Green Home Building – Insulate Concrete Form construction, ICF, living in a concrete bunker, HVAC, passive solar, active solar, solar thermal, green flooring, green cabinetry, radiant in floor heating, low VOCs, indoor air quality, water conservation, sustainably harvested wood, masonry stove.
Solar clipping happens when solar electric (photovoltaic) panels provide more power than an inverter can handle. Clipping is lost power production, but there may be some advantages to it. We’ll explain, and talk about some pros and cons.
To help our readers get more familiar with solar, we’re putting together a series of articles answering common solar energy questions. First up, basic information on how solar energy works and pros and cons of solar. The next posts in the series will cover costs, sizing and installation.
We’ll be hosting our next annual Common Sense Homestead Open House on Saturday, October 2, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. until 4 p.m. . Our family will be giving tours of the home and grounds during this time. You’re welcome to take a quick look or stay for a longer visit during the open house hours….
Summertime may bring many wonderful things but the extreme heat is not one of them. For many, using air conditioning is not affordable nor available. Here are some tips for keeping your house cool in the summer heat, with or without AC. We use these techniques in steamy South Carolina to reduce our air conditioning bill….
Back when we were researching our “forever home”, we chose ICF construction for a number of reasons. It’s tough, energy efficient and should last a lifetime with minimal upkeep. In this post, I’ll discuss: what ICF construction is how it differs from conventional construction why we chose Insulated Concrete Forms how much energy is saved…