National Tour of Solar Homes

Connecticut

Join us in Connecticut on Saturday, October 13 to celebrate a statewide "Clean Energy Day." In addition to visiting homes on the Solar Homes Tour, you will have the opportunity to participate in a number of events focusing on clean energy. Read the details.

There will also be a PV 101 workshop organized by NESEA that will take place at the New Canaan Nature Center on Saturday, November 10th, 2001from 9am-4pm. For more information click here.

Bethlehem 104 Deerwood Drive

Contact Name: Robert Maddox Jr Phone #: 203-266-5958 email: sun1solarfarm@worldnet.att.net

Directions: Right off route 61 in Bethlehem near Woodbury town line, look for big sign.

Home Information: Architect: Tommy Thompson
Builder: Charlie Aldridge
Size:1500 sq ft
Construction Cost:$84 sq ft=$123,000
Year Built:1993-94
Building Style: Modified Colonial Cape
Location: Rural

Solar Features: Passive solar design. Over 50 energy-saving technologies employed throughout the house. Utilities: 500 gallons of oil per yr, approx $28 a month for electricity.

Aggressively passive solar house with solar thermal panels, super insulated Hurd casement windows.
Open loft design featuring native hardwood oak floors. House is surrounded by certified organic gardens.

Burlington 12 Highfield Drive

Contact Name: J. Thomas Werle Phone #: 860-673-6823 email:

Directions: Exit 39 Rt. 84, Tr. 4 thru Farmington & Unionville to Burlington. Turn left at caution light on Rt.4(Farmington River is on your right) 1/2 mi.on right is Barnes Hill Rd., turn onto Barnes Hill Rd. This road winds in shape of an "S" and is very steep. Complete the "S" being careful not to take Deerfield Trace. Turn left onto Highfield Drive. We are at 12 Highfield (the third house on the right).

Home Information: Designer: Thomas Werle
Builder: Thomas Werle
Construction cost: $80,000 w/land
Size: 3,008 sq. ft. Year Built: 1978
Building style: New design starting from Salt Box Location: Rural

Utilities: Heat-Passive Solar & Wood (less than 2 cords). Electric Bill-$19/month average. Oil for hot water $98.85 150 gal. every 3 years, Propane-$30. per year.

Solar Features: Passive solar with solar hot water for domestic use to be reinstalled next year. The panels were removed because the roof had to be re-shingled. The panels will be mounted above the deck. The home is also highly insulated and has insulating blinds. It is perfectly orientated for solar heat gain. My home was the feature home of the 1979 PACE Solar Energy Tour. I designed the home after a lot of research.

Eastford 7 Stone Mill Lane

Contact Name: Richard G. Mackowiak Phone #: 860-974-1803

Directions: On Rt 44 in Eastford, CT. 400 feet east of the intersection of Rt 44 and Rt 198, look for the “HYDRO” sign.

Home Information: The hydroelectricity produced supplies all the electric needs at the residence, some excess is sold to the utility company.

The hydroelectric facility was originally built in 1830. It was repaired during the 1990s and put in service in 2000.

Architect: Richard G. Mackowiak
Builder: Richard G. Mackowiak

Fairfield Fairfield University North Benson Road

Please note that this location is open between 10 a.m. & 12 noon only. There will be someone on site familiar with the solar system during this time only. Plentiful parking.

Contact Name: Dr. E. Hadjimichael Phone #: 203-254-4147 email: hadjm@fair1.fairfield.edu

Directions: Exit 22 on I-95 - North on N. Benson Road, Fairfield. Go through a set of 2 traffic lights, skip first entrance on left, and enter through the main Fairfield University entrance. Follow the road to tennis courts, bear right following signs to Dolan Campus. Look for Townhouse10.

Home Information: Building Style: Student residence, 8 apartments under one roof
Location: Suburban/Urban

Solar Features: A 2,800 sq. ft.. solar roof generating 12.5 kWh will supply 60% of electrical needs in four apts. We have installed 780 solar shingles. The roof is esthetically pleasing and a regular roof. Materials are guaranteed for twenty years.

Groton 4 Neptune Drive

Contact Name: William Glazier Phone #: 860-245-3647 email: wglazier@neca.com

Please note that this location is open between 2:00 and 4:00p.m. only.

Directions: Exit Rte. I95 at exit #88. Rt on Rte. 117. Left on Rte. 1, rt on Rte. 215. Continue straight ahead. Do not turn left to Mystic on 215. Pass Fisherman’s Restaurant. Straight through stop sign. Rt at blinking yellow light. Left. on Colong Rd. Second Rt. on Bass Rd. that angles into Anchorage Circle around boat lagoon. Anchorage Circle turns right at end around Neptune Dr. Williamsburg blue house. Road becomes Neptune Dr. around bend. Anchorage Circle and Neptune Dr. parking around house.

