Cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, Goes Off-Grid with Wind and Solar Power
Last Updated: Feb 23, 2025A licensed architect who is also Passive House certified and LEED AP, Eric Mucklow works for the US Army Corps of Engineers where his job "is to look for new and underutilized building technologies, and ways of building that are more energy-efficient and sustainable," he says. Those pursuits are alive in his personal life, as well.
"I've always had an interest in renewable energy and experiencing the independence that comes with living off the grid," he says. So, in 2004, he purchased three non-contiguous plots of land with the idea to "build on one, sell it, make a profit; build on the next one, sell it, make a profit; and build and keep the third one and retire."
Now, he says with a laugh, he may have upended his plan with the first cabin (which is nearly completed) because it is turning out so well he wants to keep it. He named the cabin Vis Venti Villa as it's powered by the wind and the sun. "A lot of people based in Washington DC go to the Shenandoah Mountains for their three-day weekends," Mucklow says. "If you keep going toward West Virginia, you get to the Allegheny Mountains, which is more rural, less developed, and surrounded by national forest."
Table of Contents
- How Did the Home Integrate A Combo Wind-Solar System?
- An Upside-Down Cabin for Mountain Views
- Keeping It Local with SIPS
- "It's Fun to Build Sustainably"
How Did the Home Integrate A Combo Wind-Solar System?
Mucklow chose a hybrid wind and solar renewable energy system for his 1,200-square-foot cabin. "At the site," he explains, "the wind blows strong in the winter when insolation is low, and vice versa in the summer." The 60-foot-tall, one-kilowatt wind turbine has a controller with input for up to 750 watts of solar. "I had another solar charger that can take another 60 amps," he says.
To install the wind turbine, Mucklow needed to get a conditional use permit. "The county government decided that producing power wasn't a standard use." He also has installed 14 100-watt solar panels.
"Because the cabin is in the mountains, I wanted several reliable sources of heat in case one fails," he continues. The cabin isn't all-electric, though. Not yet. Mucklow is using propane until he installs a solar thermal system. "Ultimately, I'll use solar hot water to heat the solar reservoir that heats the water in the hydronic radiant floor system," he says.
An Upside-Down Cabin for Mountain Views
Mucklow designed the cabin "upside-down" to take full advantage of the views. The main living area is upstairs; the bedrooms are on the first level. The garage level is composed of concrete blocks with a frost-protected shallow foundation. "The bedrock is close to the surface. So, by putting down a layer of foam and extending the foam four feet, we could build without digging down below the frost line," he explains. "The foam insulates the ground and prevents it from freezing."
He framed the cabin with wood, a "renewable resource," he says. An open stairwell between the levels created a stack effect: an operable skylight on the third level exhausts warm air and draws in fresh air through the windows. As a result, "there's little need for cooling on the upper level," Mucklow says. "Most of the year, we'll have the windows open."
He selected Kolbe VistaLuxe windows for the cabin, sizing them to maximize the line of sight. He also compared a lot of data on windows on the EPA ENERGY STAR website," he says. Mucklow had already decided to use Passive House principles in the cabin's design and construction but did not seek certification. "I realized double-pane windows with all the bells and whistles—argon-filled, low-E coatings or films, warm edge spaces—performed better than basic triple-pane windows," he says.
"Also, VistaLuxe had corner windows I liked, with clean lines. We wanted to build sustainable and off-grid, but not compromise the intent of the cabin, which is to have the lovely mountain views."
Keeping It Local with SIPS
Mucklow found the windows he liked were available through a local supplier, "so they were also windows local contractors were familiar with," he says. That's also why he chose SIPs for the cabin's walls and roof. "I like the idea of hiring local people to share knowledge and help contractors get exposed to sustainable technologies," he says.
Before he began construction, Mucklow hired a local small business of mostly carpenters, as he intended to build the cabin with double-stud walls and rock wool or mineral insulation. The business owner, however, lost several of his employees, which made the job untenable. But, he also mentioned he was familiar with SIPs, so they pivoted.
The cabin roof has 12-inch SIPs for R-46. The walls are eight-inch SIP for R-30. Mucklow chose metal for the roof as the location is prone to forest fires. The metal is also integral to the rainwater catchment system. Captured rainwater undergoes filtration and UV sterilization, so it's safe for drinking. The cabin is clad in fiber-cement siding for fire resistance and to resist rot during the humid summers.
Your place will be unique. You can tell your grandkids about building it. You don't have to worry about power failures. You feel good about building sustainably.
Camille LeFevre
Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.
