Chart the sun path at your site to foresee sunlight at your property throughout the year
Know when the morning light will come in your bedroom window on any date
Determine which trees to cut for sun and which to keep for summer shade
Tweak the design of your floor plan to take maximum advantage of your site and climate
Save 10% to 30% on home heating, without spending any more on construction
The SUNKIT includes proven, simple low-cost building techniques that move your house towards greater energy independence
All you need is a compass. Everything else is included in the kit including a build-it-yourself slope inclinometer
Purchase the SunKit
PDF plans generally arrive within hours
Paper plans arrive in a few days via USPS
Choose PDF plans for an eco-friendly option and to reduce paper usage and save money
PDFs are delivered to your email address on file with PayPal unless you provide another address
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Overview
Every day people buy property and build homes without regard for the natural sunlight falling on their house. They could have taken into account the site's natural light and warmth (in winter) or shade (in summer) to make their house more comfortable and energy efficient. Not doing so can raise energy bills 30% higher than they need to be. Some people, interested in solar, even install expensive PV electric panels and never determine the best location with the most annual sunlight.
With just a little foresight, and without adding any additional expenses these people could have a house with bright, light-filled rooms — a house that is comfortable and appealing in winter and cool and shaded in the summer. Using the guidelines in this kit, and just a bit more planning, you can significantly reduce the lifetime energy use of your home and increase its comfort level well beyond that of nearby conventional houses.
Kit includes:
Simple techniques for enhancing the solar functioning of any home design
Sun charts for mainland US sites. Use these for charting blockages at your site
Chart for mainland US sites to determine precise location of true North/South line
A Heating and Cooling map of the U.S.
Slope inclinometer for measuring roof slope in relation to the tops of trees (for plotting blockages on the sun chart)
A guide to simple surveying techniques using the inclinometer
