A Retrofitted Passive Solar Home

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on March 1, 1980
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Diagram indicates new features of the retrofitted passive solar home.
Diagram indicates new features of the retrofitted passive solar home.
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LEFT: Water tubes and a masonry floor capture solar heat filtering through south-facing windows. RIGHT: Enlarged passageways permit the free flow of air and heat.
LEFT: Water tubes and a masonry floor capture solar heat filtering through south-facing windows. RIGHT: Enlarged passageways permit the free flow of air and heat.
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LEFT: The retrofitted passive solar home retains its original character and that of the surrounding neighborhood. TOP RIGHT: The vertical wall collector absorbs heat for transfer to remote rooms. BOTTOM RIGHT: Enclosed upper and lower porches increase the amount of west and south-facing window area.
LEFT: The retrofitted passive solar home retains its original character and that of the surrounding neighborhood. TOP RIGHT: The vertical wall collector absorbs heat for transfer to remote rooms. BOTTOM RIGHT: Enclosed upper and lower porches increase the amount of west and south-facing window area.

MOTHER EARTH NEWS has, over the past decade, featured a great number of sun-heated homes. And although the specific designs of the structures have varied widely, most have reflected their builders’ devotion to the passive solar concept.

Such “from the ground up” planning can, as we’ve seen, result in both efficient and beautiful dwellings. Many folks, however, already own conventional homes, and given the state of the economy won’t be likely to build new structures in the near future . . . although the same people may often wish that they could make their present houses more energy self-sufficient.

Well, here’s the story of a conventional home that provides proof positive a retrofitted passive solar home can be functional and strikingly attractive. But the dwelling — which is located in Asheville, North Carolina — hasn’t always been such a treat to the eyes. In fact just a short year ago the building was in such a state of disrepair that it was on the brink of being condemned.

Fortunately, two fellows named Roger Sherman and Laurence Doxsey snatched the old place from the clutches of the city inspectors in the spring of 1979 for a mere $4,000. And better yet, the rescuers immediately set to work outlining a design program to transform the dilapidated home into an efficient solar structure that would blend in with the rest of the neighborhood (an area that has been designated as a National Historical Preservation District).

A Reborn Building

A major part of the dwelling’s “solarification” was accomplished by rebuilding — and enclosing — the home’s upper and lower porches, which had been almost completely lost to decay. Roger and Laurence decided to use small thermopane windows, installed in “recycled” room dividers, to form the south glazing on the reconstructed sun rooms. (The choice of small windows, rather than large panes, helped the remodeled building fit in with its “classic” neighbors.)

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