1.what is green?
2.rule number one
3.the site
4.LEED-ing the way
5.green... or greenwash?
6.how to dodge the draft: part 1
7.the hunt for hidden treasure
8.the darwinism of stuff
9.the world of windows
10.just chillin'
11.torpedos away: toilet technology

The above articles were a series published in the Peninsula Pulse newspaper, Door County, Wisconsin.

On The Green:
A conversation on sustainable design

By Virge Temme, AIA

Chapter 3: The Site

When most people think of "green" or "sustainable" homes, they usually have in mind a solar home. Not all sustainable homes have the opportunity to employ passive or active solar. The coastlines of Door County certainly offer challenges that often defy the sun. With views primarily to the east or west, and our abundant vegetation, it's often difficult to develop a design that captures both the water views and the sun. Early site analysis can help determine the possibilities.

When choosing a site for a new solar home, it's essential to first consider orientation. The best layout for maximum solar gain is to design your home with the long axis running from east to west. This way the home follows the path of the sun, which can provide passive heating through south-facing windows. An east-west axis also provides greater surface area for photovoltaic and solar water panels which must face toward the south.

Another consideration is set-back from the tree line. Deciduous trees that offer much-wanted shade on hot summer days can prove detrimental to the efficiency of photovoltaic and solar water panels. A good rule of thumb I learned a few years ago at the Renewable Energy Fair in Custer, Wisconsin was to approximate the height of the trees, and set the house back the same distance from the trees. At our 45° latitude this distance allows for some summer shade on the lower part of the house, while providing full solar gain on the roof where panels could be located. During the winter, when trees have shed their leaves, the lower-lying winter sun should still be able to warm the interior of the home through the bare branches.

One typical home site I worked with rceently is located overlooking Green Bay, and is a heavily wooded property. The best views were to the northwest and the best sun was, of course, to the south. This combination of conflicts gave us quite a challenge for the solar home. As an initial measure, we followed the rule-of-thumb setback strategy and set the house as far north on the property as we could, to provide space for the no-tree-zone required for good solar gain.

To verify our decision, we contacted a local solar assessor to review our rough staking of the home and help determine if the position was optimum for the solar panels they want to install for water heat and electricity. The assessor used a Solar Pathfinder, which identifies the path of the sun and any obstacles that could impede the efficiency of the solar panels. The process provides a very accurate picture of the best position for the home. He determined that we had properly located the home for solar gain, and also that we had misgauged the east-west orientation of the building.

We then hired the surveyor to stake the home at that location, and to make certain we had a true east-west orientation. The angle of the bluff and the shoreline made it difficult to visually identify true north, and our initial staking was nearly 30° off. So we maintained the east-west axis on the south wing of the home, and angled the north wing 30° to the east so that it had the optimum views over the bay. In this manner, conflicting goals were achieved.

We decided to remove the trees that grow within 80 feet to the south of the house. In that cleared space, we will locate the septic field and the vegetable gardens. Although initial perc tests suggested that the septic field be located further to the east of the house, once we identified where the trees would need to be removed for solar gain, it made sense to have new test holes bored, and attempt to relocate the field in order to reduce the number of trees unnecessarily removed.

On a separate note: It is still only March, but as quickly as time flies away from us, I thought you might want to mark your calendars for the weekend of June 24. This is when the annual Renewable Energy Fair will be held in Custer, Wisconsin. It is the largest and oldest energy fair in the nation, and has three days of excellent seminars on solar and other sources of renewable energies, alternative construction practices, and sustainable living. It's a bit of a drive, but well worth it. I hope you'll check it out.