Anthony Matonak wrote:

Solar Flaire wrote:
Many projects of this style have been attempted over the years all
with failure as a result.

Right. Then you go on to talk about projects that have no relationship at
all to what we're talking about.

Many times "green" homes are over-hyped and under-designed.
This doesn't mean that solar heating doesn't work but rather
that there are a lot of dishonest salesmen and poor home
"Designers" out there in the world and the give the rest a
bad name.

Even today PV is totally impractical where grid power is available. In
Canada, my system cost me under $20K and I got most at a discount. I
will break even, at today's rate, in 70-80 years. verdict? A fun toy.
This is not "inexpensively". Logically it is a waste of money.

Today PV is practical where grid power is not available.

As in my home.

However, the subject was homes that could be heated almost entirely with
solar. Slab-on-grade building, with passive solar heating, and in-slab
heat storage costs _no_ more than standard building techniques, and can net
you 50-70% of your heating (that's typical of the homes built by my
friend). Super-insulation can increase that significantly (admittedly for
some small cost - but still "inexpensive" when designed into the home in
the first place.
--
derek