interesting house

[llashram]

https://www.mainepublic.org/environment-and-outdoors/2023-01-25/this-maine-home-can-stay-70-degrees-without-a-furnace-even-when-its-freezing-outside

just reading different topics, and stumbled on this one...

[hlthe2b]

1. Insulation is key, but they also have a small heat pump--something I'd like to look into...

[dembotoz]

2. what about cooling?

summers get hot......but maybe not in maine?

[Lettuce Be]

3. Have had heat pump forever -- it heats and cools, that's the difference from a furnace

A furnace only heats. A heat pump is basically like a furnace plus air conditioning. Can't imagine getting along without one now that it gets hot (we had 117° here a couple of years back).

Curious if they also have solar -- don't see panels on the roof.

[Delarage]

4. My friends in Maine

Did not care about any of this, unfortunately. Some of us tried to talk them into getting solar panels, properly orienting the house, etc. They were more concerned with getting a hot tub, etc. If I get a house built, it's going to be built passive-style. Such a no-brainer--but people are short-sighted.

I've been watching a guy named Matt Risinger's "Build Show" on Youtube. He builds houses like this and has great reviews of energy-saving equipment.

[womanofthehills]

5. my house is two story passive solar

South side is just about all windows. I'm in NM with tons of sun so winter in my house without heat can be over 80 degrees - sometimes so warm I open the windows.

My honey used to build houses so he and I built my house over 5 yrs. His house also has all south windows with 50 gallon drums 3 high in windows so temp is always perfect. I originally had one row of drums but wanted the view.

My bathroom has 3 large south facing windows and I have four clear drums with blue dye in the windows to heat in winter.

I also have roof solar pannels connected to grid.