscious renovation of a 1940s 1,200 sf. ft. Cape Cod. Energy-efficiency features include: natural ventilation and daylighting, and ceiling fans and efficient lighting throughout; Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) construction; supplemental insulation of existing walls; and TOFU insulation (soy-based spray foam) of 2x6 construction for some new walls, old roof and foundation; 823 sq ft of large and small green roof; high efficient AC and heat (21 SEER heat pump) with energy recovery ventilator (ERV); small electric radiant floor heating, all used only as supplement to corn stove for heat; and low-impact cooling strategies.

Renewable energy features include: passive solar design, sustainable corn pellet stove providing 90-95% of heating, 3 kW photovoltaic panels (grid-tied) providing about 75% of electricity, evacuated tube solar hot water system with PV pump (providing about 80%) and electric backup. Solar PV stats (based on a couple months of data during Spring months) shows average 300 kWh/month and solar hot water tank regularly holds 55 gallons of 120-140 degree water.

Other green building, materials and site features include: Old building materials donated to and others purchased from Community Forklift. FSC, local and borate pressure-treated lumber and natural finishes; non-toxic paints, tile and wood sealants; recycled tiles and countertops; salvaged wood flooring and doors; surplus, energy-efficient windows (no vinyl); reused ceiling fans, lighting fixtures and sinks; Interface Flor and cradle-to-cradle carpet tiles; extensive construction recycling; fiber cement siding and trim; recycled rubber shingles; metal roof and gutters and rain barrels for water conservation; low-flow and dual-flush toilets, water-efficient washer, clothes line. Minimal lawn, vegetable gardens, native landscaping, including swales and rain gardens. Reused brick and salvage countertop pieces path ways. Recycled glass and porcelain ground cover. Shower, tub and sink water reused for laundry, toilets and indoor and outdoor watering.

Home F - Takoma Park, Maryland

Features: passive solar, advanced insulation, water and energy efficiency

This home won the American Institute of Architects (AIA) award for design and incorporates a host of passive solar features. Built in the historic district of Takoma Park, 70% of the windows are south-facing, high-efficiency glass and provide direct gain to help heat the home. Air lock entries minimize infiltration, and skylights provide daylighting. Additionally, low-voltage electric light bulbs are used rather than incandescent bulbs. Awnings, overhangs, and protective vegetation shelter the home from summertime overheating. 6” fiberglass plus 2 inches of Styrofoam insulate the walls and floor to R-30 and the ceiling to R-40, while insulating shades (R-11) cut down on energy loss through the windows. The automatic setback thermostat on the gas forced-air backup heating system assists in the overall savings of 75% on energy. Other energy-saving measures include a high-efficiency refrigerator and low-flow shower head, toilet tank, and sink aerators.

Home G - Takoma Park, Maryland

Features: pv, passive solar, straw bale, salvaged materials

This home is highly energy, cost and resource efficient (both the building and living in), as well as nurturing and healthful. Come see the simplicity, beauty and pleasure of natural building as well as many Green/sustainable technologies, including living roofs, biodiesel-fueled radiant floor heat (and a hand pump to fill our diesel cars!), and a corn stove. Also included is an extensive storm water management plan, gracefully integrated into a beautiful garden (includes a retention pond, overflowing into a bog, with a rain garden around the corner, ending with pervious pavers on our driveway).

Home H - Takoma Park, Maryland

Features: pv, solar hot water, corn-burning stove, hybrid car

To combat the threat of global warming, Mike Tidwell, founder and director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, converted his suburban Maryland home almost entirely to clean, renewable energy. He cut his household CO2 emissions a whopping 90% at a cost of only a dollar per day.

He has a solar hot-water collector and a 1.5 kW PV system on the southeast-facing back room. He gets 60-70% of his hot water from the sun and, thanks to conservation and energy-efficient appliances, about 70% of his electricity from the sun. He heats the home with a CO2-neutral corn-burning stove. The corn emits no more CO2 than it absorbed from the atmosphere while growing. Corn is cheaper than natural gas and he saves about $200 per winter with the stove. Using a $7,500 home equity loan and a $3,600 grant from Maryland he was able to buy the corn stove, the solar hot water system [used], a high-efficiency refrigerator, and 20 compact fluorescent light bulbs. For more info email Jay@chesapeakeclimate.org.

