The Cornell University Silo House is actually made up of three silos: a kitchen, a bedroom, and a living area. Each silo is 16 feet (4.9 meters) in diameter with about 130 square feet (12.1 square meters) of floor space. The silos are joined along the southern walls, leaving the northern side open. The corrugated steel siding weathers to a warm ruddy color.
The Silo House was designed to generate more energy than it uses. To achieve this goal, the Silo House features:
- An 8-kW photovoltaic system
- A solar thermal system to heat water
- Evacuated tube collectors that provide space and water heating
- A control system that allows residents to monitor and control power use remotely via the Internet
