ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN VIEW SOLAR HOUSE Background information courtesy of the UMASSD Solar Decathlon Project website. The Mountain View Solar House was one of the homes featured in the Department of Energy’s 2005 Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC, built by students of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMASSD), under the direction of Gerald Lemay. Mountain View Builders purchased the house from UMASSD and moved it to Berkeley Springs, West Virginia in October 2005. This 800 square-foot home features the latest in sustainable building methods, integrating the philosophy of eco-design, which takes into consideration the origins, energy use, and lifespan of materials used in the home. It also means designing a home that fits into existing landscape by considering climate, topography, trees, plants, and soil type. Eco-design balances economic and environmental aspects by using minimal amounts of materials, recycled materials, and those that consume the least amount of energy and emit the least amount of pollutants. Two eco-designers were involved in the design and building processes: Tim Lyden of Fortress Green Building Supply in Dartmouth, MA, and Al Rossetto of Lancaster, NH. Rossetto was featured in the March 2004 issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine for having the highest Energy Star rated home in Vermont. Like the Mountain View Solar House, his was built using Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPS). Our home also contains what Rossetto calls the 5 essential design elements for an energy efficient home: 1. An isulated, stable foundation that contains adequate drainage away from home to allow for ventilation. 2. Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPS) that both frame and insulate the home. 3. Multi-pane windows with sealed frames 4. Radiant heat (can be provided by a second water heater) 5. Balanced ventilation using heat recovery ventilator (HRV)