Illinois Lo-Cal House

The increasing scarcity of fuels makes it imperativeto include more energy conservation features in our housing. This circular describes the design, construction, and predicted performance of a house that uses approximately one-third of the energy needed to heat a house of the same size which is built to meet 1974 insulation standards (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development standards for houses located in areas having a heating season of between 4500 and 8000 degree-days). Because of its low-energy requirements for heating, the house has been called the "Illinois Lo-Cal House." If the Lo-Cal House is compared to the typical house of 1950, the savings are even more dramatic. The two features which account for the exceptional reduction are: 1) Superior insulation 2) Solar orientation Of the reduction, about 80% or more is due to the heavy insulation. The remaining reduction is due to the location of most of the windows in the south wall, where they act as solar collectors