Our BatchGeo world MAP shows the locations of projects featured
on Solaripedia. In northeast Iran, at the foot of Mount Sahand
volcano, lies the village of Kandovan where villagers live in
cave homes carved out from volcanic rock. These homes may be
some of the best examples of passive design in the world - where
the structures were formed by nature, reportedly creating some
of the most energy efficient homes on Earth. The rock provides
excellent thermal mass and insulation to keep the interiors
comfortable throughout the long cold season and during the hot
summer. Most houses face south so residents enjoy sunlight
during the day, through windows of decorative glass. Even though
the 700-year-old homes have been modernized with electricity,
water and waste plumbing, they usually need no supplemental
heating or cooling. The houses are two to four stories;
typically, the ground floor is used for animals, the first and
second floors as living areas, and the top floor for storage.
The rock itself is from a volcani