[Cob] Solar Design

[Amanda Peck]

Good.  One does get to work with what one has.  Your son's house does sound 
like it takes the best advantage of the site.  With daylighting if not lots 
of solar heating, off-grid potential--unless he's got a year-round stream or 
there's a venturi effect from the wind coming through hills.

I keep forgetting about north light being the most desirable for 
daylighting, doing art and so on.

Barbara replied to me (I mentioned steep north-facing slopes):

I think Dan would argue that even the simplest, least costly
building is a better one for our awareness of solar design principles.  He's
done quite a bit of low-cost building design, and is keenly aware of all the
costs of dependence on fossil fuels absent solar practice.  I don't think
he'd confine solar practice to building only south-facing structures.  My
son bought just such a parcel as you describe.  For several months we've
walked around to see how we could take advantage of solar design given his
30% grade, north-facing slope with only a few level spots.  He's removed a
few trees, captured enough light for a good garden, taken advantage of the
even northern light with new windows, bermed the cabin, doubled the thermal
mass, maintained large windows on the south side, added eastern windows to
the bedroom, provided for drawing in low, cool air and venting high warm
air, and shaded the western side with a roofed deck, all reflecting
awareness of solar design in the retrofit. Dan's point is that "half the
goods" in natural building/sustainable practice is in awareness of solar
design principles.



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