In this video we meet Casey & Natasha, a conscious couple who built a passive solar home near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In addition to orienting their house to face south, they installed overhangs that block the sun to keep it cool during summer months and allow the sun to enter and heat the house during winter months.
source/image(PrtSc): Exploring Alternatives
They also installed a 10 kW solar system that sells clean electricity back to the grid through Ontario’s MicroFIT Program and the revenue helps cover their own utility bills.
source/image(PrtSc): Exploring Alternatives
The exterior walls of this house are 20″ thick and are insulated using Roxul insulation which is made locally, better for the environment, can get wet, and has less flame retardants than traditional fiberglass insulation, which means cleaner air quality in the home.
Advertisement
To maximize the energy efficiency of their home, they installed triple glazed windows, a drain water heat recovery system, an air source heat pump water heater, and a bioethanol fireplace./Exploring Alternatives
They also chose sustainable alternatives like concrete countertops instead of granite, and reclaimed pine flooring instead of using new wood. Last but not least, they designed their house to be completely fossil fuel-free which means that they don’t use any fossil fuels to power or heat their home./Exploring Alternatives
