This new, passive solar home is built with a South-Southwest orientation, which is best for collecting heat and light from the sun. This home has large, efficient windows (double pane, low e) gathering heat all day, which is trapped by this highly efficient house (lots of insulation and tight building envelope). This makes the home very comfortable, with it being hot inside on days of −30 °C (−22 °F) or lower. On cold days with no sun, a wood pellet stove provides backup heating.
This 490 m2 (5275 sq. ft.) home has an R-2000 level of efficiency and costs no more than a home of comparable size. The passive solar aspect then helps to meet up to 50% of the heating needs of the home at no extra cost. The owners also helped keep costs reasonable by helping with construction of the home, clean up, etc. All bought and produced materials that are incorporated in this house were sourced locally when possible, such as the use of local cedar for the ceilings and flooring.
