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	Photo by Skip Lawrence

They did it by installing a solar radiant heat and hot water system, and renovating the entire house.

Solar thermal radiant heating hoses snake beneath the floors, carrying water heated from panels on the roof, which have captured the sun's rays for the dual purpose of heating the household's water and floors. Heat radiates up from the floors to warm the house.

The Superczynskis' three-bedroom house is featured on the 2009 Metro Washington D.C. Tour of Solar Homes and Buildings, one of five buildings in Frederick County on the tour. Renovations to the house, which have been ongoing for about two years, are just about complete.

The home's green features go beyond solar. From the LED lights along the stairway and in the kitchen to the recycled doors, they tried to limit throwaways, use products made from renewable resources and increase energy efficiency throughout the house. They expanded the house upward more than out, giving them 75 percent more space with an addition no larger than the size of a typical patio.

The house has skylights and passive solar lighting, which will take advantage of the sun's rays in the winter and shield the windows in the summer. Windows are positioned to allow for natural ventilation.

"Solar houses don't have to be weird," Brienne said. "It's an in-town house. We walk to the library. We walk to school." Their children, boys ages 10 and 12, can ride their bikes around town, helping them become more independent, and less dependent on cars. The neighborhood is full of children who do the same, Brienne said.

They designed the house to look like the bungalow it is, with a few added features.

They also did it on a budget. Denis is a planner with the Frederick County Planning Department, and Brienne is a social worker for Hospice of Frederick County.

The solar components

There are six solar panels on the roof to provide heat and hot water. Denis also plans to add solar electricity to the house. Solar thermal radiant heat uses water that starts at ground temperature, about 55 degrees. It is then heated to 85 degrees by the sun and circulates through the floors of the house in tubes. Heat rises, so the warm air floats upward through the rooms. The water tubes are closed so the water can't get into the house's drinking water supply.

"In radiant heat, objects get warm and radiate heat, without heating up the space," Denis said. "It's the same way the space between the sun and the earth is not heated. In space, you'd freeze."

The solar heat system also heats water for the family's use. Although they have a gas hot water backup, it's disconnected now, and the couple expects it will get limited use even in winter. The system relies on the heat panels to heat the water.

The radiant heat zone used for the new addition has solar tubes buried in the concrete slab beneath the floor. The cellar, where the water is stored in tanks, is insulated with spray foam insulation. The advantage of the spray foam is that it penetrates every nook and cranny, and there is no mold buildup.

There are state and federal tax credits to make the systems less expensive. "I don't know that most people who do it do it because of incentives," Denis said. They will get credits on electricity saved from their electric company.

Other green features

The family kept as much of the original hardwood flooring as possible, and some of what had to be removed will become the new butcher-block style kitchen counter. When they removed aluminum siding, old copper wiring and old shingles were recycled. The new roof is lighter-colored, because black absorbs heat and makes the house hotter in the summer. They also put in a concrete driveway, because asphalt driveways become heat islands. They tried to minimize concrete where they could, putting in permeable paver walkways.

The new siding wrapping the house is HardiePlank, cement-based siding that should last a long time. The front door is flanked by an old piece of stained glass. The two-story foyer has windows that crank open for ventilation. Most of the ceilings in the old part of the house are 7 feet, 1 inch. But the natural and energy-efficient artificial lighting makes the house feel airy.

Most of the paints are low on toxins. All the lightbulbs are either compact fluorescent or LED lights. LED stands for light-emitting diode, and the form of lighting is low-energy.

The home's flooring is original hardwood, salvaged from another part of the house, and bamboo and cork, both of which are renewable. The kitchen still has linoleum, which is not vinyl, the Superczynskis like to remind people. The bathrooms have antique tables which double as vanities, with sinks built above the tables. The toilets are low-flow, and one toilet has an easy to clean "skirt" surrounding it, with none of the usual nooks and crannies which make toilets hard to clean.

The bedrooms are large enough to accommodate furniture, clothing, desks and computers, but not that large. "We got away from the obnoxious master bedroom suites the size of apartments," Denis said. The largest spaces in the house are the areas where family and friends gather, not bedrooms.

Space can be found in the dining room, the kitchen with its eat-in counter and the new great room, which extends off the back of the house.

Now that interior renovations are mostly done, the couple plans to dig up part of the backyard and put in native plants, cutting down on the time and gas needed for mowing. The yard is a typical in-town lot, not large, but there's room for several shade trees and a nice-sized garden.

The family bought the house in February 2005, and moved out for a year while the renovations were continuing. They rented a small house down the street, moving back to their home in June.

House for family life

The family has made compromises. The shower in the master bathroom, while not large, is made for comfort. The stone tiles were chosen for looks, not carbon footprint. "We live in the house," Brienne said. There is a Jacuzzi tub, although it is a cast off from Denis' parents.

Every room is wired for high-speed cable and phone connections. That's a high priority.

The house has air conditioning, which is vented into the ceilings, because cool air falls as warm air rises.

A mudroom is perfect for boots, coats, the energy-efficient washer and muddy dog paws. The couple only bought two new appliances for the renovated house, the washer and a stove. "Don't run out and buy new appliances, but if you're getting them, get the energy-efficient ones," Brienne said. If the cabinets are good, paint the faces or consider replacing only the exterior doors.

Renovating a house using green techniques doesn't have to be out of reach of most families, the couple said. "We want people to know it can be done," Brienne said.