more information on solar homes
Robert and Amy Appleton
Hello, I'm interested in building a solar home from the ground up. My
wife and I are currently looking into options in this area of design.
Please any input or ideas would be appreciated.
Robert and Amy Appleton
Philip Kabza
I've designed and built a dozen or so over the last 15 years and they
work just fine, even in cloudy Michigan. But I don't think they
qualify as great architecture. A couple maybe qualify for decent
architecture. If you're going to build a house and hope it will turn
into a home for your family, don't put more concern into how you will
heat it than you do into its beauty and utility in your every day
lives.
Something about solar energy turns folks on and causes them to forget
all the other aspects that we should remember in designing a home. I
know; I've done it. And I learned that a little subtle use of
passive solar elements, some good work in insulating, and some clever
assist by small heating units or fans, can go a long ways. Acres of
glass, Trombe walls, water barrels, rock bins, etc. belong in
laboratories.
End of sermon. There's loads of good literature out there about the
technical aspects of solar building. I think Rick Schowolsky's book
(can't remember the title --published in about 1983) is outstanding,
but there are plenty in the library. While you are at it, locate some
general books on home planning. Terence Conran's books may have some
ideas for you. Christopher Alexander's work speaks to some people,
including myself. Gather visual ideas. Fantasize. Get your kids to
help. Go camp on your site. Then worry about how to heat it.
Best of luck.
Philip Kabza CSI AIA
Progressive Architecture Engineering Planning
Grand Rapids Michigan USA
kab...@progressiveae.com
Lee Porter Butler
Robert and Amy Appleton wrote:
>
> Hello, I'm interested in building a solar home from the ground up. My
> wife and I are currently looking into options in this area of design.
> Please any input or ideas would be appreciated.
>
> Robert and Amy Appleton
Ekotecture International Incorporated
Ekotecture International is a Florida corporation, chartered for the
purpose of licensing and franchising individuals, corporations,
partnerships, trusts and foundations to design, build, manufacture
install and maintain integrated natural energy environments which are
powered by the universal energies of gravity, solar and geothermal
inertia, evaporation & condensation& phase change.
Integrated natural energy environments or Ekospheres™ are defined as
self-contained, self-sufficient, solar gravity geothermal powered,
non-polluting, structurally integrated, super strength, lightweight
molded structures which float, enabling them to resist damage from
earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes or tidal waves. They
provide lights, gas, water and food, required or desired by the
occupants of the structure.
Mission Statement
€ Promote World Peace through the international economic
interdependence of construction coalitions and utility management
cartels. € Make the world a better place to live by enrlling humanity
into supporting environmental friendly construction. € Prove our love
and respect for humanity by dedicating ourselves to education
concerning the conservation of our natural resources
Vision Statement
€ Before the year 2006, Ekotecture International will have become the
largest construction coalition and utility management cartel in the
world. € We will be respected by our peers for the devlopment and
delivery of environmentally friendly construction. € We will be sought
after as a leader in the international business community because of
our innovative and creative marketing of premier Ekotecture
technology. € We will be the catalyst for world wide utility
management which conserves our earthąs natural resources.
A History of Ekoseąa and Ekotecture
In 1979, with the assistance of architect William Pearson and the
Ekoseąa™ San Francisco staff of architects and environmental designers
, we wrote and published the book, Ekoseąa Homes ©1979, describing the
plans and details of the solar, gravity convection, geothermal
envelope for single family homes which could be designed for all
micro-climates, worldwide. Between November 1979 and April 1980, the
Ekoseąa office received as many as one thousand requests for
information daily, from people who had been exposed to the Ekoseąa
concept and examples of the homes through magazines, newspapers and
television programs world wide.
The energy shortage and gasoline crisis in 1975 activated the mass
media, attention, who by 1980 were putting alternative energy designs
and inventors on the cover of every national magazine. Fortunately,
for Ekoseąa™, this positive publicity created a public demand for our
publications and professional services. Between 1979 and 1981, this
publicity drove the sales of more than 45,000 buyers to purchase our
book and 15,000 purchased construction documents, specifications and
limited supervision. From this activity and later follow up studies,
we now estimate that there are approximately 20,000 occupied Ekoseąa™
double envelope homes worldwide.