Home I - NW, Washington DC

Features: pv roofing slates, net metering, solar hot water, tankless instant hot water boiler, high-efficiency heat pumps/ac, composting, rain barrel water collection

The homeowners replaced their existing south-facing front slate roof with a building-integrated photovoltaic system consisting of 428 SunSlates manufactured by Atlantis Energy Systems in the United States, which are capable of producing 6.2 kW of DC power in full sunlight. The SunSlates use six photovoltaic cells mounted on a grey substrate covering half of a traditional roofing cement slate material, and the roofing slates are laid out in an alternating pattern creating an appearance similar to a traditional slate roof. The system is “grid-connected” and takes advantage of the District of Columbia’s net metering. A Fat Spaniel monitoring system constantly measures and displays on the internet system performance in the form of daily graphs of voltage, current, and wattage produced by the system. The homeowners also installed a Dawn Solar hot water collection system underneath the photovoltaic SunSlate roof, which collects the residual heat from the solar roof for domestic hot water; the cooling effect of this system improves the efficiency of both the photovoltaic cells and the air conditioning for the upper levels of the house. The homeowners practice other environmentally friendly behaviors (organic gardening/lawn maintenance, composting, upgrading to energy efficient appliances, and installing compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout the home), as well as driving a Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle and no longer commuting to offices outside their home.

SYSTEM OFFSETS
The system is expected to save about 20,000 lbs of CO2, 169 lbs of SO2, and 32 lbs of NOx per year.

Home J - Arlington, Virginia

Features: pv, rainbarrel, solar oven, recycled blue jean insulation, electric lawn mower, line dry laundry

Two-story 85 year old home with 2.6 kW SunPower PV grid tie solar electric system generating approximately 2,200 kWh per year. This system supplies 50-80% of the monthly electrical use. System installed by www.standardsolar.com. Compact flourescent bulbs and Energy Star appliances throughout. A small PV system powers cell phone and power tools. 3 Rain barrels help water the garden and recycled blue jean insulation keeps the house warm in winter. Electric bicycle with trailer. Dual-flush toilet. Breezecatcher clothes dryer in back yard. We have been cooking with our solar oven for three years, which will have warm brownies ready for visitors. Solar video and books available for review. Details of the home can be found at www.DanRedmond.com, click on Solar Power.

Home K - Arlington, Virginia

Features: pv, passive solar, battery backup, wind turbine, hydrogen fuel celler heating

This 1920’s Sears kit home was re-retrofited in 1993 to incorporate several solar features including solar water heating and a 1.5 kW photovoltaics system on both roofs charges a large 24 gel cell battery bank. A rear sunroom adds passive solar heating. A freestanding solar greenhouse is heated by ground-mounted solar panels. The homeowners have also added .5 kW of new solar electric peel and stick PV roofing shingles on the metal roof on the front porch and a solar attic vent fan. Behind the house, 1 kW of solar electric roofing shingles on the small office building along with a .5 kW small wind turbine and a 5 kW hydrogen fuel cell for back up power. The office building has an efficient ductless heat pump and incorporates CFLs and bundled LED lighting and a solar light tube.

Home L - Arlington, Virginia

Features: pv, solar water heating, solar oven, greenhouse

Energy is a topic of major emphasis at Potomac Overlook Regional Park. A program about solar (and other renewable) energy is presented to adults and children age 8 and older. A solar oven and a PV unit are also occasionally set up for public demonstration and used in other programs as well. A 1 kW PV system is located at the park stage. It is “grid-intertied” and provides about 15% of the electrical needs of the park nature center. The Park manager’s house has a solar water heater which is clearly visible from the park road near the nature center. A greenhouse, situated in the Park’s educational gardens, is equipped with a solar exhaust fan (in addition to its inherent function as a passive solar feature). Finally, there is a small display about solar energy in the nature center. A handout about the role of the sun in life and for human energy production is available for Park visitors. The Park also recycles yard waste by composting it into fertile soil.

Home M - McLean, Virginia

Features: pv, solar air heater, clothesline, skylight, efficient appliances and lighting, rainwater collection, organic garden composting

The home has a 1.6 kW grid-tied Sharp PV system, mounted on a southwest-facing roof. From installation of the net meter in March 2007 to March 2008 the PV system generated 50 more kilowatt-hours than was used. The home also has a solar air heater with integrated solar-powered fan, a solar-powered attic fan, a Solatube skylight, a mini-split ductless air conditioner, and a solar oven, which is used on sunny days all year. The homeowner made organic cotton and wool window quilts, mattress pads, and bed quilts. Energy efficient kitchen, including Fisher-Paykel dishdrawer dishwasher, Vent-A-Hood range hood and Peerless Premier gas range. No garbage disposal--kitchen scraps are composted. 100% compact fluorescent or LED lighting. Blown-in cellulose insulation in attic. Large organic fruit and vegetable garden with extensive composting and mulching using free materials, including kitchen and garden waste, Starbuck’s coffee grounds, neighbors’ yard waste, sawdust from a wood shop, and wood chips from a tree company. Rainwater harvesting system, including underground drip irrigation system and rain barrel. Electric and push lawn mowers.

