The Weather is HOT

Finally, talking about the weather is no longer small talk. This fall, the CBER (Center for Building Energy Research) team will be working toward understanding what it’s really like to live in a passive solar home that uses building design for climate control instead of mechanical means (such as air conditioning). Part of what makes solar home living such a rewarding lifestyle is how you are able to adjust your surroundings in ways that use almost no energy, and save money to make yourself comfortable, whether it’s snowing, cloudy, or 70 degrees. Occupying a passive solar home also gives you an intimate connection with the climate conditions outdoors. 

Passive solar home designers create buildings and homes that allow their residents to be comfortable, sustainable, and live affordably. Typically, architects and builders are only given a few basic measurements to design a passive solar home, and most of the time, those few measurements do a pretty good job at helping us design and build a comfortable living space. But here at Iowa State University's Interlock House solar home, we want to know exactly what it is that makes solar homes comfortable.

Reading this right now at the Interlock House? Please fill out a survey and let us know what you’re thinking. You are no longer an ordinary passerby reading this blog post. You now have an important task as someone who possesses a specific belief about what is comfortable, whether that means you think our solar home is too bright, or the bedroom was the only comfortable room in the whole house. Don’t be shy, we want to know!