Super Eco

Photo credit: R. Philips Technology

New Hampshire sees an average temperature of about 27 degrees in January, cold enough for most homes to consistently run their heaters until spring. Electrical engineer Robert Lefevre doesn't have to worry about that. In fact, his home doesn't even have a furnace or a boiler. His solar home is kept warm during the winter due to concrete walls that extend 12 feet underneath his home. At that depth, the ground retains an average temperature ranging from 52 to 56 degress Fahrenheit.

Since concrete takes a long time to lose absorbed heat, the heat is sealed in and rises to keep the home at a constant temperature, without the use of gas or electrical heating. The concrete walls are each seven inches thick. The thicker the concrete, the longer it takes for heat to escape.

Lefevre is the owner of R. Philips Technology, a company that designs economical solar homes. His house has a year round solarium, heated from above with solar panels and from below with a 5,000-gallon water tank. The combination of technologies keeps the home's internal temperature at about 68 degrees all year round. According to Lefevre, the ventilation system and the use of natural light gives the impression of being outside. So, it's like that indoor mall at Caesar's Palace?

Super Eco has reported on a number of eco-friendly home energy ideas over the past month. The issue seems not to lie with a lack of innovation but with a lack of urgency and finances to implement these ideas throughout American homes. Lefevre's concept of using thermal mass to conserve heat is a genuine breakthrough which I had no idea existed until today. Is it feasible to embed concrete slabs under a significant number of American homes? What would that cost?