Has anyone looked into using shotcrete foam panel building system? I am wondering what the pros and cons are for that system.   I saw tridipanel at World of Concrete this year and it looked intriguing.  Here are a few different companies that make the panel systems.

www.solarcrete.com

www.monolitesystems.com

www.m2panel.com

http://www.structurtech.com/

http://www.tridipanel.com/

slenzen,

We were at the World of Concrete too, what a hoot!. There was much to see and we did not get to those spots. I think the issue is finding contractors willing to do it and w/experince.  Also, load bearing capability. We are doing 3 floors, 36' of wall.

Patrick T.

I also saw an ICF form that had extra insulation on the outside. I think it was 2.5 inches of foam on inside and 4" on outside. I can't remember the brand name.

Jason,

Too bad about geo-thermal being too pricey.  Did you ever consider solar heating?  Not sure how many of these panels you would need to effectively heat your whole house but it seems to be considerably faster rate of return though is not a complete a solution as geo-thermal.

www.canadiansolartechnologies.ca/solar-technology/

Dan

OUr home was designed with passive solar as a key factor however traditional solar (using photovoltaic panels) isn't really an option in Minnesota. During the fall and Spring months when we get very few hours a day of direct sunlight and still have some tree coverage there isn't enough to generate an appropriate amount of energy. I spoke with two energy experts on the subject and they both advised against it as a result of this.

Jason

What kind of windows are you getting with passive solar in mind?

I selected Triple pane Accurate Dorwin windows out of Canada. They had the lowest U-values I could find at .19. They also have a line cof glass which allows for passive solar gain that we will be using on the north side of the home.

Jason

Do not waste your money on Thermomass. I did. I took a thermal image of my foundation and the connectors are nothing but thermal bridges. My room temperature was 72 but the wall was 64. The outside temperature was 0 but the wall temperature was 18.