Solar Shines in the Yampa Valley
By Travis Crooke
Photos © TIm Murphy Photography
Donine and Bernardo Schwartz wanted to assimilate energy
efficiency with a beautifully styled mountain home. This was no easy task
thanks to Steamboat’s harsh winter climate and the fact that nobody
has been overly successful with solar technology in the Yampa Valley.
First, they spent four years researching viable solar options. Then they
compiled a dynamic team of designers and builders willing to tackle this
difficult task. Now the Schwartz family lives in one of the most energy
efficient and charming homes in the valley. 
Planning the Dream
The idea began when the couple decided to retire to Steamboat. Bernardo’s
children live in Boulder, and the couple fell in love with the famous
powder skiing at the resort. “We started looking at condos first,
but the one we wanted fell through,” says Donine, the mastermind
behind the project. The couple decided this would be their last move,
so a house of their design seemed more realistic anyway. A custom house
enabled them to incorporate practical features into the plans that would
be helpful in the future as they aged. The house includes a number of
features for those with disabilities such as an elevator that travels
between the finished basement and the main level, and wheelchair friendly
spacing between walls, furniture, and hallways. Thus, creating a functional
living space became the most important aspect of the project. When designing
the kitchen, Donine created a layout that minimized footsteps and maximized
convenience. “After we decided what we needed in our home, we started
thinking about other aspects of the building process that we wanted to
also include,” says Donine.
The couple had their life savings to invest in the house, but wanted to
look for ways they could save money once their retirement fund began to
decline over the years. Donine started researching solar options as a
way to decrease monthly energy charges. She read as much as she could
online, and bought countless books featuring solar homes. However, she
found that most of the books dealt with generic building situations that
were only helpful in theory. The books lacked specific details for building
in the Colorado Rockies. Donine discovered through her research that solar
is a location specific issue that needs “tweaking” depending
on the environment and site. She and Bernardo visited homes on the National
Solar Homes Tour sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society. “The
tour was the best resource because I met other people who had installed
solar systems into their homes and were happy to talk about the actual
output of their specific systems, but who were not trying to sell anything.”
Donine admits that she learned a lot, but highlighted the willingness
of those in the solar community to share their knowledge. As the couple
learned more about solar, they decided they wanted to do as much as possible.
By the time they walked into Mike Ramsey’s office in Steamboat to
hire him as the general contractor, they were fully invested in solar
and looking for ways to incorporate more green building tactics.
Building the Team
The couple chose Mike Ramsey of J.M.R. Construction. “We wanted
a well built home, and from Mike’s track record, we felt nobody
does it better in Routt County than Mike.” says Bernardo. Mike Ramsey
has built in the valley for twenty years and uses his own team of builders
and sub-contractors he believes are quality centered and reliable.
The team chose Dennis Schlachter of DSDA Homes as the designer. His office
is located in Denver, but Dennis has been designing homes in Steamboat
for over twenty years. Donine liked Dennis because he was willing to work
with the 3D plans she had generated herself through an auto CADD program
she bought. As designer, Dennis notes that his primary job was to “blend
aesthetics with technology.” He adjusted the plans to make the house
a little more functional. He also structured the home for disability access.
Dennis performed the calculations for some of the passive and active solar
aspects, and incorporated the external solar panels into the overall house
design so that it does not detract from the beauty of the home. “You
need a house you can look at and live in” he notes. “Dennis
brought flair to the project, but he made us feel like it was our home
he was working on, not a project for his portfolio,” says Donine.
They turned to Scott Schmitz of Green Power Designs for the solar design
and installation. As a resident of the Vail valley, he was looking to
grow his business and wanted to prove solar a viable option in a harsh
winter climate such as Steamboat. With the team assembled, they adjusted
Donine’s plans to fit code and the local environmental factors.
Then it was time to build!
Passive Solar Features
Once Donine committed to solar power, she based her decisions around this
idea and incorporated it into functionality. Their lot is positioned southeast
with views of the ski area. Using GPS, the team built the home on the
lot so that it faces due south exactly. This facilitates passive solar
ideas that are easy to incorporate into the design, but it saves the couple
money in the long run through energy efficiency. For example, incorporating
figures such as elevation, global position, and environment, the team
determined all the roof overhangs need to be two feet. At this location,
the overhang length blocks out the sun in the summer, which keeps the
south facing rooms from over-heating. In the winter these overhangs are
also functional because the sun is lower in the sky and it shines into
the windows all day. Thus, more solar rays penetrate the windows and home.
