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Biomass, Bocabec 2 System Sun: Passive solar design for home, thermal mass in floor to trap heat. Efficiency: R40 on North & West ends of home (4" insulation on outside of concrete foundation), R30 on rest.
Date of Installation: House built in 1990 Type/kind: Residential (2 occupants--was 6, kids moved out) Installer: Self-install
Experience: Great experience with house and heater Results: Uses 2 1/2 cords of wood per year, heats 2200 ft2; house is very comfortable Description of Case Study: A number of features have been added to the house to make it more efficient, such as the use of strapping (to reduce thermal bridging), putting insulation on the exterior of the concrete foundation (so as The house is a passive solar design, with all the major windows facing south. The concrete floor has been painted dark colours so as to absorb more heat, to be released throughout the day and night. Most of the windows also have overhang to reduce the amount of solar heat during the summer. This provides a good amount of heat during the winter months, and helps regulate the temperature when the owners are not home. A masonry heater was installed at the time when the house was constructed. It is designed in such a way that it produces a very hot fire (1900ºF), with the heat traveling through a number of chambers before rising up the chimney, where it leaves the house at roughly 200ºF. The heat is trapped in the fireplace (20,000 lbs of brick), where it is given off over a 24 hr period, with most of the heat given off over the first 12 hrs. Future additions to the home include building a greenhouse on the south side and integrating a hot water system in the fireplace to improve the use of wood heat.
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Biomass: Mansonry heater provides space heating and cooking needs for home.
Cost: $7000 in parts O&M no maintenance necessary.
Supplier: Lewiston Brick (closest source for brick), local materials for house.
to maximize thermal mass), and lots of insulation in the walls and ceiling. The house is also somewhat submerged in a hill, so as to provide extra protection from the elements. Local materials were used for constructing the house, such as local harvested trees cut at a local, water powered mill. Bricks for the masonry heater came from Lewiston, Maine, the closest source for brick, which are hand made. The house also includes a Phoenix composting toilet to reduce water use and to negate the use of a full septic system.
The owner lights a fire at night (and again in the morning on very cold days), and uses a top burning technique to achieve a hotter, clearer fire. Masonry heaters are one of the most efficient ways to use wood heat.