Light! More Light!

One of the green features shown in this latest photo is the use of windows to achieve natural lighting. The large windows pictured here are oriented to the southeast to capture as much sunlight as possible during the winter months. A sun shelf will be installed later to shade the windows during the summer months when the arc of the sun is higher. We will also plant deciduous trees on the southwest perimeter to provide shade during the summer. We have had good experience in our previous home with birch trees and will probably be looking at them for shade at this location.
Also pictured here is the clerestory (pronounced "clear-story"), which is another important source of natural light. Clerestory windows are a critical passive solar element. They are an architectural detail found in many churches and other buildings and are arranged in rows above the main building. Because they are higher than the surrounding roof and above eye level, they do not compromise privacy while providing an entire level of natural sunlight. In our case, the row of windows is located on the eastern side of the clerestory (not visible in the picture) and on the north and south sides. They will catch the morning sunlight very nicely, thereby reducing the need for electrical lighting.
The clerestory windows will also be operable to allow for natural ventilation. That process will be augmented by ceiling fans. Given their height, they will be operated by remote control. The window on the south end of the clerestory may have to be shaded during the summer to avoid excessive heat gain, at least until the shade tree(s) reach maturity.
The other natural lighting feature that will be installed soon are the solartubes. More on that later.