Home Information: Property Name: Glazier Residence
Architect: Donald J. Watson, FAIA
Size:2,300 sq.ft.
Year Built: 1982
Building Style: Contemporary passive solar
Location: Beach Front

Solar Features: South facing plate glass patio doors, solar greenhouse and Creative Enclosures glassed-in upstairs porch. Roll shutters on all patio doors provide additional summer and winter options. Solar domestic hot water system. Four-story heat exhaust and lighting shaft. Rock vault for solar heated air storage. Cantilever seasonal sun regulation. Open house design. 50-60% solar heated. Solar home has been featured twice before on National Tour of Solar Homes. Roll shutters and Creative Enclosures four season glass enclosure are new. A solar museum of photovoltaic powered small-scale cars and boats has just been built.

New Milford The Pratt Center 163 Papermill Rd

Contact Name: Lee McIntire Phone #: 860-355-3137 email:

Directions: From Litchfield: South on 202 about 15miles into Northville section of New Milford, past Northville Market and fire station on right, 2nd right onto Papermill Rd.

From Rte 84: Rte 7 North. Follow 7 into New Milford. At McDonalds on left, take 1st right over river onto 202, through several lights down hill, go left at fork to stay on 202. Go through 3 traffic lights, past New Milford Hospital on left, approx 3 miles , Papermill rd. will be on left.

Home Information: Builder: Pacific Yurts / Bridgewater Solar Works
Year built: 1998 Size: 30’ diameter Style: Yurt Cost: $9,700

Solar Features: system in 30’ diameter yurt powered by six fixed 75W PV panels, four Trojan L16 360A batteries. Runs internal and external lights. Has been in place two years and is used year round. System designed by Ed Witkin at Bridgewater Solar Works.

Roxbury 41 Transylvania Rd.

Contact Name: Michael Trolle Phone #: 203-733-1291 email: mike@buildingperformanceservices.com

Directions: From Hartford and Points North:
1) I-84 south/west to exit 15, 2) right at ramp onto Rte 6 North for approx. 2miles, 3) left onto Rte. 67 approx. 2 miles to intersection with large white church on left (ignore Transylvania Rd. on right at intersection), 4) continue on 67 approx. 6/10 of a mile to “Roxbury Town Limits sigh on right side of road, 5) go 300ft. to Transylvania Rd., on right (very small road and hard to see), 6) go 4/10 mile to first driveway on left. This is a shared driveway and you will see #s 39 and 41 at the entrance.

From Danbury and points South:
1) I-84 North/East to exit 14, 2) left at ramp and straight through light onto Rte. 172 North for appox. 4 miles, 3) left onto Rte. 67 at intersection with big white church on right (ignore Transylvania Rd. at intersection), 4) follow steps 4-6 above.

Home Information: Architect: Tom Hartman, Coldham Architects
Builder: Building Performance Construction Services, LLC
Construction cost compared to conventional construction: The house will cost $130/sf to build, which is higher than the cost of a conventional spec house. However, the special features of this house are much more representative of a custom house.
Size: 2200 SF with additional storage space
Building style: Craftsman
Year Built: 2001
Location: Suburban/rural
Utility Information: Not available
Special Considerations: Please remove shoes at the door

Solar Features: The house is oriented to true south with large south-facing windows. These are fiberglass windows with glazing that features an argon gas fill, a low-e coating, and a relatively high SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient). The construction is slab-on-grade, which provides an insulated 4” thick concrete floor for heat absorption. There is a radiant heating system embedded in the slab. This system will sense solar heat gain and redistribute the heat to the rest of the house via the radiant tubing in the slab. The south-facing windows are protected from unwanted summer heat gain by roof overhangs, the size of which was determined by using computer modeling. This new house incorporates residential building science to achieve performance goals that include efficiency, high indoor air quality, enhanced comfort, occupant safety, low maintenance and high durability at a reasonable cost. These goals are achieved by building the house to be air tight and providing continuous mechanical ventilation for the occupants. Airtight construction is achieved by using a precast concrete wall system, EPDM gaskets, and both low and high expansion foams. Ventilation is provided by an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) that distributes air via an airtight duct system. Insulation is a crucial component of a well-built house. Insulation products used in this house include fiberglass bats, dense-pack and loose-blown cellulose, high expansion Icyene foam, extruded polystyrene (Dow blueboard). Most building failures involve moisture. Multiple strategies have been utilized in this house to control moisture generated from both interior and exterior sources.

Willimantic John Ashton Tower 621 Valley St

Contact Name: Bruce Borvers Phone #: 860-456-2551 email:

Directions: From Hartford: Take 84 East to 384 Providence. 384 to Rt 6 Willimantic. Right onto Willimantic by-pass, take first exit (Rt 32 South). Make a left at Sherwin Williams Store (you will see a McDonald’s on your right). Take 2nd right and go to 621 Valley St.

Park in the main lot along the outside row facing the street.

Home Information: Engineer of System: CT Energy Cooperative
Builder: Solarworks, Inc.
Building Style: 100 unit apartment building
Year Built: 1973
Location: Urban
Utility Info: All electric building, including heat.

Solar Features: Federally subsidized elderly housing. Administered by Willimantic Housing Authority. 100 units. 48 Astropower photovoltaic modules
2 Buck Boost Transformers (Acme)
2 DC/AC inverters (Suntie)
Prototype expandable array producing DC power. Conversion of AC output to serve a 120/208 volt 3 phase AC load panel.

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