Don Booth died recently at 94.  Don, the owner of Community Builders in Canterbury NH was a pioneer in low energy houses in the 60's, 70's and 80's.  He wrote two books about "Envelope" houses and build a number of them in the area, plus numerous affordable houses in the "passive solar" mode.  I went to many of his "open houses" and was always impressed with his goals and his continuous efforts at improving the functional design of the homes he built.  One high end renovation for a prominent dentist had active solar plus a bank of water jugs in the conditioned attic.  On occasion I'd hire one of his sons to do a computer analysis (!) of a new house.  Thirty years later we're finally starting to progress, however slowly, on his lifelong vision of affordable, practical, comfortable houses.