The superior comfort and health standards , interior air quality and
thermal performance is now well known after fourteen years of history
by satisfied owners. The houses have been monitored and documented by
universities, national laboratories and individual owner builder
experimenters all over the world. In 1981, DOE sponsored a monitoring
& study of an Ekoseąa home built in 1980, near Newport, Rhode Island.
The study was supervised by the Brookhaven National Laboratoryąs
architect, Ralph Jones. They concluded that, łthe double envelope
concept was distinguished in that it allowed for large amounts of
glass necessary for light and views without requiring additional
energy. They went on to add, ł that it was the only design they had
ever tested which could survive a severe northern winter, unattended
without damage to the interior from freezing.
The Ekoseąa double envelope design provided unexpected surprises and
health benefits whenever the south facing solarium was used as a
greenhouse garden room. When filled with plants, the envelope air
provides an natural electrostatic air ionizing and filtering system.
The Ekoseąa™ homes provide an ideal living space, as they have the
potential of being filled with beautiful colored flowers, delightful
aromas, and green foliage plants which produce oxygen from converted
carbon dioxide.
Fast forward 15 years.
In 1991, in the book, Earth in the Balance Albert Gore predicts a
global civil war, between the haves and the have nots, resulting from
the finite limitations of our present energy technologies and the
resources they demand to supply the projected global demand into the
next century. He calls for the łnew organizing principle˛ of
civilization to be the search for human life support systems which can
be sustained indefinitely and he makes a passionate plea for America
to use itąs technological superiority and ingenuity to lead the world
in this critical mission.
In 1993, responding to growing interest and awareness of architects of
this crisis, the American Institute of Architects and the
International Congress of Architects choose łsustainable
development˛as the theme of their annual convention They called for
solutions to sustainable development in an international competition
to be judged at the time of the annual AIA convention. There has been
so much controversy surrounding the subject of defining łsustainable
development˛ that the judging was delayed and they have yet to
circulate the results as promised.
In 1994. President Clinton appointed a panel of national business,
scientific and political leaders to the National Commission on
sustainable Development. After more than two years of controversy and
endless meetings, it has become obvious that none of these committee
members could agree on what sustainable development actually consists
of. They have yet to come to terms with the jargon and the definition
of sustainability.
In 1995, responding to the growing perception within the engineering
professions that finding a solution to this
economic-scientific-environmental global crisis must now receive the
highest priority, the Provost of MIT, the worldąs leading
technological research institution asked the head of itąs Civil
Engineering Department, Professor David Marks, to step down and direct
an interdisciplinary team to find sustainable solutions. They created
the Program for Environmental Engineering, Education and Research
which will be known as PEEER. MIT then joined the University of Tokyo
and the Federated Universities of Switzerland to form the The
International Alliance for Global Sustainability. The first conference
was held recently in Peking China.
The question being asked by all of these chief executives,
commissioners, scientists and construction professionals alike is;
Which sustainable alternative, pollution free technologies can satisfy
the present global demand for energy, comfort and conveniences without
sacrificing our future security or compromising our future ability to
provide these luxuries and necessities to all who will want and need
them, into and beyond the next century?
In 1995, fifteen years since the initial success of the Ekoseąa Homes,
I have continued to research and have invented, developed and refined
an expanded concept which I call a łsustainable construction
structure˛ ( patent pending, 1995 ) or Ekotecture©™ or Ekospheres™,
featuring a radically improved gravity, solar, geothermal envelope
with multiple air passages which can control the temperature and
humidity of each room individually, using either manual or computer
controlled air flow dampers and as further described below.
In inventing the word Ekotecture©™, I am proposing that humanity
needs to become familiar with a a new household term, Ekotecture©™,
an entirely new discipline or field of study which is defined as the
łart and science of designing and building affordable, aesthetically
pleasing, environmentally and economically sustainable structures
which protect human life, nature and material property during
catastrophic natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods,
hurricanes and tornadoes. This new subject would be known as
Ekotecture©™.
Ekotecture©™ which we plan to manufacture is further defined as an
injection molded, super lightweight masonry & ceramic parts of
structures , including a floating foundation for the building above
which contains the required equipment, tanks and on board computers
necessary to regulate and maintain the required utility service for
the building. These structural modules, could be used individually to
create homes or grouped together to create large buildings.
The result is a lightweight, fireproof, insect resistant, floating
material which resists heat and moisture transfer. It can be easily
cut and sawn by ordinary carpenters, using ordinary tools.
