25 Alternative Energy Strategies – 3

For homestead and/or community independence

A Happy Solar Homestead

When we discuss alternative energy strategies, any able homesteader is going to be concerned with building and various secondary retrofits to homes, barns and outbuildings. The more energy the homestead can gain passively – or conserve passively – the less energy will be required to supplement.

In these strategies 11-15 of the series, we’ll look at some of the ways a homesteader can use smart, green building practices and technologies to lessen their dependence on supplied energy sources.

Part 3: Building Technologies & Alternatives

11. Passive Solar Siting and Construction

Whether you’re building a new house or barn, or simply retrofitting to what’s already there, strategies for making the most of nature where you live will help to save on energy inputs.

To make the most of passive solar, consider how much direct sunlight falls on your homesite throughout the year. If you get ample sun (have a site that has an ample southerly exposure), plan accordingly. Big windows (with no significant overhang) can provide direct solar heating in the winter. Dark stain or paint on the south wall will also absorb heat from the sun. Conversely, walls that are mostly or entirely shaded during the day, plus the north wall, should have as few windows as is reasonable.

Limit heat gain in summer by planting deciduous trees (apples are good) fairly close. Also bear in mind that any south-facing roof is a good place to put solar panels or solar collectors for hot water (or both). If you do install these, you’ll want retractible awnings for your south windows because you don’t want any summer shade trees interfering.

Green Building Basics

12. Earth-Sheltered Building

A home sheltered on 2 or 3 sides with the earth itself will maintain a much steadier temperature all year round. It will be warmer in winter (and hold heat better), cooler in summer than a fully above-ground dwelling. The same is true for barns if your homestead includes livestock, as well as for spring houses and/or root cellars.

There are now “sod roof” designs too, though these also require clever planning. Plus, if you’re growing grass or wildflowers on the roof, you won’t have it available for solar collectors. The plus again is insulation as well as heating/cooling supplied by the earth and plants themselves. Because our property slopes steeply to a side-ridge next to the cabin I’ve been considering a cute little Hobbit-House dug right into it – round door and all. If I ever get a backhoe, that’s just what I’ll do. Until then, I’ll be content that the first floor is earth sheltered on 3 sides. Works great.

Earth Sheltering

New Green Building Technology: Dirt Floors

13. Supplemental Heating and Cooling

Depending on where your homestead is located in this big country, your needs for heat and cooling will be tied directly to your microclimate. If you live in a climate that requires supplemental cooling in summer (and can’t earth-berm), a water cooling system is probably the most energy efficient bet. Moving air is always good, window and attic fans work well. You can always wet your tee-shirt and sit next to the fan, be cooled in no time! Or take some time off and go soak in the cold creek.

For supplemental heat a good size homestead should be able to use wood – a renewable resource. Simply maintaining a sizeable stand of forest can supply a lot of wood from thinned saplings, standing dead and windfall (you’ll want to keep your forested acreage well anyway to diminish chance of fire). If your woods are limited be sure to replant what you take, and choose fast growing hardwoods (like tulip poplar or locust) instead of evergreen conifers (soft woods like pine and fir).

Wood Heat Stoves & Solar

Central Boiler: Outdoor Furnace

14. Recycle All the Building Materials You Can

When building or adding on (or even doing some serious remodeling) always try to get recycled building materials if you can. There are businesses in almost every good-size town/city that specialize in recycled materials – used bricks and cinder blocks, poles and logs from old houses and barns, hardwood floors, windows, doors, ceramic tile, barn and house sidings, bathroom and kitchen fixtures and plumbing, even cool interior touches like railings and finials and moldings and such. Not only do these generally cost much less than new, sometimes an able homesteader can get great materials for free by offering to tear down an old barn or dwelling and salvage what he can.

Neighbors can often help supply materials as well, so get to know them. We’ve picked up many a brick, cinder block, window, door and other supplies from people who have been collecting for years, and are trying to make room for the new “free stuff” they’re collecting. Every recycled item you use to improve your homestead is energy NOT wasted by anybody else to produce new. It’s also money saved.

ReNew Building Materials & Salvage

15. Long Term Food Storage

While home food preservation (canning, drying, freezing) is its own separate series, the wise homesteader will want to make best use of strategies for long-term food storage that don’t require extra energy inputs. One of the best strategies for long-term food storage makes double use of a spring house/root cellar combination. Even if you have a well for house water, you can use this strategy at your creek or any natural springs on the property.

Flowing water – particularly spring-fed or ground water – tends to be cold and stay within a small temperature range year round. Our spring house (10×10 feet square) was dug into the mountainside at creek level many years before we moved here. There is a concrete plastered cinder block trough along the back wall, parallel to the hillside. A pipe coming through at one end brings spring water (~40º all the time) into the trough steadily. The trough has an overflow pipe on the other side that drains it back to the creek. This cold water also moderates the temperature in the space, and I’m fond of storing melons in the trough during the summer so they’re always cold but take up no room in the house fridge.

Any root vegetables (rutabega, beets, parsley root, celeriac, potatoes, turnips, onions, carrots), winter squash, pumpkins and fruit like apples and pears can be stored in this cellar in straw (so they don’t touch directly) for up to 9 months without significant spoilage and no freeze damage. I have seen in-ground root cellar/spring houses of this design in Oklahoma that work every bit as well as mine. Also have seen this design used in a house cellar food storage area in Pennsylvania, built before there was refrigeration and with a trough the entire width of the farmhouse that served refrigeration needs very well.

Peace and Carrots: Root Cellar

Walton: The Root Cellar Home Page

In part 4 of this series – items 16-20 – we’ll look again at energy systems for producing electricity or otherwise readily usable juice, this time at hybrid systems that combine several strategies at the same time to get the most usable power from the most readily available sources. Do stay tuned!

Posts to This Series:
Part 1: Electrical Generation
Part 2: Transportation and Motorized Equipment
Part 3: Building Technologies & Direct Alternatives
Part 4: Hybrid Energy Systems
Part 5: Collective Strategies for Communities

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