Consolidation of Utilities
No public utilities needed, except for a telephone line.

Minimal Impact on Site Topography
There was minimal impact to the building site. It was limited to leveling and berming the north facing back of the home into a hillside.

Orientation for Use of Renewable Energy
The house was primarily designed for southern exposure to maximize passive solar gain and the efficiency of rooftop solar collectors for electricity. The dining room, living room, and kitchen are incorporated into one open space to give as much utility as possible, and help the home maintain a comfortable and even internal temperature year around.

For more information go to the U.S. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy factsheet on Passive Solar Design.

Orientation and design for daylighting
Very little artificial lighting is needed during the day; natural light is plentiful on both the first and second floors due to window placement and open floor design.

Window Sizing, Location and Shading
Over 50% of the windows are on the south side of the house. 2 to 4 foot overhangs, awnings, and trellises provide shade during the hottest part of the year.

Solar energy design materials were used to calculate the placement and amount of windows and shading. Software is available at the Directory of Interactive Evaluation Tools website.

Other
An attached sunspace on the east and part of the south sides of the house is an integral part of what makes the house work so well. It provides solar heating during winter, and 700 square feet of growing room for herbs, onions, parsley, citronella, papaya, aloe vera, and ivies. It is a buffer zone during warm weather, as large overhangs shade the direct sun out.

Foundation
The foundation uses a "ground coupled high thermal mass design" to make use of warm subsoil. More detail on this system is available here.

Structural Framing
The cinder block and limestone walls, and open interior design, alleviated the need for most wood framing.

Sub-Floor
The six inch thick concrete floor slab eliminated the need for a subfloor.

Windows
All windows are the double pane, low-emissivity type, with the majority being Marvin argon filled. The U value ranges between 0.31 & 0.37.

Doors
All five Marvin sliding glass doors and the one French door use double pane, low-emissivity glass.

Exterior Wall Finishes
Hardiboard (aka hardiplank) masonry composite siding and split faced cinder block was used, which eliminates the need for exterior paint.

Split faced cinder blocks are regular block which are split to give the block face a rough rock-like texture. Chez Soleil uses it for most of the outside walls. The blocks are white and look similar to the local limestone.

- PATH worksheet on split-face concrete block.

Roof
The home has a thick Galvalume metal roof, with a 30 year warranty. The Galvalume steel sheet combines the barrier corrosion protection of aluminum with the galvanic protection of zinc for a long lasting, low maintenance roof.

Finish Floor
The first floor is primarily a scored concrete slab, which eliminated the need for lumber and reduced construction time and labor.

Cabinetry and Trim
A local craftsman was hired to make custom cabinets from formaldehyde-free wood.

Alternatives to Burying or Burning Construction Waste
Rather than "random burial" some waste was used intentionally as infill. Other material was stuffed into the holes of the cinder block walls for added thermal mass.

Products with Minimal Off-Gas
What little interior paint was used was low volatile organic compound (VOC).

Water-Based Finishes
Water based stains were used for interior doors and trim.

Reduction of Textiles, Maximized Hard Floor Surfaces
About 50% of the floor area is scored concrete to improve thermal contact. The other 50% of the floor is covered with a pile carpeting made from recycled plastic. Carpeting is mainly on the second floor.

Ventilation Design (related to climate conditions)
Operable windows are located at opposite corners of the house on both floors to accommodate the prevailing breezes from the southwest. Ceiling fans are in all major rooms. Winters are quite mild in the Austin area; "cold" fronts last only 1-4 days. The windows can be opened almost all year around. There is also a ventilation port in the attached sunspace for introducing fresh air.

Water Management for Foundation, Attic and Walls
The French drain collects stormwater from the northside, where the home is set into the hill. Because water drains off the hill and dries more slowly there, extra measures needed to be taken to assure proper drainage from the back and sides of the house. The drain has an underground perforated pipe which collects any water seeping underground near the foundation and diverts the water around the house. There are also trenches in the foundation between the double walls to divert possible wall seepage to the outside. To date, no water has ever been detected running through these trenches.

Detached Garage (or attached with "advanced sealing")
The garage is attached to the house the house by a brick wall. The weatherstripped, insulated door helps complete the seal.

Harmful Gas Monitoring and Control
The house was tested for radon. It scored under 4 picocuries per liter of air, so no venting was necessary.

Building Envelope
As the major goal of the home was to create a resource-efficient off the grid home, the home has an aggressive passive solar design. This requires a tight building envelope. To accomplish this, most exterior walls are double walls of split cinder block and limestone that are over a foot thick.

Overhangs shade the south facing windows during the warmest parts of the year. Minimal glass is on the east, west, and north sides. The walls are mortared to the foundation and slab for an airtight seal. Gaps around doors and windows are insulated and caulked.

Mechanical Systems
To maximize use of the home's southern exposure, a system of 36 Solarex photovoltaic cells is installed on the roof. This generates nearly 2,000 watts of electricity at capacity, enough for the electrical needs of the house and appliances. It also charges a bank of 16 marine six volt batteries in the basement, controlled by an electrical panel and power inverter. For cloudy days, a propane-powered generator supplies backup for lights, appliances, and hot water.

Heating is done mostly by the high thermal mass and solar gain during November - February. Back up systems are a propane space heater in the downstairs living room and a wood burning fireplace in the office/tv room.

Water Heating
Next to the photovoltaics on the roof is an AET drain back solar hot water heating system that has given trouble-free operation since the house was completed. When the sun shines, water is heated in, and pumped through, the collector, then to the house. A heat exchanger transfers the heat to a secondary loop and the household water supply. As mentioned, the propane generator provides a backup.

Appliances
The home is equipped with a SunFrost Refrigerator. The SunFrost refrigerator is primarily used in off-grid systems where the users need to closely monitor their electric consumption. The SunFrost can be powered with only two 48-watt solar electric panels, while a conventional refrigerator would require up to 8 panels and additional batteries.

With extra insulation and other design features, the SunFrost is up to 5 times more efficient as conventional refrigerators.

An Energy Star rated clothes washer and ASKO dishwasher help keep energy use low.

Lighting
All indoor lights are high efficiency compact fluorescent.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Stormwater
There is no impervious cover outside the footprint of the house; the driveway is dirt and gravel.

Greywater Collection and Reuse
One of Chez Soleil's most popular features with visitors is its wetland. The wetland is part of the septic system, reducing the necessary size of the septic drainfield, and helping clean effluent. Consequently, it helps protect ground water and adds a vital microclimate for water loving plants and animals. More detail on this system is available here.

Rainwater collection and reuse
Three concrete cistern tanks, with a combined capacity of 17,000 gallons, store rainwater. The two smaller tanks collect water directly off the roof. The water is then pumped and filtered to a large holding cistern uphill from the house, where the water is purified by an ozone generator. Gravity provides water pressure to the house. According to Breaux, even during extended droughts, the tanks have never had less than 8,000 gallons of water. And the quality of water is much better than that available from local wells.

Landscape Design
Some existing native vegetation was removed during the home's construction, and replanted at a friend's in a nearby county. Some drought-resistant native vegetation was also planted. Otherwise, little native vegetation outside the footprint of the home was disturbed. The wetlands innovation describes the plantings used there.

Single Stabilized Construction Entrance (established and maintained)
Equipment moved up and down the driveway, and limited its movement elsewhere on the site.

Exterior access
The main entry ways are at ground level and wide enough for wheel-chair access.

General living space
The open design of the first floor easily allows wheel chair movement.