Lunenburg County, NS

Dayspring

Keywords: active, dhw, hydronic space heating, passive, retrofit, wind turbines

Year Built:

1916

Size:

1750 sq/ft sq ft, 0 baths, 0 bedrooms.

Energy Percents:

% passive, 27% active, % external

External Sources:

Electricity: 4000 KWh, Wood: 3-4 cords,

Cost & Value:

Cost:

Purpose

This solar retrofit of our ninety year old farmhouse in Lunenburg County is the product of a homeowner renovation. I have been a carpenter all my life and have specialized in renovations. In fact I love older homes, they are part of our human built culture we need to honour and preserve. They also hold many design features which make them amenable to lightening our load on the planet. Renovating existing buildings is better than recycling - it is reusing and therefore reducing. Although many new buildings promote their energy savings through their operation, they rarely consider the size of the ecological footprint related to the consumption of the materials for new construction.

For me, the real challenge is to make our existing housing stock more energy efficient and employ renewable energy sources in them. A favourite quote of mine speaks to this, “People who dare to build a utopia use the same materials available to anyone, but they find surprising ways to combine them.” (Gustavo Yepes).

We purchased our ninety year old farm house ten years ago. Plumbing, electrical, heating, kitchen, bath, decks and decorating inside and out have all been completed. A two panel (4’x8’) domestic hot water solar system was installed in 1998, followed by two more panels for in-floor radiant solar heat in 2002. In 2006 six more panels (3’x8’) are being erected for additional in-floor radiant heat. Two wood stoves remain our primary heat source, but when the 2006 retrofits are complete about 50% (perhaps more) of all the energy (including electric) used in our home will be from solar.

Description

Two storey plastered wood frame with walk-up attic, pine clapboard siding, cut granite foundation, wood windows with aluminum storms. Original design largely maintained.

Approx. square footage of windows & doors: 320 sq/ft. Large windows with light from two directions in every room but the bathroom.

Insulation: blown-in cellulose in walls 4” (R-14) & 2nd fl. ceiling 7” (R-24), ½ 1st fl./basement ceiling R-20 fibreglass

Type of space heating (in order of % use): 2 wood stoves (cook stove & cast iron airtight, both 20 yrs. old), in floor hydronic (solar), electric back-up (Total annual BTU = 61 million)

Type of domestic hot water heating: solar, on demand electric (converted hot water space heating boiler), wood stoves (kettles) (Approximate total annual BTU = 5 to 6 million)

Space cooling: none

Solar (note: 2006 additions not included): 4x (4x8)=128 sq/ft thermal solar panels- drain back system with 120 gal. storage, in-floor hydronic system – piping on underside of existing floor boards in 2” dead air space with foil and R-20 fibre-glass below, ¾” copper coil heat exchanger for domestic hot water (payback has been 4 to 6 years - material only, no labour costs included)

Energy savings lifestyle choices: 2nd floor largely heated by heat rising from below, limited use of electric baseboard heating on 2nd fl. (bath & office), use of wood stoves alternates with time of day, on demand electric domestic hot water only used when insufficient solar (very little use in summer months, solar preheat in winter months).