Greenhouse
This room is the "furnace" for the building. This 900-square-foot space, plus the heat gain from the other windows, lights, appliances, and people, provides all the heat that's needed for the entire building most of the year. The heat is stored in the masonry, the floor, the water, and the earth under the house. Because of the building's huge thermal capacity, heat is stored for months, not just hours. Heat captured in September may be used in December. Two wood stoves are available for additional heating duty, but they are generally used only on very cold winter mornings.
The greenhouse experiences a level of humidity that is uncommon in Colorado. Occasionally, the indoor air gets too humid. A device called a humidistat, located behind the philodendron at the back of the greenhouse, activates an air circulation system that brings in fresh air from outside when it senses that the air is too moist. That fresh air is preheated by heat exchange with the outgoing warm stale air. The heat exchanger is above the bathroom ceiling.
Next: Greenhouse (con't)
