Like canning summer fruits to enjoy in the winter, so also the heat of the summer can be preserved to enjoy in the winter.
The gravel hills with exceptional drainage are a tremendous asset. They offer a chance to build homes that require less fuel to heat or cool.
A conventional home could be built and the ground covered with insulation and plastic, a concept called Passive Annual Heat Storage (PAHS). It keeps the summer heat in to warm the house in the winter. Keeping the water table away from the warmed earth is not a problem, and gravel is easily dug.
An earth shelter home with great views could be built on the south slope of the gravel hill.
A greenhouse which saved the heat of the day would not require fossil fuel to heat.
A greenhouse which saved the heat of the day would not require fossil fuel to heat.
