In this lovely and innovative passive solar retrofit, an older adobe home transformed to become an efficient, modern house with a south facing sun room and a south facing two-story Trombe wall. It is also a grid-tied solar electric home that produces enough electricity to have paid for the solar photovoltaic (PV) system within...
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To learn more about an innovative adobe home renovation, I drove from the bustling city of Albuquerque into the hills south of Santa Fe, as pinon trees, brown clay hills and buttes soon dominated the view. Various types of adobe structures stood proudly in the gleaming New Mexico sun. It was rejuvenating to visit...
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This is part 2 of a 2 part series. In this article, we see the current features of the passive solar house. Part 1 shows a photo progression that took place in the transition from a small farmhouse to a modern passive solar home. The passive solar house has a window wall that faces...
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It is stunning to hear about and see the transformation from an old farm house to a modern, efficient passive solar house. Yes, it is the same house! (Tour the inside of the passive solar house.) The original house measured at approximately 700 square feet and was built in 1909. In the process of...
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With planning and creativity, almost any structure can be retrofitted with passive solar design elements. This home underwent a passive solar retrofitting process to become the efficient, sunlit structure that it is today. Originally placed on the property in 1948, it was a drafty 1-story Quonset hut that was likely purchased from the army...
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