Monolithic Dome Home Heating/ AC/ Ventilating

August 14, 2003

by David B. South

The Monolithic Dome is the strongest, best insulated structure that can be built for conventional prices.
The Monolithic Dome is also the most airtight of all structures.
Its concrete stores enormous amounts of heat and acts as a thermal battery.
The Monolithic Dome is a passive solar structure with a significantly reduced need for both HVAC equipment and daily energy usage.

Hypothetical House

Let's consider a 40' diameter by 15' height oblate ellipse, with all rooms on the ground floor, and a total living area of 1256 square feet. Our imaginary dome is here in Italy, Texas where it is very hot during most of the year and rarely gets terribly cold. How do we minimize the capital costs of the heating and cooling equipment, and cut energy usage?

Experience tells us that we need about 18,000 btu (1.5 ton -- the smallest standard split furnace system with ¾ of the heating circuits disabled) of cooling for the summer and about 5 kwh of electric heat for the winter. As an alternative, we can utilize 4 each 5,000 btu window air conditioners and 4 each 1250 kwh electric heaters to heat and cool this house.

Here, in Italy, 1.5 ton furnace installed costs about $3,000. Four individual window a/c units at $100 each plus four heaters at $50 each cost $600. Obviously, the separate units are a fifth as expensive. However, most people do not want window units. But in this case, total capital equipment cost is either $600 or $3000, so any energy savings must be considered against these numbers. Maintenance must also be considered. Obviously, window units will be cheaper to service.

Heat pumps are an alternative to standard HVAC solutions. But the initial cost of the equipment will far outweigh any ongoing energy savings so it's probably a less viable solution.

Our theoretical house will average less than $1200 per year for the heating and cooling portion of the power bill. This is most influenced by the internal set temperature. Conventional homes in this area will cool to 20 degrees below the ambient or surrounding outdoor temperature. Monolithic Domes, fitted as described, will hold more than 30 degrees below ambient. In other words, when it is 105 outside, the conventional home will be 85 inside, but the Monolithic Dome will hold at 70 or less. If the Monolithic Dome is allowed to hold higher in the summer and cooler in the winter, the yearly energy costs will go down even more-- probably to less than $500 per year.

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