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The Dover Sun House

Season 35 Episode 5

The first modern house to be heated by nothing but the sun was designed by Mária Telkes.

In 1948, the Nemethy family moved into a curious new solar powered house in Dover, Massachusetts. The Dover Sun House, as it came to be known, was designed by physicist Mária Telkes, and it was the first modern house to be heated by nothing but the sun. This short video details the Nemethy experience of living there while also explaining the thermal heating system used to heat the home.

AIR DATE 4/4/23

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    • About American Experience

    American Experience, TV’s most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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