Clip from
Invention Nation on Discovery Channel of Solarray's
electric vehicles which includes s glimpse of the Solar Castle
If
you are considering building a green home, take a virtual
tour of this stunning wind & solar powered house in
Taos, New Mexico. The architectural
details & fine amenities of this unique home make you
feel like you’re living in a luxury mansion.
To
collect the warmth of the sun the castle is oriented on an east/west
axis with lots of southern windows, including a 36 sq ft trombe
window. To store it there’s a brick on sand floor, while
the adobe walls are more than two feet thick downstairs and over
a foot thick upstairs. And to prevent its loss there are insulating
drapes and blinds throughout and a massive earthen berm on the
north side. The sun’s heat is also collected in six solar
hot water panels that provide hot water to the domestic system
and the radiant floor heating system.
Sixteen
100w panels can provide beauty and power as well as shade for
the columbine growing underneath.
Ancient technology combined with modern science
embodied in a wind turbine promises a bright future
for all of us.
Green
electricity is provided by a Bergey 1Kw wind generator and a 1616watt
photovoltaic array. The local electric company also offers wind
power for a small premium. Low usage, high efficiency appliances,
like the Sunfrost fridge, minimize power consumption. The Staber
washing machine combines high efficiency with low water usage
(especially desirable in our high desert region).
What
the castle doesn’t have is just as important. There is a
hook up for, but no clothes dryer. Washing dries faster on a line
here in the desert. There’s no garbage disposal unit. We
use few kitchen appliances and then only rarely. We grind coffee
beans by hand, make ice cream and cut the lawn the same way. We
turn lights off when leaving a room. With all the green features
it is still wise to adopt a conservative lifestyle. However, with
a grid intertie, the system can accommodate any lifestyle.
Electrical System
Two
of the buried rain catch cisterns.
The third is on the north side.
Rain
water is collected off the roof in three 1700 gallon cisterns
connected to faucets and used for watering the gardens. Black
and grey water are separated, thus providing double the area that
benefits from the moisture in the leach fields. Perhaps half the
property (more than three acres) has undergone land reclamation
using Perma-culture principles and is mulched with straw. Mulch
is absolutely necessary for a healthy garden here where it often
might not rain for a month or two. Drought tolerant trees and
plants are employed in the landscaping.
