Anthony Stoppiello’s more than 30 years working as a passive solar architect have emphasized passive solar homes and energy efficient buildings, excellent natural light, and use of healthy, environmentally preferable building material long before “green” building or “sustainability” became by-words in the design world. Passive solar housing provides the opportunity, even in the notoriously cloudy Pacific Northwest, to heat space without using electricity or fossil fuels.

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It is the principles underlying passive solar home design that turn a building into a heat source: the correct amount of glass to heat the volume and a commensurate amount of thermal mass storage to hold that heat in the building. Therefore, the homeowner’s aesthetic preferences can be whatever they choose: contemporary, timber frame, craftsman, or strawbale mimicking adobe. A site visit and analysis is a critical first step to determine whether the sun will reach the building location and for how many hours each day.

To summarize, good passive solar housing requires an experienced passive solar developer who can work with the homeowner to analyze the building site (or remodel), identify the homeowner’s needs and wishes, correctly calculate the glazing and thermal mass required. Although the principles are basic, applying them creatively is key.

Contact Anthony at 503-368-6141 to schedule an on-site evaluation of the solar potential of your home and property.

Anthony Stoppiello has been a pioneer in passive solar homes in Oregon and Washington for 30 years.