This structure and floating foundation provide a framework around
which owners, real estate developers, designers, architects, engineers
and contractors have wide latitude to create the exterior style and
finish of the building, according to the individual tastes,
preferences and needs of each client, site or situation.
Ekospheres©™ are space frames, taking advantage of the geodesic and
egg shaped geometric & crystalline synergies of crystals and minimum
use of materials. In the finished architecture, the Ekotecture
infrastructure is invisible to the observer and in no way limits the
style, character or building function.
The base is comprised of a series of interconnected interlocking
crystaline shaped tanks and equipment compartments, for the regulation
and processing of the passive solid state systems. These systems
provide perfectly mineralized domestic water, electric power, natural
gas for cooking & ceramic fireplaces or ceremonial flames. They
provide landscape fertilizer and water and they provide enclosed space
heating,cooling and refrigeration. All of this is surrounded, of
course by a series of airways cast in the molded frame. Some of the
crystaline compartments will be filled with air for floatation.
These voids, the gravity solar geothermal convection envelopes conduct
heating and cooling air , other voids provide spaces for pipes,
telephone and shielded cables. The main household or building
electrical current is conducted through a doped portion of the wall
itself. Outlets simply connect to the positive and the negative
channels to provide 12 direct current current anywhere in the
structure, without generating harmful alternating currents that can
kill.
The quality of air inside envelope structures has already been
observed, experienced and documented. A superior level of both comfort
and health is being testified to by owners who have lived in the homes
for more than 12 years. Testimony from Ekoseąa clients claim that
allergies and other respiratory diseases such as colds and flu
disappeared when the individual occupied an envelope home filled with
plants.
Our intention is to organize and create a global cartel of individual
real estate developers, contractors and manufacturers, all organized
and relating to a single data base and internal business economy or
accounting system. Ekotecture International Incorporated will
manufacture, install and deliver the floating biospheres or
Ekospheres™. A subsidiary company of Ekotecture, Mothers of
Maintenance or MOM™ incorporated will be organized to maintain the
utility systems on board. Stock in both Ekotecture and MOM will be
sold to the owners of the present energy and utility cartels and
companies. Both companies will be employee owned and employee managed.
We see the prototype development taking place in partnership with
major universities. We have initiated discussion at MIT , RISD., U of
Oregon, U of Glasgow. The programs would be funded by DOE, DOD, EPA
and HEW. We believe that it is logical to use the retired DOD ship and
submarine building facilities in cities like Charleston and others.
The existing hydraulics and construction bays would save millions in
the initial start up costs. Start up capital is being solicited from
venture capitalists and the corporation plans to make application for
funding through the Advanced Technology Program, recently created by
the administration of Clinton and Gore.
The initial prototypes are as follows;
(1) A 2000 sq. ft. single family detached home designed for the gated
country club developments South Florida.
(2) A 1500 sq. ft. middle income tract home in Southern California or
Nevada
(3) A 400 Sq. ft. Basic shelter for the undeveloped world market,
Chine, India and Africa.
(4) A 2000 sq. ft. floating home and garden with swimming pool
All four prototypes will be manufactured simultaneously.
The Ekotecture concept will create millions of jobs world wide and
will stimulate the economy of the United states and every other
country which participates in its manufacture or maintenance. By
creating a win, win, win scenario, all intelligent and motivated
people will choose to get involved , making Ekotecture a global
solution within the next 5 years.
Your support and participation is invited, appreciated and vital.
Ekotecture International Inc.
620 Biscayne Drive
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
or by Fax (407) 833-6834
telephone (407) 659-7656
or Email, lbutler@.emi.net
You can see the home page for ekosea homes at www.webcast1.com/ekosea
Nick Pine
There are two articles about double envelope houses in Rodale's New Shelter
magazine, of September, 1980, which says "Hard data on double-shell homes"
on the cover.
The first article is "Double Shell Houses," subtitled "Finally, some facts,"
on pp 72-82, in which Larry Stains says:
A promotional brochure for Ekose'a, a San Francisco firm that sells double
shell house plans, says its homes "prove it is practical to design and build
a structure which maintains any desired range of temperatures through any
range of climatic conditions at any place on the earth [above the arctic
circle in wintertime, with no sun at all for 6 months? --Nick] without the
necessity of mechanical, electrical or fossil fuel back-up systems."
That's a mighty big claim...
