The insulation

As we began to think about building, we drew on our knowledge, both current and past, of energy

effeciency.  We built a house about 29 years ago and it was, to a degree, passive solar.  We situated

the house so that the side with the most windows, were on the south side and the north side had no

windows.  But, as with all things, the building industry has changed.  Insulation has become more

efficient with the use of the sprayed foam.  It can cover cracks and openings that you can't even see! 

The crew that we had do ours even sealed the area around the doors and windows.  I don't think we'll

have any air leaks in this house. 

Windows have also improved considerably.  It is now very common to be able to get "Low E".   In

the sunroom which is situated on the south side of the house, has windows that are not "Low E" so

that we can gain as much solar heat as possible.  You can definitely feel the warmth on sunny

days...so much so that if it is fairly warm outside, I've had to close the doors between the sunroom

and the rest of the house!