FAIRBANKS — Sunlight poured into a large south-facing window and drenched the stained concrete floor, stones and flower beds in warmth. Like batteries, these features capture, store and dispense energy to the 2,300-square-foot house year round. Sun coming through the window has provided all the home’s heat since mid-February.
Outside, a dozen solar thermal panels stared at the Alaska Range and drank in the mid-morning sun. The panels and a stone masonry heater (complete with a bake oven) are the only heat sources in the home.