Sunstar House
Paul Shippee, Designer

This state-of-the-art, third generation passive solar home, with 2800 sq. ft. of living area, was designed and constructed by Colorado Sunworks, incorporating eight years of research in the field of solar energy. It is a work of art, designed to maximize the living space, while creating a natural sense of warmth and beauty. Mass Trombe walls and vertical rock storage provide 80% of the home's heating requirements by utilizing both active and passive solar technology. Reaching out to every room is the two-story greenhouse space, created for added living enjoyment, a means for food production, and a dependable source of heat. Indirect light floods into this home, illuminating the living space.

Special features include:

• 610 sq. ft. of South-facing glass; air lock entry
• computerized set-back thermostat
• breadbox water heaters
• air-tight siding
• super-insulation with R25 walls and R39 ceilings
• Velux operating skylights
• sun-protective awnings;
• time-released rock storage
• mass Trombe wall
• radiant forced air gas heating
• convenient laundry chute
• pantry
• tiled greenhouse patio with perfect hot tub site
• French doors opening into the greenhouse
• exciting living space dimensions with sun nooks energizing otherwise lost space
• Truly, a home with the flexibility for elaborate entertaining or simple family togetherness
  

First Floor

The central kitchen is a true solar hearth, which overlooks the sunspace/greenhouse. Fanning from the kitchen is a very large dining room to the East and a living room to the West, both ideally situated to incorporate the greenhouse for family entertaining.

Second Floor

Upstairs, three master-sized bedrooms have vaulted ceilings, reaching out to the Southern skies: Balconies have been provided for access into the sunspace from all bedrooms.

Winter Mode

Summer Mode

The full set of plans comes packaged with a free copy of Paul Shippee's book THE LANGUAGE OF SOLAR ENERGY: Heat Loss & Solar Gain for Buildings. All the basic concepts and methods are clearly illustrated for designing a solar heated residence. Exercises and illustrations are included to help you understand and get a working knowledge so you can design your own solar heated building. Learn how to think simply about seemingly complicated topics like heat transfer, load calculation methods, thermal storage, sun angles, solar radiation, climate, etc. Written for owner-builders and professionals alike.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Language of Energy -Definitions -Units -Quality of Energy -Temperature and Heat -Efficiency -Net Energy -Conversion of Energy Units
Heat Transfer Fundamentals -Conduction -Convection -Radiation
Heating Load Application -Heat Loss Calculation -Dynamics of Insulation
Solar Radiation I -Sun Angles -Insolation Values
Solar Radiation II -Climate Data -Availability of Solar Energy

Description	Price	Add to Shopping Cart
Construction Review Set*	$160
5 Sets of Blueprints	$700
Extra Set of Blueprints (only available with the purchase of above)	$40 each
Erasable Vellums	$980

*1 11x17 Mini Set of Construction Drawings, marked FOR REVIEW ONLY; NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION. The cost can be deducted from future orders for blueprints, vellums, of the same plan if ordered within 6 months.