- This web site has been created entirely with solar and wind power -
- full screen image -



 

BUILDING PROJECTS

(straw bale house, greenhouse, plastering, hot-water radiant
floor heating, using straw bales to make a privacy wall and
a guest house, how to retrofit a moblie home, "starter" straw
bale house plans)


RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

(solar electric system, rain water harvesting, wind generator, solar cooking,
solar hot water system)


BUDGET - COSTS OF EVERYTHING

(overall costs, costs of individual building projects and systems)


RESOURCES AND GOOD IDEAS

(good books and magazines, tips on saving energy,
inspiring quotes, recent global climate change films,
"how to achieve self-sufficiecy")


GRAB BAG SURPRISES

(Sonoran Desert wildlife, Jim's recorder music listening page,
African Pygmy Goats, our cat's very own web page, a fun foto
 album, listen to our "theme song"!)

WHO WE ARE

(a little about us, picture gallery of our volunteers,
comments in the media about Solar Haven, a personal
statement from our hearts, getting in touch)

"The Phypers Family"


("Ty" -- Jim and Mindy -- "Ghost")

Here's how it all happened...

First we purchased four acres in the Sonoran Desert foothills west of Tucson.
There was no house and also no road or water or power,
but incomparable natural beauty, quiet, and peacefulness.


"On a clear day you can see forever..."

.

The first steps were to grade in a road, dig a septic system, and move in a mobile home as a temporary residence. Then we began working toward converting the mobile home into an energy efficient, attractive, and comfortable place to live.

We added...

- extra insulation to all the outside walls, the roof, and underneath the floors.
- we had the place completely stuccoed.
- we also built a front deck, carport, and storage shed...



- details of the insulating and stuccoing project -

- the polyurethane roofing project -


At the same time...
we worked toward independence from conventional utilities...
(err... it would have been better had we not tried to do all these projects at once),

Solar Electric (PV) System


Wind Generator



Rain Water Harvesting



 




Solar Hot Water and Hydronic Heating System


"Yikes, here comes a bunch of materials to build the
GREENHOUSE"

("Who planned all these projects anyway?!")


A grand greenhouse emerges from the desert...
("It didn't look that big in the drawing...")

After two years of...
- blood (the usual cuts and scratches),
- sweat (golly gee, it really does get hot in the desert),
- and tears (of exhaustion and frustration and of joy),
we begin construction on a new and permanent home.

Built of bales of straw...

Click HERE for pictures of all phases of construction including:

- design details
- floor plan diagram
- a complete budget of what the house has cost

 


Perhaps the best part of all ...
was the remarkable beauty of our
Sonoran Desert home.


- killer views -


So many interesting neighbors

introduced themselves.

- Sonoran Desert wildlife -

SOLAR HAVEN MASTER PLAN
(how it all lays out on the ground)

PHASE 1: research - planning - buying land
PHASE 2: building our house - working toward energy independence
PHASE 3: organic gardening - raising animals (for eggs and perhaps for milk, for the valuable manure to use in the garden,
and for companionship but not to kill and eat)




PERSONAL INSPIRATIONS...

Here are some very special
Quotes
that have been a great inspiration to us...


Please let us tell you about three recent films on
global climate change
that have opened our eyes... and point the need more then ever
to live sustainably and treat our planet with great care.

Straw bale builder and folk singer, Frank Meyers
has written a most inpiring song called
"Straw and Clay"
DON'T MISS IT - IT'S A GEM!!

 


OUR FRIEND - THE SUN
THE GREATEST INSPIRATION OF ALL!


Post script...

"For twenty-one years now we have been enjoying cooking our dinners
with the power of the sun..."

Visit Mindy's solar cooking web site:

 " Sun Ovens Are Wonderful"

At the end of the day, and in the morning too,
the Arizona desert puts on a show like nothing we have ever seen.


- enlarge -


Monsoon rain storms
during July and August are awesome.


- enlarge -


write to us anytime

THANKS !
To the special folks who have helped with Solar Haven:

Ann and Ron Serandos, Joanie McNiece, Rick Frazier, Warren Luzon at "Northern Arizona Wind and Sun", Rod Hyatt at "In Hot Water and Heating", John, Marilyn, Jason, Art and Katherine, Dennis Williams, Tina Monaghan and Jake, Rette and Rick, Lyndol, Shay, Christine, Ben and Maria, Kristen and Shannon, Paula Young, Manadeva, Mike McWilliams, Zack and Liz, Yoshi, Marsha and Sarina, Paul Huddy, Michael, Tom, Janna, and Annette, Loreen, Wil and Mai, Clay Springer, Jan and Dee, Kara, Sam and Cassandra, Ajay and Bev Sutton, Amber, Steve, Ken, Owen, Penelope, Charlie, Trish, Jordan, Josee, Dan, and Simon

- pictures of all our voluteers -

 

A MAJOR CHANGE IN DIRECTION:

For reasons primarily related to Jim's health but also for financial reasons, Jim and Mindy Phypers have moved to Veracruz, Mexico. Solar Haven in Arizona has been sold. Jim's health has improved and plans are underway to purchase raw land without utilities again and live as sustainably as possible with solar power. Solar Haven II is starting to take shape... stay tuned!

We have made several videos of our life in the small town in rural Mexico where we have been living. We are the first Amercians to have lived here. We have adopted four dogs or rather they adopted us. Learning a new culture and language has been a big undertaking but very rich and exciting with a photo-op everywhere we turn. Have a look on our "solarhaven2" channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/solarhaven2

Before starting to make videos we maintained a blog of our life in Mexico...

2007 BLOGS, 2006 TEOCELO BLOGS

 

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