Homestead Alternatives
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Passive Solar Homes
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HOMESTEAD ALTERNATIVES has been developing alternative energy solutions for homes and businesses since 1981. Our mission is to design energy efficient buildings that are both cost effective and easy on the environment. We believe that passive solar design and energy conservation should be standard components of every building.
With over 28 years of experience, we can help you find a way to harness the energy of the sun. Whether you have an active solar project, passive solar project, energy conservation requirements, or alternative power needs, we would love to share our passion and expertise with you.
For those of you that are looking to build a passive solar home, site selection and development services can help you avoid irreversible mistakes. We can measure your solar and wind potential, collect site specific data, and perform detailed heat load and solar gain analysis. If you want to include solar design into an existing building, we can assist with planning and help you to evaluate of the solution that works best for your region and lifestyle.
Sustainable Design since 1979
Passive solar buildings have been the workhorses of the solar industry for decades. They have produced millions of dollars worth of heat energy and yet the passive solar industry receives little attention. Unlike active solar systems, photovoltaics and other solar technologies that are defined by products and manufacturers, passive solar is the assembly of mostly common building materials in a way that allows a building to take advantage of its' relationship with the sun. There are manufacturers that produce passive solar specific products that improve collection, storage or distribution, but the majority of passive solar materials are provided by the conventional building industry (bricks, concrete, galzing, lumber, etc.).
The capabilities of a passive solar building rely on the correct selection and installation of the components that make up the passive solar heating system. We have spent thousands of hours reviewing and testing the materials that we include in our designs. Passive solar windows provide an excellent example products that require specific characteristics to maximize solar performance. The glazing industry has addressed the need for different types glass and coatings for solar gain applications and continues to improve the availability of passive solar glass. This design choice alone, can increase the efficiency of a passive solar "system" by over forty percent!!
Using energy modeling to predict and compare the choices in materials and design has been an invaluable tool in the design of passive solar homes. We have taken our designs a step further and installed building monitoring equipment to verify the accuracy of our energy use models. This equipment can be used to identify the actual heat loss characteristics of a building, giving us a benchmark of the whole buildings energy performance. This benchmark is lets us compare the actual energy efficiency of improvements to the building envelope or heating system. You can find out more about this service by emailing us: solardesign
This sunspace has provided warmth and comfort since 1985.
It supplies nearly 40% of the heat needed to keep 4800 square
feet of living space, comfortable through the cold Montana winters. Here is an example of our design calculations for this Belgrade, Montana home. Overall heat load analysis - (heat load.doc) Heat Load comparison - (energy consumption chart.doc)
This shed roof design was built in 1984.
The following link shows the temperature fluctuations and heat gain for an isolated gain system that was installed / built in 1985. The measured performance demonstrates this passive gain system after 25 years of operation.
Download: Isolated Gain systems.doc
We have taken the science of solar design from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Aztecs. Utilizing new and often high tech materials, allows us to improve the performance of an already proven system. We spend hundreds of hours, each year, doing research and testing new or improved building materials and methods. If you are trying to make sense of all of the "GREEN" products and programs, we are ready to help. Please take a look at our approach to making sustainable building design work for you.
Contact us by email at: solardesign@homesteadalternatives.com
Or call 406-388-0116
–
With over 28 years of experience, we can help you find a way to harness the energy of the sun. Whether you have an active solar project, passive solar project, energy conservation requirements, or alternative power needs, we would love to share our passion and expertise with you.
For those of you that are looking to build a passive solar home, site selection and development services can help you avoid irreversible mistakes. We can measure your solar and wind potential, collect site specific data, and perform detailed heat load and solar gain analysis. If you want to include solar design into an existing building, we can assist with planning and help you to evaluate of the solution that works best for your region and lifestyle.
Sustainable Design since 1979
Passive solar buildings have been the workhorses of the solar industry for decades. They have produced millions of dollars worth of heat energy and yet the passive solar industry receives little attention. Unlike active solar systems, photovoltaics and other solar technologies that are defined by products and manufacturers, passive solar is the assembly of mostly common building materials in a way that allows a building to take advantage of its' relationship with the sun. There are manufacturers that produce passive solar specific products that improve collection, storage or distribution, but the majority of passive solar materials are provided by the conventional building industry (bricks, concrete, galzing, lumber, etc.).
The capabilities of a passive solar building rely on the correct selection and installation of the components that make up the passive solar heating system. We have spent thousands of hours reviewing and testing the materials that we include in our designs. Passive solar windows provide an excellent example products that require specific characteristics to maximize solar performance. The glazing industry has addressed the need for different types glass and coatings for solar gain applications and continues to improve the availability of passive solar glass. This design choice alone, can increase the efficiency of a passive solar "system" by over forty percent!!
Using energy modeling to predict and compare the choices in materials and design has been an invaluable tool in the design of passive solar homes. We have taken our designs a step further and installed building monitoring equipment to verify the accuracy of our energy use models. This equipment can be used to identify the actual heat loss characteristics of a building, giving us a benchmark of the whole buildings energy performance. This benchmark is lets us compare the actual energy efficiency of improvements to the building envelope or heating system. You can find out more about this service by emailing us: solardesign
This sunspace has provided warmth and comfort since 1985.
It supplies nearly 40% of the heat needed to keep 4800 square
feet of living space, comfortable through the cold Montana winters. Here is an example of our design calculations for this Belgrade, Montana home. Overall heat load analysis - (heat load.doc) Heat Load comparison - (energy consumption chart.doc)
This shed roof design was built in 1984.
The following link shows the temperature fluctuations and heat gain for an isolated gain system that was installed / built in 1985. The measured performance demonstrates this passive gain system after 25 years of operation.
Download: Isolated Gain systems.doc
We have taken the science of solar design from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Aztecs. Utilizing new and often high tech materials, allows us to improve the performance of an already proven system. We spend hundreds of hours, each year, doing research and testing new or improved building materials and methods. If you are trying to make sense of all of the "GREEN" products and programs, we are ready to help. Please take a look at our approach to making sustainable building design work for you.
Contact us by email at: solardesign@homesteadalternatives.com
Or call 406-388-0116
–
