The Ultimate

This sustainable home is the most technically advanced energy harvesting structure that we have designed to date.  It is designed to harvest solar energy from sunrise to sunset.  The windows are strategically placed so as not to adversely affect the efficiency of the solar collectors.

This building has two solar collectors that face the equator, and one on the east and one on the west elevations.  The collectors on the east and west elevations are used to collect solar energy in the early morning and in the late evening respectively.  The vertical collector that faces the equator is used to harvest solar energy at the middle of the day in winter.  The roof top collector is used to collect energy at the middle of the day in summer

The hot air that is generated in the solar collectors is passed through a number of heat exchangers which are mounted in the roof void.  The energy is transferred from the hot air to water.  The hot water is stored in insulated water tanks that are located under the building.  Any spare heat is used to drive a Sterling engine which is connected to a generator.  The building is fitted with passive cooling systems and also has the benefit of a cooling polar wall.

There are two vertical axis windmills on the roof and a solar chimney or a wind catcher.

This building has a large kitchen, a large sitting room, a dining room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.