The Dover Sun House, Dover, Massachusetts, United States,
Also known as the Peabody Sun House, The House was a groundbreaking experiment in residential solar heating designed by architect Eleanor Raymond in collaboration with biophysicist Mária Telkes and funded by philanthropist Amelia Peabody.
The house was completed in December 1948 and was the first modern home in the U.S. to be heated entirely by solar energy.
Solar Collection: The south-facing second floor featured 18 double-layered glass panels (800 sq. ft.) that captured sunlight to heat air.
Thermal Storage: It used Glauber’s salt (sodium sulfate decahydrate), a phase-change material stored in 28 tons of metal drums. The salt melted to store heat during sunny days and recrystallized to release it at night or on cloudy days.
Performance: Nicknamed the "Model T of sun-heated houses," it successfully heated the home for its first two winters.
System Failure: By the third winter, the system began to fail due to chemical stratification and the salt corroding its storage containers, leading to leaks.
Conversion: In 1954, the experimental solar system was removed and replaced with a conventional oil-burning furnace.
Demolition: The physical structure no longer exists; it was demolished in 2010 (some sources suggest shortly after 2012) and replaced by a new residence that features a modern solar array.
Designed by Eleanor Raymond in collaboration with biophysicist Mária Telkes and funded by philanthropist Amelia Peabody.
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