Solar design for U.S. houses gains second wind

Buzz and Mary Fedorka of Telluride Real Estate Corporation recently reported that green building, such as houses with expansive walls of glass, are growing in popularity.

As energy prices continue to climb, homebuyers are finding financial gain in monitoring their carbon footprint by making planet-friendly adjustments to their homes. According to the Wall Street Journal, homebuyers are looking for more light and bigger windows, so modern floor plans have changed to create a more expansive use of glass. Telluride Real Estate reported some floor plans offer moveable walls of glass and high thermal mass able to absorb and store the sun's energy during the day. This energy can then be used at night to heat the home.

Jay Sandgren, an architectural representative for Andersen Corporation, a window provider, told The Wall Street Journal modern homes are filling space between floors and ceilings with glass, and builders are started to position a home and the roof overhang so it can capture sunlight in the winter and block heat in the summer.

While blinds have been improved over the years, the news source reported that some glass companies produce windows that do not need blinds at all. These windows consist of clear panes that change to a gray tint when turned on. The window provides the same visibility while reducing glare and heat with its tint.  

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