Home N - McLean, Virginia

Features: pv, battery backup, rain capture, battery-powered lawnmower

While there are several hundred watts of power available for several hours a day to replace grid electric power, the primary purpose of the solar panel system is to keep a large battery bank charged for emergencies. We often find our street without power thanks to fallen branches or open distribution breakers, but we always have with plenty of power, enough for up to several weeks if needed. Nine circuits of the house are backed-up using this system, which is tied in to a 6.5 kW generator that recharges the batteries if needed. The generator will soon be powered by natural gas rather than gasoline. The battery-powered lawnmower is recharged by the solar panel battery system, as well. The water system takes rain water from the roof and stores it in a large tank that can then be used to water the lawn when there has been a lack of rain. 1600 gallons is enough to water the bushes a number of times, and provide a good root soak for the oak trees at least once. One good rainstorm fills the water tank. The office building has an efficient ductless heat pump and incorporates CFLs and bundled LED lighting and a solar light tube.

Home O - Bethesda, Maryland

Features: pv, solar hot water and heat, net metering, superinsulation, solar cooker, efficient furnace

Built in 1943, this Colonial features the latest in solar technologies including 1.6 kW of amorphous silicon, 48 BP Solar Millennia modules, monitored and net metered into Pepco’s grid, a small emergency electrical power system, a solar thermal system that includes hot water pre-heating and radiant floor heating and two fan convectors for space heating new additions. The ceiling in the new shed dormer home is insulated with lycnene foam. Various other energy efficiency options, Rudd 90%+ efficient gas furnace, and an assortment of PV modules on display such as ASE Americas, BP Solar, Shell Solar, GE Solar, including reflective roof coating LoMit1. There will be solar cookers on display cooking hot dogs and/or corn on the cob depending upon weather.

Home P - Laurel, Maryland

Features: solar hot water, solar tube lighting, energy efficient applicances

The homeowners are reducing dependency on fossil fuels while maintaining modern conveniences. We have installed a 32 sq. ft. array of solar panel manufactured by Heliodyne that charges a 80 Gallon thermal storage tank with back up electrical water heater with heat exchanger. The solar domestic water heating system, provides 70% of the family’s domestic hot water requirements to minimize the use of the electric backup water heating element. Two Solar tube lights provide as much light as you would expect from a skylight many times its size reducing use of daytime electricity. New HVAC and kitchen appliances are designated as energy star. Added attic insulation provides reduces energy loss.

Home Q - Springfield, Virginia

Features: pv

This home is a split-level single family home, in a beautiful neighborhood of Springfield. It has approximately 2000 sq. ft. of living space and a perfectly oriented south facing roof where the PV panels have been installed.

Home R - Burke, Virginia

Features: pv

This home is a beautiful colonial style single family home, in a peaceful neighborhood of Burke. It has approximately 2500 sq. ft. of living space and a perfectly oriented south facing roof where the PV panels have been installed.

Home S - Leesburg, Virginia

Feaures: pv, foam insulation, energy-efficient lighting, solar-powered outdoor lights, air lock entry, retractable awning, planned features, passive solar sun space, geothermal ground source HVAC

We have taken a stock 6,600 sq. ft., center stairway, Virginia colonial house and are in the process of retrofitting it to be more efficient. So far we have installed a 3.5 kW net metered PV, replaced 62 ceiling can lights with energy-efficient CF light bulbs, added two airlock entries, ceiling fans in the bedrooms and family room and closed cell foam insulation. The electric usage was over 1,800 kWh per month before we moved in and now we average less than 300. June 2008 bill included a credit of 6 kWh. New HVAC and kitchen appliances are designated as energy star. Added attic insulation provides reduces energy loss.

Home T - Lovettsville, Virginia

Features: passive solar, active solar, efficient appliances, super insulation, geothermal, heating/cooling, environmentally friendly, construction materials

“EcoVillage of Loudoun County VA is a tangible symbol of the three essential elements of sustainable development: A cooperative social structure, a positive effect on the environment, and careful design. It establishes a new benchmark for community living....” Harry T. Gordon, FAIA – Burt Hill Kosar Rittleman Architects, Washington, DC. Homes are clustered to preserve more of the 90-acre site. The homes feature energy-efficient designs using passive solar, active solar, geothermal heating and cooling and many Green building materials. With convenient commuter rail access, the organically managed site emphasizes a kid-friendly pedestrian infrastructure that is integrated with nature.

Homes U, V, & W will be up soon. Webmaster is out to Lunch