Understanding and directing thermal flow is crucial to how we interact with a space. Right now we just isolate our selves thermally, as much as possible, from the outside (which is if you think about it, against nature). I believe we have to learn (or relearn) how to work with thermal, instead of against it.
The latitude, altitude and exposure to elements--sun/heat, cold/wind, and water/vapor should help us choose optimal construction materials for our abodes. If space/area is abundant, then only the thermal properties of resistance, conductance, emissivity, and reflectivity should factor into the equation because one could use larger quantities or volumes of materials for strength, provided these don't degrade with exposure to the elements over time. It's very easy to choose materials for extreme latitudes because the seasonal variations aren't material. It's quite difficult to do so for latitudes or locales that have material variations between night and day or between the seasons. The seasonal variations , I suppose, could be overcome to some degree with good ventilation and extensive use of glass to optimise natural lighting because windows can be covered with blinds or blankets/curtains to inhibit or block the heat transfer via light energy, provided the windows are well insulated. One could then decide on where and how to stack the different natural or synthetic construction material based on where we want reflective and resistive surfaces and where we want conductive and emissive surfaces. Unless resistive surfaces have efficient conductive surfaces to serve as bridges, these entrap heat to serve as thermal masses. One could then design a house adapted to the night- and day-time and seasonal temperatures with a clever choice of heat transfer and storage media/systems. We could use a blend of climate sinks and radiators, batteries, heat pumps, and energy sources tied into the prevalent geothermal system to naturally control the climate with some support from artificial energy sources, provided the insulation, ventilation, and natural lighting systems are optimal. I would never compromise on luxury, never compromise on either the aesthetic or functionality, never punish myself with austerity, and never inconvenience myself (except for bare essential physical activity for biological and physical health), but I love the freedom and autonomy that self-sufficiency provides me with. I would adopt the following approach to designing my off-grid home: 1- I would orient the home towards the south in the northern hemisphere to maximize my exposure to the Sun. 2- I'll elevate the home for the view, the breeze and for protection against floods and snow. 3- I'll dig the basement at a depth of 8+ feet to have the same temperature year-round. I might even build into a hill, for the same reason, if it wouldn't ruin my view. 4- I'll build the top story to harness the Sun and to harvest the rainwater and//or snow: I'll use a conductive stone roof, large windows, good insulation and a sloping roof emptying out into a ceramic or concrete tank designed, as a still, to provide distilled drinking water. 5- I'll use the gravel on the driveway to filter and store tap water during the rains, and to also heat the water on sunny days. 6- I'll orient the house with some vents towards the Sun and others away from it to naturally generate air currents to warm or cool the house, and to also exhaust unwanted air. 7- I'll build a veranda around the house and choose an aperture to block the Summer Sun, but allow the Winter Sun in warm climes, or I would replace the Veranda with a conservatory or a small and high roof to maximize both the Winter and Summer Sun in very cold climes. 8- I'll maximize light and heat with windows, and use cane, whicker, woolen or cotton/rug blinds or wooden shutters to control light and heat. 9- I'll use an R60 insulation through the walls, floors and roofs and use the highest grade of insulation on the windows. I'll then run the piping for geothermal heat inside of the insulation, and cover the piping with a good conducting material, like metal, glass, or stone. 10- With regards to the interior decor, I'll use glass, metal, stone, granite and marble for conduction; concrete, sand and earth for heat storage; and wood, wool and rugs for insulation. 11- I'll build a large green house to fill the geothermal heat battery during the day and in warm weather, and store the heat in a heat-tank made of stones, gravel pieces, sand and earth, and place the geothermal piping (running an efficient fluid) inside this battery. 12- I'll use a blend of PV solar, wind(Liam turbine) and wave power(a magnet moving over a coil, a turbine, a water wheel, an air piston, etc.) during the day and wind, wave, hydel or sand-stored solar (stored as heat;don't like batteries) at night. 13- I'll use an ammonia- or other refrigerant-driven heat-pump for the most efficient use of heat energy. These will work my geothermal, refrigeration, air conditioning, heating and cooking systems. 14-- I might use a thermal-solar solution with parabolic troughs to heat an oil, store the heat in sand, and then drive a small turbine at night if there is no wind or wave power on that day. I'll also use the heat from this to replace the compression section of the heat-pump and to also heat water and cook. 15- I'll choose the insulation, conduction, convection and heat transfer systems(pumps) to be the most thermally efficient, but I'll choose the solar-thermal, solar PV, wind, wave and hydel energy generation systems and oil/water/gas/fluid; sand/gravel/concrete/ceramic other solid storage systems to be the most robust and lowest maintenance systems even if these are insufficient. 16- I might use electrolysis to harvest hydrogen from water and store that as ammonia for use in a vehicle, yacht, or aircraft driven with an ammonia fuel-cell or internal combustion engine. I don't like to store hydrogen in tanks because it is very volatile. 17- I'll use satellite, cellular, VHF, HF/SW, and MW communications and media systems.
