Passive Solar & Masonry Heater in Bocabec

A number of features have been added to the house to make it more efficient, such as the use of strapping (to reduce thermal bridging), putting insulation on the exterior of the concrete foundation (so as to maximize thermal mass), and lots of insulation in the walls and ceiling. The house is also somewhat submerged in a hill, so as to provide extra protection from the elements. Local materials were used for constructing the house, such as local harvested trees cut at a local, water powered mill. Bricks for the masonry heater came from Lewiston, Maine, the closest source for brick, which are hand made.

The house also includes a Phoenix composting toilet to reduce water use and to negate the use of a full septic system.

The house is a passive solar design, with all the major windows facing south. The concrete floor has been painted dark colours so as to absorb more heat, to be released throughout the day and night. Most of the windows also have overhang to reduce the amount of solar heat during the summer. This provides a good amount of heat during the winter months, and helps regulate the temperature when the owners are not home.

A masonry heater was installed at the time when the house was constructed. It is designed in such a way that it produces a very hot fire — 1000 °C (1832.0 °F) — with the heat travelling through a number of chambers before rising up the chimney, where it leaves the house at roughly 93 °C (199.4 °F). The heat is trapped in the fireplace (9100 kg (20000 lbs.) of brick), where it is given off over a 24-hour period, with most of the heat given off over the first 12 hours. The owner lights a fire at night (and again in the morning on very cold days), and uses a top burning technique to achieve a hotter, clearer fire. Masonry heaters are one of the most efficient ways to use wood heat.

Future additions to the home include building a greenhouse on the south side and integrating a hot water system in the fireplace to improve the use of wood heat.