If you are planning to build a new log home, now is a great time to think about energy efficiency and your carbon footprint. Log homes are already energy efficient because of the thermal mass of the logs—they require less energy to heat and cool. But there is a lot more you can do to hold your energy costs down and make your home both comfortable and healthy to live in. In this issue, we’re looking at solar energy, particularly the use of photovoltaic panels. Why Go Solar? Energy from the sun is renewab…

Going green is easy these days, especially when you are  building a new home. With the cost of fossil fuels increasing annually and the damage they cause the environment more evident every day, it’s a good time to reduce your carbon footprint, save some money on utilities, and make your living environment comfortable and healthy. Adding an alternative energy system to a log home is no more difficult than installing a standard HVAC system, but it does require a different set of skills and equipment….

Collect  heat from the sun through windows. Ideally, windows should face within 30 degrees of due south. Absorb that heat with a storage element such as a masonry wall, a stone floor, or a water container that sits in the direct path of the sunlight. Store  the heat you’ve soaked up within that wall, floor, or container. The right materials will do that naturally. Distribute heat from the storage element to different areas of the house via conduction (the way heat moves through …