EnerGreen’s passive solar homes are based on specific conditions and principles. Efficiency New Brunswick has assessed that by using EnerGreen’s approach up to 40% of the home’s space heating can be provided by the sun. EnerGreen’s homes use low-end technology with low capital costs. They also have very low energy use and low annual energy costs. Adhering to these conditions and principles, there is usually no need to invest in expensive renewable energy technology, such as geothermal heating, to enjoy a comfortable, moderately priced, and easily maintained home. Some of these conditions and principles are:
2. The house needs to be designed and built to allow the sun and its solar heat into the house.
3. The heat is stored in various heat sinks or thermal mass. Primarily the heat is stored in the insulated concrete floor on the main floor, with supplementary storage in stone, brick, or plaster interior walls.
4. The concrete floor has air ducts running within it to move air throughout it. The system provides stable comfortable temperatures throughout the house for both heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.
5. The heat stored during the day will be distributed gradually later in the night with the aid of a fan to circulate the warmed air.
6. A small supplementary heat source will be needed to supply sufficient heat for a comfortable home. EnerGreen has used wood and pellet stoves, in-floor radiant heat, and electric space heating for this supplementary heating.
EnerGreen Builders Co-operative has several customers who are willing show their homes and explain how their home operates.
The basic design and techniques of EnerGreen’s passive solar homes were developed by Solar Nova Scotia.