Eduardo and Sharon- THE GREENING OF 17 LUCERO ROAD
Directions: Take Avenida Vista Grande to Lucero Road which will be on your right, about 4 miles in from the entrance (285 and Av. Vista Grande). Lucero Road is the first right after you go under the High Power Electric lines crossing over Av. Vista Grande. If you miss it do not worry, the first intersection to your right after Lucero is Ave. Azul. Make a right at it and your first right is the other end of Lucero. If you plan to visit us please call us at 986-1346.
We have achieved a lot since 2005 with this classic match stick American house built for passive solar use. Although properly oriented a few degrees East of “true” South, with large double pane, aluminum framed windows on the south facing side, the house was not very efficient because it was ‘built to code’. This means that the house was (is) not well insulated and since it also had air leaks from doors, windows and ceilings, the house would not keep the heat in during the winter and would not stay cool during the summer.
We made several changes that allow us to maintain a comfortable range of temperatures for most of the year with no air conditioning and no heating sources other than the sun and a cast iron wood stove, with the occasional use of electric heaters used in the coldest of mornings.
By closing off the portal on the north side we now prevent the cold northwest wind from cooling that side of the house during the winter. A more efficient wood stove was purchased and moved to an interior space and surrounded by adobe bricks. Short internal adobe walls and Saltillo floor tiles add mass that helps to regulate temperature. External shading helps keep the house cooler during the summer.
We have a grid-tied photovoltaic solar system that produces more electricity than we use so we receive a small monthly check from PNM (and that’s after we changed everything from gas to electric!).
Also water catchment systems surround the house and capture rainwater for irrigation.
