PACE Solar Tour Featured Homes & Businesses!

Solar pioneers of extraordinary farsightedness, Betsy and Henry Noble worked with top solar architect Don Watson to create this amazing underground house. The use of concrete in construction, as well as other successful insulation techniques, has resulted in a home warmed by the sun in the winter and cooled by the earth and the shade of deciduous trees in the summer. If the house were unheated, the temperatures inside it would never drop below 42 degrees F. in the winter. The three feet of earth insulating the roof are a garden for wildflowers and sometimes even a haven for deer.

Skylights and windows of low-e glass bring in natural light. Light shelves on the south-facing windows prevent overheating in the summer, and a unique fireplace heater with a complex flue system warms the large thermal mass. Solar hot water panels and a small solar electric system help heat the water and light the lamps. Beautiful environmental landscaping completes the delightful impression of this unique and appealing structure.

This large and handsome 1930 s white brick house has special owners who are committed to environmental action. Their sincerity is represented by the slate rooftop installation of three 4 x 8 drain-back solar hot water panels installed by Sunsearch of Guilford. Comparisons of 1998 and 1999 October gas bills showed a 38 % drop in gas usage after the panels were installed. In addition, 22 Siemens photovoltaic panels supply electricity to the house, with any surplus going into the grid, spinning the meter backwards and enabling the owners to further lower their bills and to share their electric power with other CL&P customers. Batteries supplying power for three cloudy days will supply electricity for critical needs in case of a power failure.

This house is a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright and his early understanding of passive solar energy. Designed by Robert Mutreux and based on a 1948 Wright Usonian design, this one-story building welcomes the winter sun but is shielded from summer solar gain by an immense overhang. Black slate floors absorb the solar heat in the winter and help cool John and Sarah Koster s house in the summer. Radiant heat in the floor and ceiling, plus a glorious yard of myrtle, add to the intriguing features of this sensible and peaceful home.

This eight-unit apartment building has the largest single installation of solar electric shingles in the United States. The 14.5 Kilowatt system is really three side-by-side systems which will be monitored by engineering students and faculty. A utility-interactive design using flexible amorphous silicone shingles, this attractive and innovative technology will help to reduce the occupants electric energy bills; act as a backup system for two units in case of power failure; will help at certain periods to send surplus energy to United Illuminating customers and will also act as an educational and research tool.

A leader in Connecticut s solar pioneering initiative, architect John Rountree has designed a passive solar office attached to his 1910 farmhouse in Westport. Powering this space are 12 Astropower 120-watt photovoltaic modules that are tied into the utility grid. The system sells power back to the utility when the panels supply more electricity than needed. However, with the flick of a switch, John can go off the grid and a battery back-up system will power his office as well as the refrigerator and furnace in his home. Ideal in case of a grid power failure as well as for daily use, this installation is a clear example of the silent, non-polluting and elegant usefulness of photovoltaics.

Built against a protective mountainside, this passive solar Japanese-style contemporary is a showpiece of stone, natural wood and breathtaking vistas.Visitors to the 2,300-square-foot house will learn about passive solar design, stone-faced masonry heaters, propane-fueled radiant floor heating, double-glazed Argon low-e rated windows, non-toxic Icynene insulation, air-exchange ventilation systems, non-petroleum oil finishes, very low VOC paints, energy efficient appliances, and environmental landscaping. Dramatic and unusual, the house’s architecture and landscaping reflect the owners’concern for environmental health, beauty and practicality. Other features include a wooden bridge over a waterfall, a Japanese moss garden, tree post columns and outstanding woodwork. Research materials, clean energy information and a unique daylighting system will be on display here as well.

Home to a family of five, this cozy 1850 Federal style house is a treat for people who love wood, stone, New England architecture, an environmental lifestyle and superior craftsmanship. The original passive solar construction has been improved through the addition of insulation, chimneys, fascinating cabinetry, skylights, a cellar bulk food storage and seedling area, arched doorways, a soapstone bake oven heater, waxed plaster walls, a solar woodshed, a solid cherry oval-beaded glass door and marble counters on chestnut cabinets. The shop and office, home of New England Hearth and Soapstone, have superior insulation and a two-story Swedish tile heater that reuses heat through a complex series of flues. Surrounded by organic gardens, this site is a prime example of living stewardship.