Building an Energy-Efficient Home

Make passive energy work for your home by applying these sustainable design principles.

By Morgan Caraway
Updated on January 6, 2023
article image
by Morgan Caraway

What is passive solar energy, and how can passive solar be incorporated into energy efficient home designs? A natural builder shares tips on building an energy-efficient home.

To me, the art of permaculture is putting resources where they can do the most good with the least amount of effort. By building with conscious design principles, we can create homes that are aligned with natural forces and that will keep their inhabitants cozy year-round with very little energy. One of these ways is through harnessing passive solar energy — heat from the sun, which is stored in thermal mass (heat-absorbing building materials such as tile, brick, or concrete) and then used to passively warm or cool the building.

My wife, Mary Jane, and I built an Earthship-inspired earthbag house beginning in 2016. It gives us free heat on sunny winter days and keeps us relatively cool and dry in summertime, all without grid power and central air or heat. This summer, we installed a window AC unit, and we run it on drying mode to keep our humidity low and the mold out. What we’ve found is that, because of all the thermal mass in our home, it needs much less power to stay cool. The window unit, which was made for an area of 450 square feet or less, keeps our 1,000-square-foot house as cool as a cucumber, even on the hottest days.

Interior of the earthbag airship house, focused on the kitchen.

That’s what prompts me to share these conscious design principles and their benefits with others. It’s unlikely the solution to humanity’s problems will come from “out there”; instead, it’s up to us to make the needed changes. The ball is in the court of those of us who value nature and a livable planet. That’s what drove me to start radically changing my life in 2007, and it’s what motivates me to this day. Humanity is capable of great intelligence and change; we just have to become aware of the necessity of eco-friendly design. If architects can incorporate these ideas into their buildings, homeowners and businesses will benefit from passive solar and thermal mass even if they have no idea what they are.

Sustainable Design Principles

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368