Each level of the house incorporates a huge thermal mass. A thermal mass
is a thick slab of stone or concrete that absorbs heat throughout the
day. It then gradually releases the heat as the night progresses. Fear
not interior designers. Thermal masses are not giant slabs of concrete
that sit in the middle of the house. Designers tend to integrate them
into the home in an inconspicuous fashion. On the main level, the fireplace,
made of Farmer’s Stone from Wyoming, provides the thermal mass in
the center of the floor plan. Downstairs in the basement, the thermal
mass is the exposed concrete floor facing south. Donine stained the concrete
with acid to create the shape of a compass rose. It really ties the room
together. Just like the overhangs, the sizes of the thermal masses were
carefully calculated. Mike Ramsey notes that one of the most common building
errors of passive solar features is the use of an insufficient amount
of thermal mass.
The floor plan of the house also capitalizes on passive solar ideas. Rooms
used during the day like the Great Room and kitchen are located to the
south and east. The formal dining room and the bedrooms are to the north
because they are mostly used at night. To help the couple in case the
northern facing rooms were colder than calculated, Dennis positioned the
closets along the northern wall. This provides additional insulation on
extremely cold nights in the winter. The couple wanted to avoid a long
narrow rectangle for a home, which would create the most energy efficient
house possible for the area. Benefiting from ideas from a solar house
in Maine, the floor plan is laterally stepped to the southeast so that
most rooms have at windows facing both south and east for natural light.
The team went to the National Renewable Energy Lab in Boulder, CO, for
some assistance in choosing windows for the residence. The windows are
produced by Kolbe/Kolbe and use Cardinal Glass for the panes. Mike Ramsey
chose two different glass ratings depending on window location. For panes
facing north and west, they used a glass rating of LoE2- 240 (read Low
E 240). Cardinal Glass works even better than traditional double pane
glass because the company adds a film over the pane which reduces glare
and keeps internal temperatures warmer at night and cooler during the
day. LoE2- 240 is the rating used by most builders these days. Windows
facing south and east use a rating of LoE2 - 270. This rating also keeps
temperatures more stable than traditional double paned windows, but the
film allows more solar penetration. Solar penetration is important to
the south and east because it allows the thermal masses to absorb more
heat throughout the day. The passive solar features were specifically
tailored to the home, but cost the couple little in additional costs.
Scott Schmitz then designed an active solar system that incorporated these
passive solar features into a solar house that met all of the needs of
the couple.
Active Solar Specifications
The goal of a domestic solar system is to meet only the annual energy
needs of the household. Extra electricity, or credits as Yampa Valley
Electric Association (YVEA) calls them, is “banked” during
times of the day when supply outweighs demand. In turn, these credits
apply during periods, such as the evening, when demand exceeds output.
If the yearly production outweighs demand, YVEA reimburses the couple
for the additional credits at a wholesale price. If the converse occurs
and the system requires additional credits, Donine and Bernardo purchase
electricity at the current retail price.
To start designing the solar systems, Scott performed an energy audit.
He assessed the energy needs of the couple, calculated the potential output
of the lot, and designed a custom solar system that would meet approximately
80% of the home’s energy needs. He determined that the house would
benefit from two separate systems. The Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system
integrates into the roof and produces electricity for the house. The system
utilizes Uni-Solar laminates that adhere to the standing seam metal roof.
Look closely at the cover of this magazine and you will see the PV system.
Integrating the panels and the roof avoids the need to build a separate
rack for the PV system. The high viscosity and heat absorption capabilities
of the panels shed snow more efficiently than the rest of the metal roof
which allows the PV system to produce electricity as soon as the sun rises.
Knowing the couple would be able to bank electric credits, Dennis adjusted
the angle of the roof to thirty degrees (a 7/12 pitch) so that it produces
the maximum amount of electricity in the summer when potential is greatest.
The system produces less electricity in the winter, but since credits
are banked, this roof angle allows the home to produce its maximum annual
output. The system has the potential to produce 3.26 KW per hour, which
translates to 6000 KW per year.
A solar thermal system provides the heat and domestic hot water for the
home. The system has tilted solar panels mounted above the south facing
garage doors. Most people have seen this form of solar paneling. The team
modified the typical angle of the panels above the garage to 70 degrees.
This allows Bernardo and Donine to generate more heat in the winter when
the sun is at its lowest, days are short, and energy demand is significant.
The winter generates more heat because the lower sun expels rays at a
perpendicular angle to the panels. Rays directly hitting the panels generate
more energy than rays absorbed by the panels with an acute or obtuse angle.
Scott notes, “In the summer when energy demand drops to domestic
hot water only (DHW), the system produces about half the energy, eliminating
the need for a heat dump.”
As the panels absorb solar radiation, they heat a highly conductive fluid.
The fluid circulates between the panels and two 105-gallon hot water storage
tanks in the basement. “The first tank is for domestic hot water
and is heated to 150 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Schmitz. Once the
tank reaches this temperature, the system begins to heat the second tank
to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. “The second tank uses a heat exchanger
to inject the excess heat into the radiant floor heating system and can
offset 67,000 BTU’s of heat energy per day,” continues Scott.
