About Us
Sun Plans Inc. is a small, architectural firm that has been providing web-based passive solar, sun-inspired home design since 2002 for the United States. They have designed hundreds of homes that have been built in both hot and cold clmates zones in North America. The design philosophies are discussed and illustrated in The Sun-Inspired House: house designs warmed and brightened by the sun which was first published in 2005, and is currently available in the eBook version with over 150 house designs available from Sun Plans.
The Company
Since Sun Plans is a very small company, the architect works directly with clients throughout the internet-based design process. Even with orders of the pre-designed plans, she personally prepares the Custom Energy Specs.
Sun Plans is committed to providing the best possible passive solar home designs for affordable prices. The homeowners are often assigned homework tasks that most thoroughly enjoy. With the web-based design services, clients can review the various drawings and submittals at their leisure in their own home on their own schedule. They can e-mail at their convenience. Although phone calls are always possible, customers find that they are seldom needed. The same applies to site visits and face-to-face meetings which are an option if proximity allows, but seldom required with the sophistication of web mapping and communication systems.
Sun Plans is looking for experienced design professionals (with construction drawing experience) who share the passion for right-sized, low-energy homes that incorporate the sun. Opportunities exist to showcase your own house designs on the Sun Plans website and provide custom design services. Contact Us with qualifications.
The Architect
The architect, Debra Rucker Coleman, is passionate about the opportunities of the sun for brightening and warming a home. Coleman has been a licensed architect since 1984 and is currently registered in Alabama and North Carolina. (Most states do not require a licensed architect in their state to design homes, but potential clients should check state and local requirements.)
She received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona where she gained the fundamentals in her sustainable and energy education. Passive solar heating and passive cooling elements were part of the design process and not something that could be tacked onto a building or set of plans at the end.
Coleman is a LEED Green Associate and has long believed that sun-inspired design is the gold lining of green buildings. Taking advantage of the free heat of the sun to warm buildings in winter is low-hanging fruit to obtain greater energy savings in buildings. More points are allocated to saving energy than any other LEED category.
In 2015, she completed the intensive 10-week Zero Net Energy Home Design course by Marc Rosenbaum, P.E. with Energysmiths where she logged over 200 hours exploring the details of what it takes to design a zero net energy home. Interacting with Marc and other classmates throughout the U.S. and Canada was a fun and educational experience.
Coleman's home designs have been on the National Tour of Solar Homes. Her work has been published in Fine Homebuilding, Solar Today, Mother Earth News, Home Power, Home Energy, and numerous smaller publications. She has presented papers and given seminars on passive solar design in the United States and Canada.
Coleman was the general contractor for her own homes including a new construction one and major renovation of another. This gave her experience in the construction details of high-performance, low-energy homes. In both homes, the energy bills typically average less than $100 per month for the entire home's energy use with about $25-35/month average for the heating/cooling portion.
Consultants
Christopher Gronbeck has been Sun Plans' website designer since the early 2000s. He is an expert in solar energy and the developer of the passive solar energy tools that Sun Plans uses for sun-inspired house design.
Juhi Parikh provides 3D modeling and architectural design assistance. She is a fifth-year architecture student at Rice University in Houston, pursuing her Bachelors of Architecture. She enjoys residential architecture design because of the personal relationship opportunity with the client. She has a special interest in solar and sustainable design. Juhi is a LEED Green Associate and considers environmentally healthy design the future of the architecture industry. She's excited to be working with SunPlans and focusing on the energy-related aspects of housing. Juhi loves being outside in nature; hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, picnicking - you name it!
Location
Although the architect has lived in many climate zones such as Arizona, Switzerland, the Caribbean, and North Carolina, Sun Plans is currently located in southern Alabama, USA. Please call for the office address, to schedule a visit, or to surface mail information. Consultants that provide various services on a project-by-project basis with Sun Plans work from their own locations throughout the United States.
ASES (American Solar Energy Society)
Debra serves on ASES's Board of Directors, Solar Buildings Technical Division, National Solar Tour steering committee, and the organizing committee for the annual National Solar Conference held annually for over 50 years.
AIA (American Institute of Architects)
Debra is a member of the American Institute of Architects - the professional organization in which licensed architects are permitted to join. Her primary involvement with them has been in creating educational webinars on passive solar that have AIA continuing education credits. Thousands have participated in these courses. In addition, she contributes to the AIA Small Project Design.
Sun Plans has made the AIA 2030 Commitment to strive for all buildings designed by them to be 100% net zero energy by 2030.
GreenHome Institute
Being on the GreenHome Institute's board of directors allows Debra numerous opportunities to stay on top of the leading green, low-energy, and high-performance building trends including Net-Zero Energy, LEED, GreenStar, various home energy rating systems, passive house organizations, and other emerging programs in the residential community.
Green Building Advisor, Building Performance Assoc. etc.
These are just a few organizations related to zero net energy and high-performance home design where Sun Plans participates in ongoing continuing education to stay at the forefront of residential energy knowledge such as Green Building Advisor, Fine Homebuilding, Journal of Light Construction, Building Performance Association, and DOEs Zero Energy Ready Homes.