Comments on Root Simple: Made in the shade- Passive cooling

Hey Joss, I wish I could remember where I read ab...

2011-08-10T07:59:16.538-07:00

Hey Joss,

I wish I could remember where I read about that. It was probably some 1970s era appropriate technology tome. I have a book called 6,000 Years of Housing by Norbert Schoenauer which mentions, in passing, the heating and cooling strategies of many different kinds of buildings around the world.

In the book The Urban Homestead, you guys referenc...

2011-08-09T22:10:27.967-07:00

In the book The Urban Homestead, you guys reference Ancient Greece in regards to city planning and passive solar. The ideas were so captivating to me, I wondered if there is a book you could recommend about that? I'd love to read more.

Just a note on your solar shades idea. My wife an...

2009-11-03T12:02:03.992-08:00

Just a note on your solar shades idea. My wife and I redid our master bedrooom and we were going to use the basic and lifeless mini-blinds. Well, we did ma little research and discovered the solar shades and solar blinds. We decided to do our ever expanding eco lifestyle and spend the extra dollars for the solar shades. They definately work and we use them on ever window in our bedroom. Found this website that listed the pros and cons of solar shades: www.mini-blinds.com/solar-shades/. I was able to install my self and our room is defintely cooler in the summer and warmed in winter. Not too many choices yet, but I guess they are new and may take some time for manufacturers to mass produce them.

I am an architect in Los Angeles (advice only appl...

2009-10-28T17:53:32.379-07:00

I am an architect in Los Angeles (advice only applicable there as climate issues are regional)and building efficiency is a very complicated issue. With regards to attics, most attics that I see don't have enough eave venting or the eave venting is blocked by insulation. Basically, you have to have enough venting to passively move hot air out and suck cool air in. If the temperature is hotter in there than outside, you need more venting. The radiant barriers help considerably, but you also have to remember that it helps with conduction and you also have to worry about air leaks.
With regards to the window replacement, I would caution people to be wary of all the cheerleading about new windows. If your house is very leaky you should fix that first before getting new windows. Those little cracks add up quickly. Also, there have been independent tests that show old wood windows in good condition to have similar R and U values to cheap aluminum and vinyl replacement windows. The nice pricey ones work great though. If they aren't installed correctly you can cause all new problems. FWIW, I would shade my windows on the outside before I swapped them out.

I have been spending that last couple months insta...

2009-09-30T20:17:35.048-07:00

I have been spending that last couple months installing a radiant barrier in my attic. It would probably take a weekend for any insulation company, but I'm doing it by myself. Whenever I can manage to get up early on the weekend, I'll install 3-5 rows of insulation... before my attic turns into an oven. It's not fun, but I'm about 80% done and it's been a lot cooler this summer. I had dual pane windows installed a couple years ago so that helps too. My next project is also the solar attic fan. You can get them at your local costco.

I have a solar powered attic fan from Home Depot. ...

2009-09-30T09:59:47.321-07:00

I have a solar powered attic fan from Home Depot. I purchased one extra solar panel (for a total of two) and installed the fan inside a gable vent. I live in an old Spanish stucco and the blown in attic insulation along with the attic fan makes a huge difference. I no longer feel heat radiating through the ceiling in the summer. Only downside is that by the end of our dirty, gritty L.A. summers, I usually need to go up on the roof and wipe off the solar panels.

One other thing I noticed... When my home was repiped some of the copper pipe was run through the attic. In the summer, the cold water no longer comes out of the tap scorching hot.

Today I had some termite damage repaired which res...

2009-09-29T19:12:11.777-07:00

Today I had some termite damage repaired which resulted in, for the time being, a missing window. The window used to house an ugly AC unit. The window is one of the few that I have that faces the southeast. The house is cooler from the increased ventilation than it was with the AC blasting and I'm thinking of leaving it out.

Before building our home about 20 years ago, my hu...

2009-09-29T11:25:56.386-07:00

Before building our home about 20 years ago, my husband would drive me crazy going to the land and watching the path of the sun during each season. When it came to building the home, we positioned the house at a slight angle to the road. I asked him why he was doing that. He said, he was positioning our large area of windows to be facing south, so that during the winter, the sun would heat the rooms. Well, it worked! Not only do we have low heating costs in the summer, we do not need to use any lighting during the day...even on a very cloudy day. We live in Massachusetts, so the low heating costs help alot. In the summer, because the sun rays are high they do not heat up our home. I don't have air conditioning for the summer and I keep my heat on 62 in the winter. My heat barely goes on in the winter on a sunny day.

I'm planning to install a solar attic fan in t...

2009-09-29T08:29:31.345-07:00

I'm planning to install a solar attic fan in the next couple of weeks, along with insulating the whole attic.

Does anyone have a solar attic fan? I'm wonder...

2009-09-29T06:02:43.887-07:00

Does anyone have a solar attic fan? I'm wondering how well those work.

An attic fan, while not totally passive, is a low-...

2009-09-28T21:40:06.661-07:00

An attic fan, while not totally passive, is a low-energy way to increase circulation in your house and counter the greenhouse phenomenon.

A friend of mine in the solar panel and cooling in...

2009-09-28T19:29:00.076-07:00

A friend of mine in the solar panel and cooling industry once told me the best ways to keep a house cool are:

-insulation
-double pane windows
-bushes & trees strategically placed around the house

I just insulated the south side of my house during a recent renovation and notice a big difference already. Changing my windows in next. Bushes planted close to the house act as natural insulation and big trees planted in such a way they block after sun is another natural option. I also put in a whole house attic fan and in a few minutes the house is cool. We dont have air conditioning here in Southern Calif and our electric bills are normally $15-$20 a month.

Almost 3 years ago, I left my job as an indoor tec...

2009-09-28T18:52:03.208-07:00

Almost 3 years ago, I left my job as an indoor tech and started letter carrying. I have been surprised how adaptable my body has been to climate changes. Doing most of ones living outside, using shade in the heat and wind and rain shelter (or clothing) when needed.... drink lots of water when hot, move lots when cool... keep your wrists and ankles warm when it's really cold and snuggle up close to your mate. Let the temp in your house swing outside the "comfort zone"... our body can take it, really, it can. Dress and eat/drink for the weather. Choose the time of day you work the hardest.