Rammed Earth Homes
Rammed earth homes offer an eco friendly way of living. It is a technology which was used thousands of years ago as exemplified by the Great Wall of China and continues up to the present. It resembles adobe construction in that they both use soil mixed with waterproofing additives. Rammed earth however offers the advantage of not needing dry weather for the hardening of bricks with its soil and cement mixture which is a limitation of adobe. Rammed earth is applicable to any style of building. It is resistant to wind, fire, rain, and termites. It also stores the heat from the sun during winter months and blocks it during summer.
Rammed Earth Solar Homes Inc. is an Arizona based company founded by Quentin Branch, a former organic farmer and physics teacher. The company is backed up by thirty-three years of experience in coming up with innovative and earth-friendly sculptural architectural designs ranging from custom homes to churches and public art projects .
It also specializes in passive solar designs and rammed earth wall construction and offers technical consultation on such projects with architects and engineers world-wide. Rammed Earth Solar Homes Inc. is renowned for its designs which have grazed at least forty-five magazines worldwide including the March 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home magazine featuring ten inside pages, have been cited in newspapers such as New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and have been mentioned in nine books. One of the company's constructions, a thirty-eight-square-foot television studio, was named one of the top eighteen architectural achievements in Arizona. It also boasts of constructing the one of the first ever rammed earth homes in Aspen, Colorado. Among the many awards received by the company are 2000 House of the Year given by the American Institute of Architects and 2000 President's Award by the American Consulting Engineers Association.
Branch has taken his passion of teaching and offers "Rammit Yourself Workshops" in designing a home for passive solar function, reviewing earth building principles, choosing and testing materials, preparing earth mixes, and forming, tamping, and stripping walls.
Rammed Earth Solar Homes Inc. offers sustainable building from the ground up, literally and figuratively.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
solar homes?
how much would one save on Gas, electric, if they had solar panesl on their roof. Is it true that the government would help pay for the cost of installation?-
ANSWER:
There are programs from local utility companies and rebates for installing these. depending on how much you use and energy you create any excess you can sell back. savings depend on what you run off of them.
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QUESTION:
purpose of skylights in solar homes?
what are the purpose of skylights besides letting in direct sunlight. why do all solar homes have them in bedrooms and bathrooms?-
ANSWER:
For light.
If they let in the light, it reduces the need to run electric light.
I know you said what else, but that is their primary function.
I guess what they do is reduce electricity consumption.
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QUESTION:
How are solar homes constructed?
How are solar homes constructed? & why is the facing of the solar home important & how does it provide energy to the house?-
ANSWER:
Solar homes are generally oriented so they have a lot of window with a high U value and a large area facing south, Sarah. They typically have fewer, smaller windows on the east and west sides, and still fewer on the north side. This orientation ensures the house will pick up as much heat as possible in the winter months - think of a greenhouse trapping the heat of the sun. The summer sun is much higher in the sky, and the house's design prevents excessive heat gain in the summer by using awnings or by using the overhang of the roof to shade the windows. Alternately, living shade could be provided by deciduous trees near the house, since those trees would drop their leaves in the winter to allow the sun's heat to enter the house..The house may also include 'active' solar components, such as solar panels, which gather additional heat for hot water or heating the house, or which convert sunlight to electrical power.
In addition, solar homes are typified by energy efficient construction, from the insulation in their walls and attic, to appliances which wring energy from every dollar spent at the utility company. These would include the furnace, air conditioner, hot water tank, washer, dryer, etc.
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QUESTION:
Why is there not more passive solar homes ?
I am a Greek ,and the Greeks are the inventor of solar heat.I think that with all the green house effect, that Gov. should give more incentive to people who build a solar home.What do you folks think about it ?-
ANSWER:
I think that the Greek government wouldn't have to fully subsidise the costs of converting houses to be more energy-efficent, but as long as they show people graphically what really could/is happening due to global warming (such as possible local flooding, and not something very distant like ice-caps melting).Many people see people concerned with the environment as 'anti-industry', 'leftist' or 'paranoid', which isn't really the case. If people were educated more about the issue, this might not happen.
See the list of sources for more information:
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