You Can Build This Energy-efficient Solar Home

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Regional designs, such as the Solar Prairie Home, allow homes to be efficient, more environmentally friendly and comfortable. NATHAN KIPNIS

Not so long ago, the best home designs in the United States were based on their local climate, crafted from materials that were nearby, and utilized time-tested building techniques. As a result, different areas of the country were known for their distinctive, regional homes.

But after World War II, cheap energy changed all that. Newly developed energy-intensive heating and cooling systems allowed designers to ignore the climate. The “International Style” of the 1950s embraced this approach: Building styles could be the same from Miami, Fla., to Wasilla, Alaska, without regard for the climate.

Of course, this way of designing is not sustainable. As energy costs rise and we make stronger efforts to reduce global warming, regionally based architecture is experiencing a renaissance. Regional designs allow homes to be efficient, more environmentally friendly and comfortable. This Solar Prairie Home, commissioned by MOTHER EARTH NEWS, is just such a design.

The traditional prairie home style has its roots in the Midwest and is easily recognized by the linear horizontal design, roof overhangs and centrally located fireplaces. This design is optimized for its climate and will perform best in the “cold” areas of the United States shown on the map in the image gallery.

One key ideal of a green home is to keep it appropriately sized. At about 2,600 square feet, this design’s efficient floor plan is convenient and feels spacious while minimizing the heated space and amount of construction materials.

With the specifications outlined below in “Slash Your Heating Bills in Half!,” this home can perform at least 50 percent better than a standard new home. These impressive energy savings come from a superinsulated shell and high-performance windows, together with optimum passive solar design and natural ventilation. Add solar thermal panels and you can cut the heating bill by a total of 75 percent!

Common-sense Design Features

The layout of the home relies on common-sense considerations of various energy aspects. For example, the kitchen is located at the northeast corner of the house — usually the coldest spot. Because the kitchen appliances produce heat, the location of the kitchen balances with the warmer rooms on the south side of the house. East-facing windows in the kitchen capture early morning light.

The family room is on the western side of the first floor. That room could heat up quickly with the setting sun shining in through the windows. So, there’s a covered porch on the west side to provide shade, as well as a convenient outdoor living space for when the weather is mild.

The long side of the house has extra-large windows and faces south, which allows heat from the low winter sun to enter. “I bet it’s a hot box in summer,” you might say. Nope, roof overhangs and awnings prevent the higher summer sun from shining in those south-facing windows. The Solar Prairie Home’s orientation and layout take advantage of the position of the sun year-round. The “living” areas of the house benefit from solar gain from the south, while the auxiliary/utility spaces are along the north. To view a nifty animation showing how the sun strikes this home throughout the year, watch the Solar Prairie Home in March, June and December.