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CountryPlans.com do it yourself country house plans

Helping builders since 1978. Online since 1997.

SunKit

Tools for finding a great site 

and building a solar heated home

The SunKit from CountryPlans.com

Specs

  • Find the best solar site before you buy it
  • Chart the sun path at your site to foresee sunlight at your property throughout the year
  • Know when the morning light will come in your bedroom window on any date
  • Determine which trees to cut for sun and which to keep for summer shade
  • Tweak the design of your floor plan to take maximum advantage of your site and climate
  • Save 10% to 30% on home heating, without spending any more on construction
  • The SUNKIT includes proven, simple low-cost building techniques that move your house towards greater energy independence
  • All you need is a compass. Everything else is included in the kit including a build-it-yourself slope inclinometer

Purchase the SunKit 


  • PDF plans generally arrive within hours 
  • Paper plans arrive in a few days via USPS
  • Choose PDF plans for an eco-friendly option and to reduce paper usage and save money
  • PDFs are delivered to your email address on file with PayPal unless you provide another address 

Overview

Every day people buy property and build homes without regard for the natural sunlight falling on their house. They could have taken into account the site's natural light and warmth (in winter) or shade (in summer) to make their house more comfortable and energy efficient. Not doing so can raise energy bills 30% higher than they need to be. Some people, interested in solar, even install expensive PV electric panels and never determine the best location with the most annual sunlight.


With just a little foresight, and without adding any additional expenses these people could have a house with bright, light-filled rooms — a house that is comfortable and appealing in winter and cool and shaded in the summer. Using the guidelines in this kit, and just a bit more planning, you can significantly reduce the lifetime energy use of your home and increase its comfort level well beyond that of nearby conventional houses.

Kit includes:

  • Simple techniques for enhancing the solar functioning of any home design
  • Sun charts for mainland US sites. Use these for charting blockages at your site
  • Chart for mainland US sites to determine precise location of true North/South line
  • A Heating and Cooling map of the U.S.
  • Slope inclinometer for measuring roof slope in relation to the tops of trees (for plotting blockages on the sun chart)
  • A guide to simple surveying techniques using the inclinometer
The SunKit from CountryPlans.com includes
Cute, jumping house at CountryPlans.com
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Helping builders since 1978. Online since 1997.