|
|
|
January 24, 2005 Sunova Builders Mac and Paula Deets Alto, N.M. 88312 Dear Mac and Paula, For the past three years we have occupied one of your passive solar homes at 135 Santiago Circle. The home was completed in 2001 on the Alto land we had purchased in 1992. The decision to build a passive solar home in this area was easy because we knew about the long hours of sunshine that occur in this part of New Mexico in the winter. Our decision was also based upon the ever escalating cost of heating fuels in general and our desire to lower costs by directly reducing the amount of fuel we consumed, and possibly making the planet just a little greener. Our actual results the past three years have been outstanding. During sunshine hours the house stays very nice with very little or no help from the furnace. It is not unusual for the outside winter temperature to be 30-34F while the inside temperature stays 65-67F from the sunshine. A hard wind has very little impact on the inside temperature thanks to airtight construction. The sun heats the entire house when it is out — which is most of the time. A good snow makes the house even warmer because the sun reflection from the white snow on the house and adobe walls increases the amount of available free heat. It is not unusual for us to be forced to crack a window in mid winter to let some of the heat out as it becomes too warm during the high noon hours. During the evening winter hours the heated adobe walls release the heat stored during the day and assists in keeping the house warm long after the sun goes down. Our thermostat stays at 60F during sleeping hours runs infrequently during the night. We use propane to heat the home and a wood stove for evening entertainment. In 2002 we did an advance purchase of one tank, 600 gallons, of fuel from Servigas Co. to get the lower price. We were pleasantly surprised when we did not use a full tank in the 2002 season. The advanced purchase of one 600 gallon tank in 2002 lasted through the 2003 season. It was just this past year that we finally purchased additional fuel but they refused give us the advanced tank price because they claimed we did not use enough~ It is safe to say that we are using between 250—300 gallons per year. The summer months are also energy efficient thanks to the positioning of the home to the angle of the sun and an exhaust port in the middle of the house. As the sun’s track moves north the angle of the rays move over the top of the house away from the windows and adobe walls which end up getting the shade of the overhangs in the summer months. The high above roof windows are then opened in the center of the house drawing the cool air in the lower open windows — especially at night. We are usually closing windows at night on the hottest days of summer. We also have an exhaust fan placed under the above roof windows that can reversed to draw the cool air in the lower windows in summer but it gets too cool so we do not use it. Our home stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter with very little energy consumption. I would highly recommend a Sunova Built Solar home for anyone looking to save money on their energy bill and stay comfortable all year long. Mac and Paula Deets built our home and became our good friend which is very rare in today’s business world. I would be glad to speak to anyone about my passive solar home experience or will arrange a tour of the house on advance notice. Best Regards, Kerry and Judith Foos 135 Santiago Circle Alto, N.M. 88312 |
|
|