Energy use in the home is a significant contributor to climate change and solar houses are part of the solution. Carleton University’s Ian Beausoleil-Morrison has been studying solar energy concepts for years – in the lab and through computer simulations. He has partnered with Urbandale Construction to design a solar house on campus that yields real-world data that could change the way we heat and cool our homes. The energy-saving design includes solar thermal collectors on the south face of the steeply pitched roof, an unusually large number of windows on the south side, a radiant floor system, a heat pump and innovative heat storage systems.
The house holds promise for commercializing successful strategies for reducing the construction industry’s carbon footprint.
