SOLAR HOME
Passive home design
Imagine living in a solar home with no electric bills – ever!
Sited on two acres in northern Colorado, this custom solar home achieves the client’s primary request to have a home that is both active and passive solar in design. Years after moving in, the owners still have yet to pay for electricity.
The solar home is powered by a
- 5.4 kW PV system,
- Two-panel domestic solar hot water system,
- High-efficiency boiler to drive the in-floor radiant heating system.
Cooling is achieved primarily through proper design and orientation; a Tamarack whole-house fan and Fujitsu mini-splits are available for those long, hot summer days when the edge needs to be removed in the afternoon.
Acid-stained concrete floors, solid-surface counters, and hardwood throughout make the design of this solar home durable and timeless.
This Fort Collins area home is Energy Star rated – a home energy rating score (HERS) of 34 makes it very comfortable year-round.
Lamar Valley Craftsman collaborated with Architect – Todd Wilderman, on this home project.
From the very first phone conversation with Barry Schram to the move into our house, we had a very positive and rewarding experience working with Barry and his team of professionals. We had assembled and developed a checklist of features we wanted in our home covering everything from green building techniques and materials to indoor air quality standards to active/passive solar features. Barry worked with us and our checklist to develop a strategy that met our goal of an energy-efficient, healthy, and sustainable house with a balance for affordability. We have a home that was built sustainability and that is very comfortable year around, healthy to live in and extremely energy efficient.
Barry’s business practices made the building process easy and pleasant. He gave us good advice, noting the benefits and drawbacks of each decision that we sought his advice on. The budget and payment process was open and easy to follow, keeping us advised on how we were doing with the construction costs related to each and every building step. Barry’s estimated costs in the budget were quite accurate, so there were no unforeseen surprises. The attention to detail, even before actual construction began, helped to keep the project flowing and on time. Barry’s management of the schedule and the sub-contractors’ schedules was excellent. The sub-contractors that he referred us to were knowledgeable, helpful, and pleasant to work with.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Barry Schram and Lamar Valley Craftsman as your builder.
Diana Benson, Finishes & Client Coordinator
John Burfeind, Site Superintendent
Kelly Pytluk, Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper