Steve Baer — Some Passive Solar Buildings with a Focus on New Mexico

Presentation for the Albuquerque Chapter of the AIA — January 15, 2009

Steve Baer, Zomeworks Corporation

Image Credits: Images 3–15 were taken from “A Survey of Passive Solar Buildings,” AIA Research Corporation, 1976. Other photos and drawings by the Zomeworks Corporation staff.

Summary

Thirty years ago there was strong interest in passive solar in Corrales and all of New Mexico. Many houses were built with lots of south facing glass admitting sun directly into the house or onto concrete or adobe “Trombe” walls or drum walls.

There have been many significant changes in tools and materials available to builders inclined to use the sun. There has also been a notable lack of interest in direct gain or Trombe wall buildings. Driving through Corrales today I am struck by how many shades are drawn during cold winter to block the sun that might enter south facing windows.

Oddly, builders have not been cursed by the disappearance of components that would allow them to repeat successful designs of 30 years ago. Just the opposite. Generally, by accident, better tools and components have appeared in the last decades that make building passively heated and cooled structures easier.

Steel drums of 30 years ago developed leaks. Now we have plastic drums that don’t leak. Black paint was about the only surface to absorb sun. Now selective surfaces are more easily available. R-2 windows were about the best one could do against heat loss. Today windows that insulate twice as well are available. Shutters to block heat gain and heat loss were hard to find or make. Now they are everywhere. (But, why don’t people operate them correctly?) Measuring temperatures required thermocouples or thermometers — now we have infra red scanners.

Interest in passive solar seems to occur in waves. There was one championed by “House Beautiful” in the 1940s (my parents built a passive solar house in California in 1949). Then there was the wave of interest in the 1970s.

Those who sell gas, electricity, propane and oil may regard these periods of self reliance and clever designs as epidemics which weaken the demand for their power and fuels which they must combat to re-establish healthy fossil fuel appetites.

Let us hope we can begin a new epidemic of passive design. Surely the passive solar virus has mutated and the epidemic will reach larger populations, perhaps establishing itself permanently at a higher level.

— Steve Baer

Projects Covered

Sunscoop / Direct Gain — David Wright, Santa Fe, NM (1974)
Sun Dwelling / Ghost Ranch — Peter Van Dresser, Abiquiu, NM (Direct Gain and Trombe Wall)
Baer Zome / Drum Wall — Corrales, NM (1971)
Benedictine Monastery / Drum Wall & Clerestory — Steve Baer, Zomeworks, Pecos, NM (1978)
Skytherm / Roof Pond — Harold Hay, Inventor; J. Edminster & K. Haggard, Arch., Atascadero, CA (1973)
Hammond House — Living Systems Design, Jonathon Hammond, Winters, CA (1975)
Monte Vista School Greenhouse — Dave Harrison, Zomeworks, Albuquerque, NM (1973)
Paul Davis House / Air Loop Rock Storage — Paul Davis & Steve Baer, Corrales, NM (1972)
State of New Mexico Office Building — William Mingenbach AIA, Taos, NM (1976)
Baer Zome Cluster — Corrales, NM (1972)
Frank’s House / Beadwall — David Harrison, Designer, Placitas, NM (1980)
Baer Zome Skylid® Insulated Louvers — respond to sun; open/close automatically (1973)
Mike Elliston passive solar house — drum doors, c.1980 (updated 1991 to plastic barrels)
Bruce Davis Studio / Double Play™ — Albuquerque, NM (2004)
Sunbender® Reflector/Shades — over skylights; summer shade, winter heat gain (1988–)
Fountain Valley School — Alfred von Bachmayr, Architect (1979)
Andy Shack — test building, Zomeworks yard, Albuquerque, NM (1988–present); heated and cooled by unglazed Skymats™
Double Play™ Radiator/Absorber — Zomeworks Roof, Albuquerque, NM (2005)
Dave House North / Double Play System — Zomeworks Corporation, Albuquerque, NM (2009)
Sun Dog — daylighting device for Sandra’s office, Zomeworks
Sun Shelf Lighting — Double Play building

Source: Steve Baer / Zomeworks Corporation. Text extracted from slide presentation PDF. PDF: 2009-01-15-baer-passive-solar-buildings-aia.pdf