Comments on: Energy Efficient Home – An Incredible Passive Solar Home

By: eebuilder

eebuilder — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:48:55 +0000

The water is not in contact with the outer glass, there is a seperate outer glazing and an air gap between the water blocks. Same principle as a trombe wall.

By: CosmicWabbit42

CosmicWabbit42 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:21:52 +0000

I cant help but think that its a bit dubious. The water becomes the thermal mass rather than the contents of the house.

I understand that the water isnt used to insulate, thats kind of my point. why have the thermal mass in direct contact to the window and cold outside air, when you could have the insulative value of a double pane window and let the house be heated naturally from the inside.

With the water, 50% of radiant heat will go outside, and 50% inside.

By: eebuilder

eebuilder — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:38:11 +0000

The geothermal heat pump is fully capable of heating this house without any other source of energy. No the house will not maintain 70deg F without sun and no other source of heat. ergo a heatpump to provide that heat. The design heat loss for this house is 20,000 Btu’s/Hr at zero degree outside temps. The 3 ton heat pump is capable of putting out 28,000 Btu’s/Hr. Not rocket science just plain math.

By: eebuilder

eebuilder — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:27:55 +0000

The water is not designed to insulate but as thermal mass absorbing the suns energy and storing it well into the night. Watch the video “Trombe wall? windows? the best of both worlds” that has a better explaination of how the windows work and explaination of Btu storage potential. Also shows how little heat actually escaped outward.

By: CosmicWabbit42

CosmicWabbit42 — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:42:28 +0000

I cant see how water between the window panes would be better than an air gap that would provide much higher insulative value, letting the light come into the house, and heat the interior surface, rather than having the windows reflect away a ton of light, and then have the windows absorb more heat, which is right next to the cold outside air.

By: werigh

werigh — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:21:01 +0000

Can you heat a house with a geothermal heat pump alone? I doubt it. But that does not answer my first and more important (IMHO) question: Can the house maintain comfortable (70 deg. F.) temperature If there is no sun for three days? I really need to know!

By: Custodio1701

Custodio1701 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:51:40 +0000

He said it at 2:55 min. “GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP”

By: werigh

werigh — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:08:15 +0000

Say it’s the middle of winter and there’s no sun for three days. Can the house maintain comfortable (70 deg. F.) temperature? If not, what kind of back up heating system do you use?

By: eebuilder

eebuilder — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 03:26:28 +0000

Exterior solar shades will be used along the south facing windows. These exterior shades, will block 70% of the solar heat gains. The window developer, is also a window shade inventor and was the guy who invented the honeycomb insulating shades back in the 70′s. He has continued to work on ways to improve how windows, shades and light can add or detract value from your home. Wendell Colson, VP of Research and Development for Hunter Douglas, one of the largest shade manufactures in the US.

By: challenger1111111

challenger1111111 — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:32:19 +0000

What do you do to the windows in the summer when you are trying to keep the house cool???

By: eebuilder

eebuilder — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:08:52 +0000

The coldest temperature recorded in the water in the windows was 48F. That was only after 3 consecutive days with no sun and highs in the 18-22F and lows down to -4.5F.

By: eebuilder

eebuilder — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:06:45 +0000

Unfortunately they are not yet commercially available.

By: frozenplanet9

frozenplanet9 — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:36:33 +0000

Where did you get the windows and are the openly avalible

By: jonneyboy25

jonneyboy25 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:40:17 +0000

does the water in the window ever freeze?

By: JoeMSIE

JoeMSIE — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:43:04 +0000

The windows are reflecting significant sunlight. can you reduce how much is reflected?

By: Solarevacuatedtube

Solarevacuatedtube — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 02:46:30 +0000

hello, sir, where are you from ?