Understanding and directing thermal flow is crucial to how we interact with a space. Right now we just isolate our selves thermally, as much as possible, from the outside (which is if you think about it, against nature). I believe we have to learn (or relearn) how to work with thermal, instead of against it.
The latitude, altitude and exposure to elements--sun/heat, cold/wind, and water/vapor should help us choose optimal construction materials for our abodes.
If space/area is abundant, then only the thermal properties of resistance, conductance, emissivity, and reflectivity should factor into the equation because one could use larger quantities or volumes of materials for strength, provided these don't degrade with exposure to the elements over time.
It's very easy to choose materials for extreme latitudes because the seasonal variations aren't material.
It's quite difficult to do so for latitudes or locales that have material variations between night and day or between the seasons.
The seasonal variations , I suppose, could be overcome to some degree with good ventilation and extensive use of glass to optimise natural lighting because windows can be covered with blinds or blankets/curtains to inhibit or block the heat transfer via light energy, provided the windows are well insulated.
One could then decide on where and how to stack the different natural or synthetic construction material based on where we want reflective and resistive surfaces and where we want conductive and emissive surfaces.
Unless resistive surfaces have efficient conductive surfaces to serve as bridges, these entrap heat to serve as thermal masses.
One could then design a house adapted to the night- and day-time and seasonal temperatures with a clever choice of heat transfer and storage media/systems.
We could use a blend of climate sinks and radiators, batteries, heat pumps, and energy sources tied into the prevalent geothermal system to naturally control the climate with some support from artificial energy sources, provided the insulation, ventilation, and natural lighting systems are optimal.
I would never compromise on luxury, never compromise on either the aesthetic or functionality, never punish myself with austerity, and never inconvenience myself (except for bare essential physical activity for biological and physical health), but I love the freedom and autonomy that self-sufficiency provides me with.
I would adopt the following approach to designing my off-grid home:
1- I would orient the home towards the south in the northern hemisphere to maximize my exposure to the Sun.
2- I'll elevate the home for the view, the breeze and for protection against floods and snow.
3- I'll dig the basement at a depth of 8+ feet to have the same temperature year-round. I might even build into a hill, for the same reason, if it wouldn't ruin my view.
4- I'll build the top story to harness the Sun and to harvest the rainwater and//or snow: I'll use a conductive stone roof, large windows, good insulation and a sloping roof emptying out into a ceramic or concrete tank designed, as a still, to provide distilled drinking water.
5- I'll use the gravel on the driveway to filter and store tap water during the rains, and to also heat the water on sunny days.
6- I'll orient the house with some vents towards the Sun and others away from it to naturally generate air currents to warm or cool the house, and to also exhaust unwanted air.
7- I'll build a veranda around the house and choose an aperture to block the Summer Sun, but allow the Winter Sun in warm climes, or I would replace the Veranda with a conservatory or a small and high roof to maximize both the Winter and Summer Sun in very cold climes.
8- I'll maximize light and heat with windows, and use cane, whicker, woolen or cotton/rug blinds or wooden shutters to control light and heat.
9- I'll use an R60 insulation through the walls, floors and roofs and use the highest grade of insulation on the windows. I'll then run the piping for geothermal heat inside of the insulation, and cover the piping with a good conducting material, like metal, glass, or stone.
10- With regards to the interior decor, I'll use glass, metal, stone, granite and marble for conduction; concrete, sand and earth for heat storage; and wood, wool and rugs for insulation.
11- I'll build a large green house to fill the geothermal heat battery during the day and in warm weather, and store the heat in a heat-tank made of stones, gravel pieces, sand and earth, and place the geothermal piping (running an efficient fluid) inside this battery.
12- I'll use a blend of PV solar, wind(Liam turbine) and wave power(a magnet moving over a coil, a turbine, a water wheel, an air piston, etc.) during the day and wind, wave, hydel or sand-stored solar (stored as heat;don't like batteries) at night.
13- I'll use an ammonia- or other refrigerant-driven heat-pump for the most efficient use of heat energy. These will work my geothermal, refrigeration, air conditioning, heating and cooking systems.
14-- I might use a thermal-solar solution with parabolic troughs to heat an oil, store the heat in sand, and then drive a small turbine at night if there is no wind or wave power on that day. I'll also use the heat from this to replace the compression section of the heat-pump and to also heat water and cook.
15- I'll choose the insulation, conduction, convection and heat transfer systems(pumps) to be the most thermally efficient, but I'll choose the solar-thermal, solar PV, wind, wave and hydel energy generation systems and oil/water/gas/fluid; sand/gravel/concrete/ceramic other solid storage systems to be the most robust and lowest maintenance systems even if these are insufficient.
16- I might use electrolysis to harvest hydrogen from water and store that as ammonia for use in a vehicle, yacht, or aircraft driven with an ammonia fuel-cell or internal combustion engine. I don't like to store hydrogen in tanks because it is very volatile.
17- I'll use satellite, cellular, VHF, HF/SW, and MW communications and media systems.
Very good