Solar Dome Freedom Terri Markatos c.1992 Terri Markatos We became seriously interested in alternative energy many years ago while on a six month traveling camping trip to Alaska. We were living on the road and traveling with three large dogs; we wanted to be comfortable and independent. Small Beginnings We bought a completely self-contained camper and slid it onto the back of the pick-up truck. Our power came from 12 Volt DC truck batteries. We cooked and refrigerated with propane. Periodically, we stopped for supplies, filled the water reservoir, and emptied the holding tank. The luxury of being independent quickly became a way of life. We grew very familiar with conservation and low-impact living and knew then that our permanent home would be an energy independent one. We decided to settle in sunny, central Florida and put all that "solar power" to good use. We also wanted to stay out of debt, so patience and bargain hunting were in our future. We bought five acres in the country, set the camper on blocks and we were home! Instead of hooking into the grid which hummed right past our driveway, we continued to use the 12 Volt system, and ran the truck periodically to keep the batteries charged. Unwillingly to drive around to charge batteries, we invested in a 3-5 kiloWatt generator. Our system was small. We needed to expand it to power the well pump, power tools, and a second hand washing machine as well as charge the batteries for our lights and other uses. As time passed we added a couple of used photovoltaic panels and a few more batteries. The Home Our home is a Bindu Dome on stilts. It is 32 feet in diameter, 21 feet high at the highest point and 14 feet off the ground. The ease of cooling and heating a dome, with its spherical shape and open spaces makes it practical for incorporating passive air cooling. It also enables us to use Grandma's 1922 Home Comfort cookstove for heating. (If our home was in a colder climate we would need another heat source as well). The insulation and roof cover is polyurethane foam sprayed on the outside, and sealed with elastameric paint and ceramic chips. The R value of an inch of polyurethane foam is 11. We have 2-3 inches on our dome and so the R value of the dome is 22-33. With the outside complete, we were able to live in it as we finished the inside. In the summer, a grate in the floor draws cool air up from the large cool air mass created by the 60 foot x 60 foot deck. Hot air is vented to the outside via a flue to the roof. A wind powered turbine, with marine-type hatches, at the opening of the flue circulates the hot air away from the roof. We draw the blinds to block out the sun and use few strategically placed fans to keep the house comfortably cool. Solar Powered Dome The dome is powered by used Arco PV panels (735 Watts peak power) which are regulated by a Heliotrope CC-60B charge controller. We have four QuadLams (sets of 4 M51 laminates) and 18 assorted ARCO M52 and M55 modules. Power is stored in a second hand 1400 Amp-hour used Dynasty Gel Cell battery bank that originally came from a UPS system (uninterruptable power supply). Direct current is inverted to alternating current with a Trace 2012 SB inverter. Most of the lighting is DC, with a couple of ac compact fluorescent bulbs. The most energy efficient light we found was the Earth Light by Phillips. We still use a 12 Volt stereo, but are gradually adding ac appliances, such as a 19 inch color television, VCR, and a microwave oven. We still use propane for cooking, and use the solar oven whenever possible. One of our major decisions was to purchasing a Sun Frost RF 12, the world's most efficient refrigerator. It is more expensive than a conventional model, but very cost effective when savings in our energy system were included. It uses less power than a 60 watt light bulb, and does not drain the batteries. Waste Not.... Our septic system was one of our main concerns. In this area of Florida the water table is high. An ordinary septic system is not only impractical (it has to sit above ground with dirt mounded over it), but ecologically unsound and wasteful of precious water. It is estimated that 10,000 gallons of water per person per year is flushed away. The obvious solution was a waterless composting toilet. A Sun Mar with a 12 Volt optional fan was our choice. We turn the bio drum every few days, and a couple of times a year empty compost into the flower gardens. The last step was the water pumping system. Water is pumped with a low flow 12V pump to a water tower with a 600 gallon tank. The pump uses the excess solar power when the battery bank is full. The tower is twenty one feet above the ground. Water is gravity fed into the house with the help of a small 12 Volt pump. A shower, set up on the deck below the tank, gives us almost year-round showers. With that done, we "officially" moved the kitchen into the dome. Future Plans The first of our future plans is to mount solar hot water panels on the tower. A propane fired, on-demand hot water tank will supply more hot water if needed. A graywater reuse system, when completed, will furnish water to drip irrigation and no water will be wasted. We also hope to add an aquaculture tank in the near future and try our hand at raising Tilapia. Plans to build living room sofas, bookshelves, and an entertainment center are in the thought stages now. Free standing walls for the bathroom, and a circular staircase, or maybe a ship's ladder, to the loft are some of our other thoughts. This summer we plan to add a couple of ceiling fans to keep us even cooler during the Dog Days of summer in Florida. Forever Growing The Dome will be under construction for quite some time, but for now we are content knowing we are preserving some of Mother Earth's natural resources. Conservation is a way of life that will not cease as more people become aware of the environmental effects of conventional fuels. They tell their friends and more people join the race to save the planet. No one has to die for solar, wind, or hydro power, as in the fight for oil. "If the people lead, the leaders will follow." We are very happy with our Dome Home and hope to find many years of pleasure living in harmony with nature. Access Author: Terri Markatos and Barry Glidden, 4681 Fir Road, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 ù 904-228-3121