This above link describes a passive solar home constructed in 2009 in Duluth, Minnesota. I like the concepts of the house and their thought process but think that it could have been less expensive to build and slightly more efficient using a few different methods.
- Spray EPS foam walls with 4'x8' foam sheets to break the thermal bridge and/or with offset 2x6 wall studs. Less labor intensive too.
- Instead of foam-cut sheets to fit between the floor joists, again use spray foam to offer a better R-value while make for a more airtight section. Again, less labor intensive.
- As they mentioned, at least 10% of the floor space to be high performance windows on the south facing elevation, instead of their claimed 8-9%.
- The article doesn't go into detail about the air sealing around the window frames. Taping in this area is a must.
Important to note: Duluth, MN, yearly heating degree days are very similar to Fort Kent. Approximately 8,000 for Duluth versus 8,300 for Fort Kent.
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