Last winter, two double shell houses were monitored by researchers.
Their findings indicate:
1) The houses _did_ depend on auxiliary heat; thus the design is not
a guarantee of energy self-sufficiency.
2) No way does the earth underneath the house store the majority of
the solar heat collected in the greenhouse.
Don't misunderstand. Double shell houses are good houses that use a fraction
of the energy consumed by conventional designs. But the double shell design
should be understood for what it is, not for what it is cracked up to be.
So, for the facts, let's examine two homes...
A detailed record of temperatures in the Burns house from mid-October to
early February was compiled... then studied by three Boston-area solar
engineers... The monitoring equipment consisted of temperature sensors
at some 30 points throughout the house, and a data logger to keep track
of it all. The findings are revealing. For one thing, temperatures in the
living room sometimes fluctuated from the mid 70s on a sunny afternoon to
the mid 50s by dawn, when it was 0 F outside...
Another double shell given close scrutiny last winter was Robert and
Elizabeth Mastin's house in Middletown, Rhode Island... Last January
the house was monitored for 12 days by scientists from Brookhaven
National Laboratory. To find out how much heat the house required to
stay warm, the scientists installed three 1500-watt heaters in the
house, one on each floor. They were controlled by a thermostat which
the Mastins were requested to keep at 65 F. Daily records tabulated
the electricity used by the heaters. In addition, sensors kept
round-the-clock track of household temperatures. Let's look at one
of the 12 monitored days: January 18. It was overcast; the outside
temperatures ranged from 30 F, at 12:01 a. m. to 41 F at 2 p. m.,
and back down to 37 F by midnight. The Brookhaven equipment showed
that the average "inner house" temperature stayed between 62 and 65 F.
It also showed that the three heaters were tapped for 193,707 Btus
of back-up heat that day. That's the same as burning two gallons of oil.
On a fairly mild winter's day, no less.
The figures for the Burns and Mastin houses help to settle part of the
controversy about double shell homes. But details need to be hammered out...
Everyone has his pet theory, and one double shell aficionado in California
actually talks of "holism" and "loopiness" when explaining the design.
[Gee, I wonder who that was...]
There is a side-box that describes complete working drawings for a series
of double shell houses, sold by Tom Smith and his partner, John Hofacre,
for less than $100. The sidebox also says:
Ekose'a sells blueprints for $500, a semi-custom design service for
$4,000, and a full custom design service for 15% of construction costs.
In order to get plans, you must purchase their $25 book.
The second article is an interview with the same Tom Smith, "The Double Shell:
An owner's Perspective," beginning on page 82. He says, inter alia:
Avoiding confusion about the "envelope" requires only a little deprogramming
from the Higher Order of Convective Loopers. The solar function of the house
is only part of the story, and _there is no significant storage of excess
heat for use during the heat losing times of the day_." [his emphasis]
When asked, "What's the future of the "envelope" system?" (in 1980), he said:
I do not forsee any of the systems we now have surviving past the next few
years. We have created a fit of a Frankenstein with my house here because it
launched the field of envelope homes and is seen in competition with other
systems. Nothing could have been further from my intentions...
I would feel most proud if my house is remembered for being a step in the
evolution toward mass energy-efficient design, rather than for introducing
the "most efficient system."
[Curious how Tom Smith says "my house," not "Lee Porter Butler's house."]
After working on, literally, hundreds of passive designs, and living in
this house over the past three years, I am convinced that energy efficiency
will become considerably less exotic in the future. It is my belief that
if we just study closely what is going on inside a house, we'll come up with
some very simple, if prosaic, solutions. If you have ever spent any time
living in other parts of the world you'd realize that a lot of our energy
problems stem from just plain doing it wrong. It's a snap to save energy
in this country. As soon as more people become involved in the basic math
of heat transfer and get a gut-level, as well as intellectual, grasp on
how a house works, solution after solution will appear.
Nick
george p swanton
In article <3223F3...@teleport.com>,
Carlos Portela <sol...@teleport.com> wrote:
>Nick,
>
>Thanks for posting excerpts from those articles.
>I've heard of those articles but have never had
>a chance to see them.
>
[....]
>
>Double envelope homes have some drawbacks, including
>lower performance in mild climate (instead of colder
>weather), and potential ease of fire spreading rapidly,
>which hasn't happened yet, but could happen (DOE
>recommends installing sprinklers, but it would
>still be a design drawback).
