solar power cabin

I wish to build a 1200 to 1500 sq. ft. cabin as a future retirement hideaway (actually, have it built). I would like it to be passive solar and solar powered. Is it best to hire an architect to design it or are there internet resources that would suffice? I don't want to cut corners on design but I don't want to be taken to the cleaners either.
Thanks
sk

sk73 wrote:

I wish to build a 1200 to 1500 sq. ft. cabin as a future retirement hideaway (actually, have it built). I would like it to be passive solar and solar powered. Is it best to hire an architect to design it or are there internet resources that would suffice? I don't want to cut corners on design but I don't want to be taken to the cleaners either.
Thanks
sk
Hi,

You might take a look at the solar homes section of my site -- it has a lot of design information for passive solar home designs -- most applicable to a cabin as well. All free! http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SolarHomes/solarhomes.htm You might find the "small homes" section of particular interest. and http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/Space_Heating.htm and http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm
There is also some info on cabin size PV systems off the Projects tab.

--
Gary
www.BuildItSolar.com gary@BuildItSolar.com "Build It Yourself" Solar Projects




----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

I personaly am planning out my home right now for whe nI retire in another few years. I have been researching it for about 2-3 years. If you are using a cabin (particularly one that is already built!) then most of the principals I am planning on using are not applicable to you, but some may apply. I don't know what type of situation you are in financially or how much land and what type of land you may have, I also don't know how much you enjoy doing these things yourself.
I plan on purchasing a plot of land somewhere over 50 acres (maybe as much as 150). Generally speaking solar power does not have a very good return on investment, it takes a long time to make back what you paid. ONe thing I have recently been looking into is solar ponds. http://motherearthnews.com/library/1980_May_June/Israel_s_150_KW_Solar_Pond This particular pond in the artical is somewhere about 1 3/4 acres large! I have done quite a bit of research and I believe that I could actually run my house off of a pond as small as a moderate to large sized swimming pool. If I understand this all properly then you could take the heat from the pond (nearly 100 degrees C is CRAZY) and run it accross the hot side of a sterling engine which would run an alternator of some sort. Basically the sterling engine runs off of the principals of convection, or the fact that heat rises to spin the shaft. Using this type of setup for minimal cost (I believe!) you might possibly be able to power your entire house day and night off of solar energy. I actually have read of ponds that would reach temps as high as 228.4 degrees F. There is also an example of a pond like this in El Paso Texas that while the top layer of the pond was completely frozen, the water along the bottom was still running over 140 degrees F! If you are interested in doing things yourself and have the means to do so, let me know and I could give you tips on passive heating/cooling/water distilation/hot water.
Logan

sk73 wrote:

I wish to build a 1200 to 1500 sq. ft. cabin as a future retirement hideaway (actually, have it built). I would like it to be passive solar and solar powered. Is it best to hire an architect to design it or are there internet resources that would suffice? I don't want to cut corners on design but I don't want to be taken to the cleaners either.

I'm no expert in these things but I think your best bet is to pay an architect who specializes in these kind of things. You'll probably find that you can't have a 100% passive solar home. You would likely be better off with a combination passive and active solar. After all, a few fans, vents and automatic blinds don't cost all that much and will keep you from constantly puttering around adjusting everything yourself.
Anthony

Go to your butchers and grab a bunch of butcher's paper.
You will also need:
Scale ruler
Set of triangles (if you like)
Time
I spent three months drawing houses, to scale, by the light of a gas lamp.
When I had what I wanted I gave the drawings to a friend to redo for the council.
I then built the house.
Found this site useful for window shading.
http://www.susdesign.com
sk73 wrote:

I wish to build a 1200 to 1500 sq. ft. cabin as a future retirement hideaway (actually, have it built). I would like it to be passive solar and solar powered. Is it best to hire an architect to design it or are there internet resources that would suffice? I don't want to cut corners on design but I don't want to be taken to the cleaners either.
Thanks
sk

Gary wrote:

You might take a look at the solar homes section of my site -- it has a lot of design information for passive solar home designs -- most applicable to a cabin as well. All free! http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SolarHomes/solarhomes.htm You might find the "small homes" section of particular interest. and http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/Space_Heating.htm and http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm
There is also some info on cabin size PV systems off the Projects tab.

Hey I really like your page on making a two car garage into a solar workshop. Does it work well?
Id actually like to do that and make a "home" out of such a garage. I live alone so don't need much space. Ever made a home form on?

In article , "sk73" wrote:

I wish to build a 1200 to 1500 sq. ft. cabin as a future retirement hideaway (actually, have it built). I would like it to be passive solar and solar powered. Is it best to hire an architect to design it or are there internet resources that would suffice? I don't want to cut corners on design but I don't want to be taken to the cleaners either.
Thanks
sk

Certainly include Wood Heat. It is solar after a fashion. you a radiant heater. and good Luck!
-- Impeach Bush ! a noble cause And visit.. alt.impeach.bush

me@privacy.net wrote:

Gary wrote:
You might take a look at the solar homes section of my site -- it has a lot of design information for passive solar home designs -- most applicable to a cabin as well. All free! http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SolarHomes/solarhomes.htm You might find the "small homes" section of particular interest. and http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/Space_Heating.htm and http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm
There is also some info on cabin size PV systems off the Projects tab.
Hey I really like your page on making a two car garage into a solar workshop. Does it work well?
Id actually like to do that and make a "home" out of such a garage. I live alone so don't need much space. Ever made a home form on? Hi,

The solar collector part works quite well, and for use as a shop its all I ever use -- I don't have any other form of heat out there.
I think such a building could work well as a small home. One nice thing is that the gambrel roof gives a huge useable space on the 2nd floor at very little extra cost. It almost doubles the usable space of the building.
For use as a home, I would change/add a few things:
* More insulation particularly in the ceiling, and insulation under the concrete slab. Getting rid of the large garage doors would also help the heat loss and tightness of the building.
* Incorportate some window space or clear areas in the south facing collector to increase the amount of daylighting -- I think these could be worked right into the collector design.
* Incorporate more thermal mass. Not sure just how I would do this, but maybe PVC pipes filled with water in the first floor ceiling between the joists -- especially in the area near the collector exit vents. The temperature in the joist cavities near the collector exits often gets to around 110F. The thermal mass would reduce the temperature swings, and keep a more even night/day temperature.
* Incorporate a simple way to circulate the solar collector heated air. This might just be a simple ceiling fan.
* Incorporate an overhang for the collector that would give better control of summer overheating. This is not really much of a problem now, but an overhang would provide better control, and would be easy to do.
For use as a living space (at least here in Montana), there would have to be some form of backup heat for those times when you get several days of cold cloudy weather.
I think that with the changes above, that the solar collector might provide more than half of the space heating even in our cold climate, and the total added cost for the collector, thermal storage, and "cirulation system" would be well under a thousand dollars.
The garage/shop was a pretty managable construction project. I built almost all of it myself, and it basically took from mid summer to a ways into the fall.


--
Gary
www.BuildItSolar.com gary@BuildItSolar.com "Build It Yourself" Solar Projects




----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Thanks for all the great ideas. I'm connecting to all the links you all gave.
sk