Introduction
  The House
  >> Live data
  >> Trend data
  >> Efficiency

  Monitoring
  >> (Web Energy Logger)
  >> (WEL Store)

  The Land
  Wildlife
  About Us
  Talk/Forum

  Podcast Info
  Links (Resources)
  Books

Construction Pics
  Foundation
  Radiant Slab
  Acid Stain floors
  Ground Loop
  Wood Framing
  Mechanical
  Equipment Room
  Monitoring System
  Exterior
  Interior
Mission Statement
  Earth (Sheltering)
  Sun (Passive Solar)
  Water (Geothermal)    >> Efficiency test
Design Process
  Timeline
  Goals
  Room Guide
  Concepts
  Preliminary
  3D Model
  Final Design
  Download Plan
Energy Mgmt.
  GREEN HVAC
  Energy Logger
  The Weather
Related Stuff
  Designer Showcase
  >> Brian
  >> Scott Hall
  >> Jeff Ray
  Discussion Forum
  Web-Cam
  Marsupials
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Phil's Other Stuff
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Our Cool House
A Maryland adventure in Energy Smart, Not So Big living.

Welcome to Phil and Lisa Malone's Home Page...... literally!  
This web site is all about our cool house at Deep Creek Lake (Mc Henry) in Garrett County,  Maryland.  

You can also see how to use my Web Energy Logger system to monitor your own home, school or business.

Our Adventure: Rather than building a traditional Energy-Hog home, or even a non-traditional Energy-Efficient home, our new home is a unique fusion of energy efficient techniques, and environmental sanity. Our goal was to create a home that uses the sun, earth and water to create a pleasant living environment where we can enjoy the wildlife, and which also reduces our demands on non-sustainable resources.  I think we succeeded!

 Our COOL design integrates the following energy systems:
Passive Solar heating and cooling.
Earth Sheltered design.
Geothermal Exchange for active heating and passive cooling.
Radiant Hydronic Slab for energy storage and distribution.
Fresh air system using Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV).
  Real-Time online HVAC system monitoring (see live data).
Construction is complete.  
View the
Exterior and Interior pictures.
 

Spring Update    

Wow... what a Winter.  263 inches of snow... and there still may be more.  Last time it snowed this much (250 inches) the crew was trying to put shingles on my new house.  The house design had it's pro's and cons.  The low pitched roof (3:12) promoted snow accumulation (we had several feet deep in some of the drifts) so Lisa was concerned about collapse.  The roof was designed for a 60 lbs/ft2 snow load so I wasn't too concerned, but Lisa insisted on getting up on the roof to shovel it off.  Luckily, the low pitch and earth berming also makes it easy to get up on the roof (and stay on) without elaborate restraints.  It actually makes for some fun games.

My GEARS (Garrett Engineering And Robotics Society) center is continuing to grow.  The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team came first in it's two regional competitions (MD and OH) and the FIRST Robotics Competition (FTC) team just won the Chesapeake Regional Chairman's award, so both teams get invited to Atlanta to compete in the World Championships.

Phil..

To find out more about our goals and how we got to where we are now, use the left-hand menu to navigate the site.  Starting at the top of the menu and working down is a great way to get oriented. The newest site features are usually indicated by a flashing finger.  If you are considering a similar construction project, MAKE SURE you check out our Links Page. (We have some great resources listed there.)   To listen to some of my specific Energy Efficiency Audio Feeds, check out my Podcasting page.

BTW.... if you know someone that might also find this site interesting, use the button in the menu to pass on our address and your own comments. 

 

© 2000-2010, Phil and Lisa's relaxed lifestyle home.
An exercise in Energy Smart, Not So Big living.
www.OurCoolHouse.com - Ideas@OurCoolHouse.com

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Web OurCoolHouse.com

This site is all about building a cool, energy efficient house, that makes maximum use of earth sheltered design, passive solar heating and cooling, geothermal exchange energy management, and right sizing of the house for it's designated use. The home's placement is on a south-facing hillside in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. This site describes the design process, the technologies used and the expected results. We also have a comprehensive Links Page for anyone who is also interested in designing a similar project.