HELIOS Passive & Active Solar Home - Net Zero Energy
HELIOS Passive & Active Solar Home
Completion
Completion date 07/31/2015
Occupancy
Owner occupied private home, currently with 2 full time residents plus visitors on weekends. With home office one resident is there 5 days per week 9am to 5pm.
Days per year Building is fully occupied: 365
Scope
Type of Construction
New
Number of buildings
1
Floor area of each building
3,171
Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
2.5
Stories
3
Conditioned Building Volume
31,447 cu ft
Conditioned Floor Area
2,751 sq ft
Unconditioned Floor Area
420 sq ft
Location and Climate Details
Single family residence
Address
19 Fox Hill Road
Lafayette, NJ 07848
United States
Location Type
Rural
Climate Region
Zone 5
Köppen Climate Type
Dfb
Lat. / Long.
POINT (-74.654394 41.146915)
Elevation
735 ft
Solar Insolation
4.185 kWH/m2/day
Annual CDD and Base Temp
1119 CDD | 65 deg F
Annual HDD and Base Temp
5397 HDD | 65 deg F
Site
Site conditions: previously undeveloped land
Site description: South facing elevated hilltop 4.25 acre wooded lot with a view to the south over farmland in the valley. The shale at the building site was excavated so the rear (north side) of the home is earth sheltered - two stories high, while the front (south side) of the home is open to final grade. Trees were removed to provide solar access to all south facing glass.
Materials and Design Strategy
Materials: Mass walls and floors are exposed poured concrete (painted a dark color). Interior walls are mostly cedar and redwood (with minimum use of gypsum board on walls). Ceilings on all floors are exposed spruce-pine-fir tongue and groove wood decking. Exterior masonry and wood stud walls are covered with EIFS acrylic stucco finish. Landscaping is natural native plant gardens, existing oak and maple trees, with a small lawn area on the south side (over septic system).
Special architectural measures: The home was originally constructed in 1984 as a passive solar design to maximize solar gain for space heating. The two story sunspace is unheated and acts as a buffer to the conditioned spaces behind. The north side of the home is earth sheltered (concrete wall with insulation on exterior) and the interior of the exposed concrete wall acts as a mass wall to store solar heat in the winter. Roof overhangs protect from overheating in the summer months. The solar heating performance was carefully monitored and calculated to be 65% better than a similar size conventional home in this location.
Indoor Environment Description: Natural convection air flows are induced by opening upper windows at the third floor in the winter, and opening low windows at the sunspace in the summer. Conventional exhaust fans are located in the kitchen and bathrooms. In the future a heat recovery ventilation system will be installed.
Completion
Occupancy
Owner occupied private home, currently with 2 full time residents plus visitors on weekends. With home office one resident is there 5 days per week 9am to 5pm.
Scope
| Type of Construction | New |
|---|---|
| Number of buildings | 1 |
| Floor area of each building | 3,171 |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2.5 |
| Stories | 3 |
| Conditioned Building Volume | 31,447 cu ft |
| Conditioned Floor Area | 2,751 sq ft |
| Unconditioned Floor Area | 420 sq ft |
Location and Climate Details
Single family residence
| Address |
19 Fox Hill Road Lafayette, NJ 07848
United States |
|---|---|
| Location Type | Rural |
| Climate Region | Zone 5 |
| Köppen Climate Type | Dfb |
| Lat. / Long. | POINT (-74.654394 41.146915) |
| Elevation | 735 ft |
| Solar Insolation | 4.185 kWH/m2/day |
| Annual CDD and Base Temp | 1119 CDD | 65 deg F |
| Annual HDD and Base Temp | 5397 HDD | 65 deg F |
Site
South facing elevated hilltop 4.25 acre wooded lot with a view to the south over farmland in the valley. The shale at the building site was excavated so the rear (north side) of the home is earth sheltered - two stories high, while the front (south side) of the home is open to final grade. Trees were removed to provide solar access to all south facing glass.
Materials and Design Strategy
Mass walls and floors are exposed poured concrete (painted a dark color). Interior walls are mostly cedar and redwood (with minimum use of gypsum board on walls). Ceilings on all floors are exposed spruce-pine-fir tongue and groove wood decking. Exterior masonry and wood stud walls are covered with EIFS acrylic stucco finish. Landscaping is natural native plant gardens, existing oak and maple trees, with a small lawn area on the south side (over septic system).
The home was originally constructed in 1984 as a passive solar design to maximize solar gain for space heating. The two story sunspace is unheated and acts as a buffer to the conditioned spaces behind. The north side of the home is earth sheltered (concrete wall with insulation on exterior) and the interior of the exposed concrete wall acts as a mass wall to store solar heat in the winter. Roof overhangs protect from overheating in the summer months. The solar heating performance was carefully monitored and calculated to be 65% better than a similar size conventional home in this location.