thanx for all of the advice. i am using berms on teh windward side of the house...looking at geothermal heat...
anybody know anything about that?
Fairly expensive, does the system have a series of pipes wending through underground troughs or is it using a well? Return on investment can be fairly lengthy, over a decade, but heating and cooling from a constant 56 degrees does reduce load considerably.
active geothermal heating systems are VERY efficient, but VERY expensive. A new construction well designed passive solar house should NEVER use one of those in my opinion. Even if you don’t want to spend a little more to never need a heating system, then for the little bit of supplemental heat you do need, a super cheap small system, or wood stove is ample.