This is a concern in any systems which allows free
(convective) flow of air through a reasonable portion
of a structure, but particularly so for the envelope
design.
I have seen suggested (sorry no reference) that
a type of trap-door firestop can be provided in
duct areas. Normally the door is held open by a
fusible material. In the event of a fire, it is melted
and the weighted or spring actuated door closes.
(sufficient force to overcome the updraft is
obviously required).
Anyone able to provide less nebulous design specs?
george p swanton
In article <50085u$g...@ufo.ee.vill.edu>,
Nick Pine <ni...@ufo.ee.vill.edu> wrote:
>There are two articles about double envelope houses in Rodale's New Shelter
>magazine, of September, 1980, which says "Hard data on double-shell homes"
>on the cover.
>
>The first article is "Double Shell Houses," subtitled "Finally, some facts,"
>on pp 72-82, in which Larry Stains says:
>
> A promotional brochure for Ekose'a, a San Francisco firm that sells double
> shell house plans, says its homes "prove it is practical to design and build
> a structure which maintains any desired range of temperatures through any
> range of climatic conditions at any place on the earth [above the arctic
> circle in wintertime, with no sun at all for 6 months? --Nick] without the
> necessity of mechanical, electrical or fossil fuel back-up systems."
>
> That's a mighty big claim...
It sure is. Their web page (http://webcast1.com/ekosea/) is
equally optimistic:
"Uses solar, gravity and geothermal inertia,
_eliminating_ fuel consumption, maintenance
and replacement costs." [emphasis added]
I would think that even if they could produce on the energy claims
that they wouldn't claim that it would last forever and be
maintenance free...
The book 'EKOSE'A HOMES' is defined as a
"beautifully illustrated 115 page book describes 23 stock
designs for building systainable, healthy, beautiful
homes in any climate."
> Last winter, two double shell houses were monitored by researchers.
> Their findings indicate:
>
> 1) The houses _did_ depend on auxiliary heat; thus the design is not
> a guarantee of energy self-sufficiency.
>
> 2) No way does the earth underneath the house store the majority of
> the solar heat collected in the greenhouse.
>
> Don't misunderstand. Double shell houses are good houses that use a fraction
> of the energy consumed by conventional designs. But the double shell design
> should be understood for what it is, not for what it is cracked up to be.
> So, for the facts, let's examine two homes...
[bulk of a well written article deleted]
Thanks for passing along the results.
>When asked, "What's the future of the "envelope" system?" (in 1980), he said:
>
> I do not forsee any of the systems we now have surviving past the next few
> years. We have created a fit of a Frankenstein with my house here because it
> launched the field of envelope homes and is seen in competition with other
> systems. Nothing could have been further from my intentions...
>
> I would feel most proud if my house is remembered for being a step in the
> evolution toward mass energy-efficient design, rather than for introducing
> the "most efficient system."
I wish I could recall where but I thought to have read of some
less formal testing that showed at least one envelope house
not even to follow the expected air-flow patterns, no matter
meet the unrealistic expectations cited further above.
The envelope was/is an interesting concept and certainly a worthy
experiment, but it is a fairly expensive way to build a house
and the performance clearly isn't on par with the propaganda.
It's fun to rib Nick about some of his schemes and play devil's
advocate with him but but his primary emphasis that 'simple is
good', and 'it doesn't have to be expensive to work' are
fundamentally sound and the right direction to go.
gps
(spelling disclaimed, etc. Someday I'll go back to grade school...)
Chad Okinaka
Robert and Amy Appleton wrote:
>
> Hello, I'm interested in building a solar home from the ground up. My
> wife and I are currently looking into options in this area of design.
> Please any input or ideas would be appreciated.
>
> Robert and Amy Appleton
Contact Mr. Solar's Newletter (Charlie Collins) at the following E-mail
address: MrS...@netins.net. He published a great Solar newsletter. I
am no expert, but I am a registered architect with some experience. Feel
free to contact me - if I can help, I will.
Chad Okinaka, AIA
Joe Hindorff
On Aug 28, 1996 15:11:13 in article <Re: Double Envelope Home Design>,
I would recommend that you also check out http://enertia.com/
I have nothing to do with this site, but I think that you will find it to
be very similar to what you are talking about.
>
>
--
Joe
"All anger is fear, and all fear is fear of loss"
Richard Bach