The team also incorporated a full propane system into the house to supplement
the solar system, but propane costs will be much lower than a traditional
home in the valley.
Energy Efficiency
In addition to the solar system, other features in the home are energy
efficient. Mike Ramsey insists on blown-in batts (BIB) insulation for
the walls of the home. There are no spaces in the fiberglass with BIB
insulation, unlike traditional types. The BIB insulation traps and circulates
air and less energy is lost. The older style of insulation stapled to
the wall studs allowed vertical air spaces to form. This prevented heat
from traveling though the insulation, but since heat rises, it could travel
up through the insulation and then out the roof.
Donine and Bernardo also chose Warmboard Radiant Subfloor® panels
for their radiant heat system. Warmboard is more energy efficient than
traditional subflooring because the radiant tubing is on top of the subflooring,
not underneath. There is also a thin sheet of aluminum stamped over the
top of the base sheet of plywood, which enhances heat transfer and increases
energy efficiency for the home. The aluminum and radiant tubing heat the
house more quickly and with less energy. Traditional radiant heat incorporates
the radiant tubing below the subfloor panels, which forces the heat to
travel further before it reaches the top of the floor.
Every light in the house is fluorescent. Fluorescent lighting is more
energy efficient than incandescent lighting, but it has traditionally
conjured flashbacks to high school biology lab. This technology has drastically
improved over the past few years and the canned lights in the ceiling
are difficult to discern from incandescent options. It was important to
the couple that the fluorescents were similar to incandescents because
the old style of fluorescents strain their eyes. Incandescents are gentler,
thus Donine and Bernardo incorporated lights that live like incandescents
but save energy like fluorescents.
Custom Highlights
The couple wanted a beautiful mountain home that is energy efficient.
Scott designed the solar system to be inconspicuous so the other pleasing
features of the house are noticeable. The outside of the house is mainly
stucco with cedar shingles in select locations. Recommended by Dennis,
these shingles act to accentuate certain angles of the home and capitalize
on its natural beauty. A masonry veneer lines the base of the house and
effectively protects the basement from the elements and creates a natural
transition from the home to the terra firma.
Inside, the house resembles other stately custom homes in the valley.
The structure of the drywall is a hand plaster technique, which resembles
true plaster. Knotty alder trim complements the walls. Floors are mostly
red oak, with the exception of the concrete thermal mass in the basement.
The couple chose granite countertops because they love the look, but the
counters also function as micro-thermal masses. All appliances are Kitchen-Aid
and Energy Star rated. The stove is an induction cook top, which heats
faster than gas and uses less energy than electric. There are two ovens
in the kitchen. One is a traditional oven, while the second is a combination
between traditional and convection. While more expensive than traditional
ovens, convection ovens cook faster and thus save money on energy.
It was important to the couple that the home they designed was in fact
their personalized home. As a result, notable customized pieces appear
throughout. For example, Donine’s father created the handcrafted
railing around the stairwell. The couple wanted a large wash sink for
laundry, but they did not want plastic or modern stainless steel. Mike
went to Elk River Farm and Feed and bought a sheep tank instead. Installed,
it is a custom rustic conversation piece that would fetch a high price
in New York City. Also note the Steamboat Barn etched into Bernardo’s
shower door by a local artist. 
Currently, all of the energy efficient features of the home make the residence
use about half as much energy as an average home of comparable dimensions
in Routt County. When coupled with the solar system, the utility off-set
is about 80%. There are twelve other solar homes in Routt County that
could potentially add energy to the grid. Jim Chappell, of YVEA, notes
that Bernardo and Donine own the only house that regularly off-sets its
electric requirements. In fact, the house has produced additional credits
every single month since their home came on-line. In addition, in the
first eight months alone they saved over 2.5 tons of CO2 by producing
electricity via the solar system. Thus, Donine highlights, “It is
possible to integrate the pleasing aesthetics of a mountain home with
energy efficiency”. 
The project began as a simple retirement move to Steamboat. It escalated
to a custom project that is a benchmark for Yampa Valley development.
The Schwartz family has proven that even beautiful homes in the Rockies
can benefit from solar technologies and energy efficiency. Solar has finally
arrived as a viable building option for Routt County, and these new residents
could not be more pleased. The couple plans to take part in the National
Solar Homes Tour beginning in 2010. 
Website References
Donine recommends the following websites to learn more:
– www.solarhouse.com aka Maine Solar House was the first house I found with a floor plan designed for a southeast orientation, and it really influenced our design.
– www.ourcoolhouse.com is by a Maryland couple that developed the concrete acid stain technique that I used in our basement. I e-mailed the couple for additional advice, which they graciously provided.
– www.dsireusa.org site provides detailed information on State and Federal credits for solar applications.
– www.ases.org provides information on the National Solar Homes Tour and other solar topics.
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