Features of a Full Solar Home.

If this is a Full Solar home, where’s the solar?

So where’s all the solar?

Important Features of a Full Solar Home. How many times have you heard that your home is your biggest investment? For most people, it’s true. And as you see from our interactive calculator, a Full Solar Home is the best investment by far Since you plan to live in the future, it’s wise not to choose a home designed for the past. Here are a few features that will contribute to your comfort, safety, and enjoyment in the future. Climate Control for a changing climate. This starts with a sealed attic (see the Design page) and proper insulation, including double-glazed insulated windows (impact-rated in some areas). This makes it easy and energy-efficient to maintain pleasant temperatures and humidity in your home over a wide range of conditions in the outside world. With a modern HVAC system, outside air entering the home can be microfiltered against particulates and allergens, UV-sterilized, and humidified/dehumidified as well as temperature-controlled. Modern systems with inverter drive compressors and variable speed fans maintain temperatures more precisely — and much more quietly — than the typical system that waits until you are too warm or cold before it whooshes on for a while. A range hood that vents to outdoors. No explanation needed, but not all of them do that. A heat pump waterheater is three times as efficient as a typical electric waterheater. The modest cost difference is no excuse for not having one. Metalclad wiring. This is not the expensive metal conduit you pull wires through, but a group of wires inside a flexible gooseneck tube of aluminum or galvanized steel, called armored, metal-clad or MC. Steel MC reduces EMI (electromagnetic interference) by 95%, and many claim they sleep better in homes with MC wiring. From our perspective, the cost of MC is close to the cost of the separate wires inside, and can save you a lot of time (money) on wiring. With a proper plan (hint!) precut and labeled lengths can make wiring the home easy, saving not only wiring time but time wasted waiting for electricians. MC connects to boxes with simple fittings. MC comes in all combinations of wire gauge and numbers of solid or stranded conductors needed for any home. Roof decking material (and exterior sheath if it is frame construction). Don’t accept plywood or OSB for the roof. These materials are commonly used because they are cheap and theoretically good enough. In real life they often get wet before the roofing is installed. They are subject to rot and mold. Pay a little extra for a product like ZIP board or Advantek (both from Huber huberwood.com ). They are much stronger than plywood and so impervious they are guaranteed for 6 months directly in weather. (Huber does not know us and we do not seek or accept compensation for recommending products).

PEX plumbing. Cross-linked polyethylene tubes, known as PEX (or XPE or XLPE) have been standard in Europe for 40 years and are increasingly popular in the U.S. We recommend PEX because it is fast and easy to install, and eliminates couplings and joints (potential leaks) in your attic and walls. With a manifold as shown you can to turn off the water to any tube, and use a continuous length from the manifold to each fixture. Again, with a proper plan, precut and labeled lengths save even more time on installation. PEX-type tubes use simple fittings that attach fast and reliably. Much cheaper than copper, more reliable and easier than rigid PVC plumbing (and overall cheaper), you can save even more time in construction not waiting around for plumbers. And what about some fun? A media wall. It is amazing how many homes, new and old, don’t have a simple 12-foot wide wall in any living area. In a couple of years 100-inch flatscreens will be cheaper than 65-inchers today. Where can you put it? Today you can get a small 4K projector that can hang from the ceiling or under your coffee table and fill a 12-foot or wider wall with movies, sports or whatever you like, for less than the price of a large flatscreen. This is a stunning new dimension in home entertainment, yet most homes can’t take advantage of it. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a projection screen. Any white-ish or light colored wall with flat interior paint will do. When you turn off the video, it’s just a wall. Turn it on and it’s a whole new world. Hey, it’s the future, right?

PEX plumbing. Cross-linked polyethylene tubes, known as PEX (or XPE or XLPE) have been standard in Europe for 40 years and are increasingly popular in the U.S. We recommend PEX because it is fast and easy to install, and eliminates couplings and joints (potential leaks) in your attic and walls. With a manifold as shown you can to turn off the water to any tube, and use a continuous length from the manifold to each fixture. Again, with a proper plan, precut and labeled lengths save even more time on installation. PEX-type tubes use simple fittings that attach fast and reliably. Much cheaper than copper, more reliable and easier than rigid PVC plumbing (and overall cheaper), you can save even more time in construction not waiting around for plumbers. And what about some fun? A media wall. It is amazing how many homes, new and old, don’t have a simple 12-foot wide wall in any living area. In a couple of years 100-inch flatscreens will be cheaper than 65-inchers today. Where can you put it? Today you can get a small 4K projector that can hang from the ceiling or under your coffee table and fill a 12-foot wall with movies, sports or whatever you like, for less than the price of a large flatscreen. This is a stunning new dimension in home entertainment, yet most homes can’t take advantage of it. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a projection screen. Any white-ish or light colored wall with flat interior paint will do. When you turn off the video, it’s just a wall. Turn it on and it’s a whole new world. Hey, it’s the future, right?

Important Features of a Full Solar Home. How many times have you heard that your home is your biggest investment? For most people, it’s true. And as you see from our interactive calculator, a Full Solar Home is the best investment by far Since you plan to live in the future, it’s wise not to choose a home designed for the past. Here are a few features that will contribute to your comfort, safety, and enjoyment in the future. Climate Control for a changing climate. This starts with a sealed attic (see Design page) and proper insulation, including double-glazed insulated windows (impact-rated in some areas). This makes it easy and energy-efficient to maintain pleasant temperatures and humidity in your home over a wide range of conditions in the outside world. With a modern HVAC system, outside air entering the home can be microfiltered against particulates and allergens, UV-sterilized, and humidified/dehumidified as well as temperature-controlled. Modern systems with inverter drive compressors and variable speed fans maintain temperatures more precisely — and much more quietly — than the typical system that waits until you are too warm or cold before it whooshes on for a while. A range hood that vents to outdoors. No explanation needed, but not all of them do that. A heat pump waterheater is three times as efficient as a typical electric waterheater. The modest cost difference is no excuse for not having one. Metalclad wiring. This is not the expensive metal conduit you pull wires through, but a group of wires inside a flexible gooseneck tube of aluminum or galvanized steel, called armored, metal-clad or MC. Steel MC reduces EMI (electromagnetic interference) by 95%, and many claim they sleep better in homes with MC wiring. From our perspective, the cost of MC is close to the cost of the separate wires inside, and can save you a lot of time (money) on wiring. With a proper plan (hint!) precut and labeled lengths can make wiring the home easy, saving not only wiring time but time wasted waiting for electricians. MC connects to boxes with simple fittings. MC comes in all combinations of wire gauge and numbers of solid or stranded conductors needed for any home.