Show N rY i Navor ff s s NaDDY Happy Happy J J 1 Holidays Y Holidays Holidays holidays flo Holidays Holidays old q Holidays Y C cn students tackle solar solar home enthusiastically By Mike McCarthy This years year's four building construction classes under the instruction of Elwood Delmar Stevens Darrell Darrell Darrell Dar- Dar rell Ballard and Vic Nelson are working hard to turn out their respective project houses hous hous- es in the style of traditional craftsmanship which building construction students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents have become noted for Along with tradition a new precedent is being set in the form of a carefully monitored energy comparison experiment experiment experiment ment of this years year's project homes Two of the homes being erected are solar homes The other two are of the conventional energy and heating type Elwood class is constructing the pas active sive type of solar home which has solar collectors mounted on the roof These collector panels heat water- water filled pipe coils that tha t is circulated to and stored in a heating tank When the storage tank temperature becomes too low a heating element which is an int integral gral part of the supplementary electric pump will raise the tempera temperature temperature temper temper- a ture of and circulate the water through the water water- filled coils to provide up back-up heating Along with the panels a special heat absorbing wall which is the passive portion of the system will be installed to retain solar heat This will hi hit t the wall after passing through a large set of windows on the homes home's southern southern southern sou sou- thern exposure The wall will also absorb and retain a portion of the internal heat already generated in the house Mr said We have hav a large home that has all of the elements of a good project home except for a hip roof And that experience my students are getting by building building building build build- ing one in the shop a at t school Darrel Barrel Ballards Ballard's project house is of the passive solar type It provides for a large glass wall along the homes home's southern exposure with a massive brick heat retaining wall behind it In commenting on this construction Mr Ballard said Its a good learning vehicle Other items of interest in both solar homes are that they have six-inch six thick outer walls instead of the standard inch four-inch walls required by bythe bythe bythe the building code to provide for a super insulated home The window space has been cut to a minimum to prevent heat loss through glass areas and double door systems have been employed to prevent heat loss oss when entering o or leaving the structures The remaining two project homes are of the standard specifications with building codes and have conventional heating systems Delmar Stevens explained Theres nothing special about this home outside of the thee wooden insulated windows which he explained helped retain heat more efficiently tha than aluminum windows he commented My class is a little smaller this year so its it's easier to give them more individualized instruction More students are satisfied when they have an opportunity i ity ty to learn under these conditions Vic Nelson and his class's project home was next When Vic Nelson was cornered up in the rafters for comment he explained that the main differences between the two conventional homes were that his home would have num windows as opposed to the wooden ones of the other and that the decorative brickwork brickwork brickwork brick brick- work would be different Mr Nelson said This year we are using the TJI which is a light weight I beam which is dimensionally con- con and structurally superior superior superior su su- to solid wood mem mem- bers A labor saver Joe the brick bricklaying bricklaying bricklaying laying instructor said The two solar homes have bave fireplaces fireplaces fireplaces fire fire- places with metal boxes and fans to circulate te air hea heated ted by bythe bythe bythe the hearth exhaust One willbe will willbe willbe be on the main floor of the passive active-passive solar home and one will be in the basement of the passive solar home Other than that its it's the same old stuff This is the best class Ive I've ever had I wandered around the job jobsite jobsite jobsite site for awhile to get comments comments comments com com- ments from the people that make this school tick the students In general all comments were favorable even when they took the form of a semi- semi complaint Joe Hes He's ornery as hell but hell he'll teach you what you want to know Elwoods a good man A competent i instructor The variety of work Im I'm being exposed to gives me confidence Delmar A straight shooter Hell He'll teach you the tricks y 1 l T LIt xv 5 1 Y s sy Y v y Y a ah h j a 4 t c i z Vi i a. a r i fIr h Construction continues on one of 0 of the two solar homes being built by students The solar panels to tobe tobe tobe be in front are still being constructed t |