Renewable Energy Solar Energy Wind Energy Geothermal Energy Bioenergy Hydropower

Geo-Solar Homes from Enertia

May 9, 2007 | 2 Comments

Do you like this news?

Bookmark

Feed

The Enertia Solar Building System was recently named one of Modern Marvels Top 25 inventions of 2007. The Enertia Building System turns a piece of wood into a thermal battery, using it as a solar energy storing device, so when the house is properly configured and sited it can heat and cool itself. This energy from a shift-in-time is why the system is called "Enertia." Enertia Building Systems has developed a line of solid Gluelam wall homes to maximize the energy-storing potential of the wood, and to offer the mainstream appearance necessary to attract traditional housing buyers.

For more information and to see pictures of Enertia homes, visit the website linked below.

Additional Information

Enertia Building Systems

Solar Energy

2 Reader Comments

Comment
1 of 2

john-carr-65731

May 11, 2007

I work with a builder that uses cast-in-place concrete, sandwich walls. Down here in Texas we build'em out of concrete. Termites don't like us. The mass is much higher and can offset the heat gain to whatever you require. These houses don't rot, they hold up pretty well in nasty weather and fires too.

However, Enertia is on the right track.

John Carr
Texas

Comment
2 of 2

nick-pine-41178

May 11, 2007

IIRC, these are tested when 24-hour average outdoor temps are close to 68 F, so a massy house with R10 walls might lose or gain (68-T)/R10 Btu/h. With min and max temps Tmin and Tmax, a low-mass house with equivalent walls might lose (68-Tmin)/R all night and gain (Tmax-68)/R all day, with a (bogus) 5(Tmax-Tmin)|68-T| dynamic R-value.

Here is a list of US locations and equivalent R-values, based on NREL data:

location month Tmin Tmax dynamic R-value

Phila Jun 61.8 81.7 26.2
Phoenix Apr 55.3 84.5 76.8
Flagstaff Jul 50.5 81.9 92.3
Albuquerque Sep 55.2 81.9 222.5
Houston Apr 58.1 78.4 338.3
Las Vegas Oct 54.3 82.1 463.3
Elkins, WV Aug 56.2 79.3 577.5
Bakersfield Oct 54.8 80.7 647.5
Rock Springs, Jul 52.8 83.1 infinite!
Wyoming

Nick

Add Your Comment

Registered users, please make sure to Sign-In. We and others want to know your ideas and opinions. If you are not yet Registered -- it's quick and easy. Just click below.
Thanks!