Site planning

A lot of thought and consideration has been made regarding where exactly we want our house. Making a decision has been based upon a number of factors including land availability, site access, location from work/school, scenic views, road length, utility installation costs and price.  As our our entire design idea is based upon passive solar, geography, placement and sun availability had to be one of the biggest priorities.   

As a passive solar house costs ~15-25% more as compared to a traditional build, we needed to take into consideration the extraneous costs associated with the site(s) to stay within our budget.  Of the two sites available, one was perfect for a passive solar home, allowing for unobstructed sun from at least 9am-3pm (in the winter) which is necessary to provide sufficient solar heating for a home.  It had magnificient views (although our orientation would not be looking at it) but its lack of tree cover from the west and north made it exposed, with the winter wind buffeting and trying to penetrate our building envelop.  It turns out that our driveway at this site would have been too costly and time consuming to maintain in the winter.  As it was located in a field it would have been ~1,400 feet long with 2 steep sections, clearing drifting snow would have required a large and very costly compact tractor (upwards of ~$40K).  It was also about 4 miles away from town on a busy road; not a far commute by any means but a challenge once the kids got older and had the option and independence of biking to town/school and being with friends.  Moreover, installation of utility poles would have cost at least $6K (and potentially much more by the time we build as prices will be increasing substantially in the near future as our local utility company adopts Bangor Hydro pricing ).  Lastly, ledge would not have allowed for a basement which we wanted for a garage, work shop and storage. 

The second site is about 1 mile from the center of town and offers a slightly shorter and more gradual climb from the main road.  The road will end up being about 200 feet shorter but most importantly it will be protected from the wind so that snow drifts won't be an issue.  It is a heavily wooded lot but will be harvested to allow for the maximum sun exposure.  The amount of clearing is still being determined.  I'm thinking about harvesting several trees on the lot to make into beams for the great room.  They are mostly hardwood, consisting of yellow birch, beech and maple species.  We estimate the tree harvesting from the road and the lot will pay for the ground work and road construction.  Getting electrical lines will be much less expensive than the first site.  Currently, Maine Public Service Company provides the first 300 feet for free and then charges $6.22 per foot.  Our house location would be approximately 350-400 feet from the nearest utility pole, making it substantially cheaper than the first site.   

Below is the proposed road.  Its length is ~1,100 feet with a steep early decent from the main road, leveling off towards a stream and a gradual rise to the home site.

Below is the proposed utility line from my father's existing pole near his garage.  Its length is ~370 feet.

One thing that has remained constant throughout our site determination is our home's orientation to take in the most sun possible during the winter months.  190-195 degrees is required for our south facing windows.

More on sun geometry coming up.