> <<I get the impression that you are pushing the limits (time, money, skills,
> knowledge, etc.) with this project. >> LOL! Bingo...I feel like a yo-
> yo...constantly changing, adjusting. Trying to save $$$ and yet wind up
with a
> low maintenance, affordable home that takes advantage of passve solar, low
> tech solutions and good old fashioned changes in your habits to make do with
> less(BG)
Hang in there! Sorry, I'm a bit out of touch, I guess. What do LOL and BG
stand for?
> I wasn't sure of the angle of slope ...I believe it
> is 45 degrees...but I have forgotten a lot of geometry:)
Yes, it's 45 degrees.
> <<Yes, it's hard to compromise on a pair of dates for shading. As I said in
> my last message, the pair of dates must be the same number of days from the
> summer solstice, so that they will be the same angle.>> Eric I just went to
> one of those sites that calculate the sun angles. Geez they don't make it
easy
> on a guy...there were three different bearings/angles that they gave azimuth
> was one. I'll have to re-check the others listed . It's on my other
computer.
> Sorry...I'll get back to you later on the exact info after I calculate on
> solar noon?? Does solar noon vary from plain old noon.
Solar noon is when then sun is at the "zenith" or highest point in the sky
for that day. Our clocks, epsecially with day light savings time, do not
always line up. I hope the site helps.
> <<so I would recommend
> minimizing the glass on the east and west and not worry too much about the
> overhangs there.>> Hmm...I plan to minimize glass on north. But I like lots
> of daylighting . So I'll probably eventually have screened in porches on
east
> and west and will have not a whole lot butsufficient windows for cross
> ventilation, air circulation etc. Probably overhead trellis on the east to
> shade some of the glass in summer.
Porches on the east and west makes it sound like you'll have planty of
shading for those windows. I wouldn't worry about the overhaings there,
then. I think you'll want the trellis on the west, not the east, since
that is where most of the worst summer heat comes from.
> <<It sounds like you are
> planning to have a hip roof. Is that true?>> No...it's more complicated to
> construct, probably more prone to problems in valleys etc. Or is there a
good
> reason/advantages for me to consider same?
No, you're right, a hip roof is more complicated to build (only good reason
I can think of is wind resistance). You mentioned eaves on the east and
west, so I assumed you meant a hip roof. You must have been referring to
the porches. I think a gable roof is better.
> <<We are heating the floors of our down stairs (880 s.f.) and not
> heating the upstairs (so far this seems okay, never getting more than a
> couple degrees cooler than down stairs).>> Ah, that's good to hear.
Perhaps I
> too can get away with just putting radiant flooring in basement and first
> floor.
As long as your building isfficeint enough and the heat has a way to get up
there, it might work. We left a couple of ways to go back later and add
heating upstairs if we thought it was necessary.
> It's been great boucing a lot of these ideas on the list. Because to me
it is
> obvious there area good many of us who have spent quite a bit of time
> researching alternative building, energy efficient housing, design etc.
Hope it helps.
Eric:
