Going Green With Passive Solar Design
Passive solar design is one of the simplest ways to improve your home's value and save electricity at the same time.
Passive solar design is a technique of using the sun to naturally heat and light up your home or office. This is achieved by using various building features and materials to improve heating and cooling efficiency. The best part about passive solar design is that it is relatively simple to implement, little maintenance is needed, and your home's market value can increase considerably.
When working out the passive solar potential of your home, you need to consider how it was built and what materials is was built from. The ideal position for your home would be either be on flat land or on a sun-facing slope. Also, in suburban areas, any trees nearby should be deciduous to shade your home in summer, and let through the sunlight in winter.
For any new building, it is best to build it so that the length faces the sun. Another factor determining your home's potential for natural light and heat is the shape, type and size of windows you use.
So how exactly does your home warm up from the sun? In 3 different ways:
1) Direct - this the heat generated from the sun shining directly on an object.
2) Indirect - this is heat given off from objects heated by sunlight.
3) Isolated gain - determined by the airflow in your home.
To ensure the most natural heat from the above three sources, a number of large windows should be placed on the sun-facing side of your home, allowing maximum sunlight in.
All that sunlight and heat in your home is useless, if it cannot be stored and used when the sun is set. The solution is to use heat-absorbent flooring and walls that carry on radiating heat long into the night. A simple way to reduce power cost in winter is to locate to rooms in your house that get the most sunshine at certain times of day. Also, shady rooms should be cut-off (their doors closed) from the rest of the house to retain heat better.
During summer, the right length roof overhangs or eaves can be used to control the amount sunlight and heat in your home. The eaves should be wide enough shade out the intense midday sun, but let the let low-angle sunlight through during dusk and dawn to light up and warm the home. Again, the right trees and shrubs can be planted to regulate the house's seasonal exposure to the sun.
For current buildings, the simplest passive solar design solution is to replace your windows with modern ones, that use various methods to store up 50% more heat. Although they are 10% to 15% more expensive, they pay for themselves in the long-term from all the power saved to heat your home.
Double-glazed or Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows let solar heat in, but keep in the indoor radiant heat. Another way to reduce heat loss is to ensure tight seals around all windows or by using multiple panes that have gaps between them filled with argon or krypton gas.
What also has an effect is the type of window frames you have. Wooden, fiberglass and vinyl window frames are better insulators as opposed to metal frames that conduct the heat too well. When it comes to buying your windows, make sure they are officially labeled either by Energy Start or the National Fenestration Rating Council (for the U.S.). These two bodies give ratings on how energy efficient and effective the windows are, making it easier for you to buy the right windows for your climate and budget.
The whole idea behind passive solar design is to use the sun's natural heat in such a way that it reduces your energy consumption and expenses. So before going out and getting the latest and greatest passive solar design and products, always weigh up the cost involved with how much you will save in energy bills in the long-term.
Passive solar design is a technique of using the sun to naturally heat and light up your home or office. This is achieved by using various building features and materials to improve heating and cooling efficiency. The best part about passive solar design is that it is relatively simple to implement, little maintenance is needed, and your home's market value can increase considerably.
When working out the passive solar potential of your home, you need to consider how it was built and what materials is was built from. The ideal position for your home would be either be on flat land or on a sun-facing slope. Also, in suburban areas, any trees nearby should be deciduous to shade your home in summer, and let through the sunlight in winter.
For any new building, it is best to build it so that the length faces the sun. Another factor determining your home's potential for natural light and heat is the shape, type and size of windows you use.
So how exactly does your home warm up from the sun? In 3 different ways:
1) Direct - this the heat generated from the sun shining directly on an object.
2) Indirect - this is heat given off from objects heated by sunlight.
3) Isolated gain - determined by the airflow in your home.
To ensure the most natural heat from the above three sources, a number of large windows should be placed on the sun-facing side of your home, allowing maximum sunlight in.
All that sunlight and heat in your home is useless, if it cannot be stored and used when the sun is set. The solution is to use heat-absorbent flooring and walls that carry on radiating heat long into the night. A simple way to reduce power cost in winter is to locate to rooms in your house that get the most sunshine at certain times of day. Also, shady rooms should be cut-off (their doors closed) from the rest of the house to retain heat better.
During summer, the right length roof overhangs or eaves can be used to control the amount sunlight and heat in your home. The eaves should be wide enough shade out the intense midday sun, but let the let low-angle sunlight through during dusk and dawn to light up and warm the home. Again, the right trees and shrubs can be planted to regulate the house's seasonal exposure to the sun.
For current buildings, the simplest passive solar design solution is to replace your windows with modern ones, that use various methods to store up 50% more heat. Although they are 10% to 15% more expensive, they pay for themselves in the long-term from all the power saved to heat your home.
Double-glazed or Low-emissivity (Low-E) windows let solar heat in, but keep in the indoor radiant heat. Another way to reduce heat loss is to ensure tight seals around all windows or by using multiple panes that have gaps between them filled with argon or krypton gas.
What also has an effect is the type of window frames you have. Wooden, fiberglass and vinyl window frames are better insulators as opposed to metal frames that conduct the heat too well. When it comes to buying your windows, make sure they are officially labeled either by Energy Start or the National Fenestration Rating Council (for the U.S.). These two bodies give ratings on how energy efficient and effective the windows are, making it easier for you to buy the right windows for your climate and budget.
The whole idea behind passive solar design is to use the sun's natural heat in such a way that it reduces your energy consumption and expenses. So before going out and getting the latest and greatest passive solar design and products, always weigh up the cost involved with how much you will save in energy bills in the long-term.
About the Author:
While passive solar design is one way of reducing your energy costs, another is to build your own solar/wind power system. Learn how you can do this for under $200 by trying Earth4Energy for FREE and start saving up to 80% on your energy bills. Or, read the full Earth4Energy Review first.
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